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Chinese Diplomatic Missions in India Resume Direct Processing of Visa and Consular Legalisation Applications

🇮🇳 IndiaConsular Updates1 recorded versionLast change 26 Oct 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

From 26 October 2026, Chinese visa and consular legalisation applications in India are handled directly by the Chinese Embassy in India or the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai, depending on the relevant consular district. The services normally handled by the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata are temporarily being handled by the embassy. The direct-processing notice was issued on 22 October and directs applicants to follow the separate official instructions for visas, document legalisation and payment of fees. People applying for a Chinese visa must first complete the online application form and upload the required documents through the official Chinese visa application system. There is no consular fee payable at this online review stage. Once the online review has been approved, the applicant receives an email notification. Within 30 days of receiving that email, the applicant must go to the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate with their passport, printed application form and other required documents. Fingerprints are collected if required. Applicants for diplomatic, official or courtesy visas must arrange a telephone appointment before submitting their documents. Applicants should normally have a passport valid for more than six months with at least two blank visa pages, two recent colour photographs with a white background, and any other documents required for their visa category. Non-Indian citizens applying in India must provide valid evidence of their stay, residence, employment or study in India, as applicable. Applicants may also need to provide previous passports, evidence relating to a change of name, invitation letters, financial documents or other category-specific material. The precise requirements depend on the visa being requested, and the embassy may ask for additional evidence if necessary. The consular district determines where the application must be submitted. People living in Maharashtra and Karnataka should use the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai. People living in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal should temporarily use the Chinese Embassy in India. Applicants living in other Indian areas should also use the embassy under the published instructions. For document legalisation, the relevant office is generally determined by where the document was issued, rather than simply the applicant's home address. The Kolkata-area transfer is expressly described as temporary; the announcement does not state when the former arrangement will resume. For consular legalisation, applicants must complete the correct application form and provide the original document and a copy, valid identity documents and any other material requested by the consular officer. If someone applies through an agent, the agent must also provide identity documents. Documents issued by Indian authorities for use in mainland China must first complete the prescribed Indian notarisation and legalisation steps before submission to the Chinese diplomatic mission. The embassy and consulates do not accept legalisation requests by post or fax under the published instructions, and applicants may be asked to attend an interview in certain cases. The missions can refuse documents with incomplete procedures, unlawful content, alterations, non-standard formats or replaced pages. Fees are payable under the published consular fee schedule. Rates differ according to the applicant's nationality, visa type and whether express processing is requested. For Indian passport holders, the listed fees are ₹2,900 for a single-entry visa, ₹4,400 for a double-entry visa, ₹5,900 for a six-month multiple-entry visa and ₹8,800 for a multiple-entry visa valid for 12 months or longer. Different fees apply to some third-country nationals, including nationals of the United States, Canada, Brazil and other specified countries. Applicants must check the relevant rate rather than assuming that the Indian passport-holder fee applies to them. The embassy and Mumbai consulate state that they will temporarily accept only demand drafts for payment. Cash, personal cheques and other payment methods are not accepted under the current fee notice. Demand drafts must be printed by the issuing bank and made payable to the correct mission. Applicants should check the official payment instructions carefully because a draft made out to the wrong office may not meet the stated requirements. Express-processing fees may apply when that service is available. The New Delhi Visa Application Centre stopped accepting new Chinese visa and document-legalisation applications from 26 October. It remains available for collection of documents that had already been processed, until 12 noon on 30 October. Its notice also states that service fees were not charged for online applications submitted after 5 p.m. on 23 October, while service fees already collected for earlier applications are non-refundable. These rules apply to the transition away from that application centre and should be distinguished from the consular visa fees payable to the Chinese authorities. The change does not alter China's visa categories, the evidence required to qualify for each visa or the rules governing entry into China. It changes the official route through which applicants in India submit their applications and documents. The direct-processing arrangement is therefore an administrative change to consular services, not a new immigration eligibility rule.

Overview

The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in India announced that, with effect from 26 October 2026, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi and the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai will directly accept and process applications for Chinese visas and consular legalisation. Furthermore, consular and visa services for applicants within the consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata will temporarily be administered by the Chinese Embassy in India. This administrative shift alters the submission channels for travellers and commercial entities in India seeking entry visas or document legalisation for the People's Republic of China. Applicants and legal representatives must route their submissions directly to the designated diplomatic missions rather than external intermediary centres, and Kolkata-district applicants must redirect their submissions to New Delhi.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • Applicants applying for Chinese entry visas from India
  • Individuals and organisations submitting documents for consular legalisation in India
  • Applicants based in the consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai
  • Applicants based in the consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata subject to temporary service relocation
  • Applicants within the consular district of the Chinese Embassy in India

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before 26 October 2026, applicants in India could use Chinese Visa Application Service Centres to submit Chinese visa applications and obtain related services. The centres acted as an intermediary between applicants and Chinese diplomatic missions. Applicants completed forms, prepared supporting documents, and followed the submission and collection procedures set by the relevant centre and the Chinese authorities. The Chinese Embassy and consulates already used a system where applicants first completed an online form and uploaded supporting documents for review. Once the online review was approved, the applicant was asked to submit a passport and other required materials. Applicants then waited for processing to finish and collected their visas through the previous arrangements. The underlying online application and document requirements therefore existed before the October change. The diplomatic missions also had established responsibilities for document legalisation. Applicants needed to submit a document that had completed the required steps in India, including notarisation and legalisation by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs or an authorised office where applicable. The Chinese mission then checked the final seal or signature. This process was already required for relevant documents issued in India and intended for use in mainland China. The October change affects the office that receives the application, not the purpose of legalisation itself. Before the new arrangements, consular services were handled according to the relevant districts of the Chinese Embassy and consulates general. Applicants living in Maharashtra and Karnataka were directed to Mumbai, while people in other parts of India used the embassy or the consulate responsible for their area. The October announcement temporarily transfers services for the Kolkata consular district to the embassy, making that district an exception to the earlier local arrangement. Visa fees and document-legalisation fees were also already part of the application process. The embassy's new fee schedule sets out the payments for direct processing and states which payment methods are accepted. The notice does not establish that every consular fee has increased compared with the earlier schedule. It is therefore more accurate to say that updated fee instructions were published alongside the transition, rather than describing the announcement as a general visa-fee increase. The earlier system also involved service fees charged by the visa application centre. The New Delhi centre's notice explains that service fees paid for online applications submitted before 5 p.m. on 23 October are non-refundable, while applications submitted after that deadline are not charged the centre's service fee. The centre also set a final collection time for documents that had already been processed. These are transition arrangements connected with the end of the centre's application service, not a new Chinese immigration requirement. The previous system therefore relied on online applications, supporting-document reviews, passport submissions, consular processing, and collection through the relevant service route.

After

From 26 October 2026, Chinese visa and consular legalisation applications in India are handled directly by the Chinese Embassy in India or the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai, depending on the relevant consular district. The services normally handled by the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata are temporarily being handled by the embassy. The direct-processing notice was issued on 22 October and directs applicants to follow the separate official instructions for visas, document legalisation, and fee payments. People applying for a Chinese visa must first complete the online application form and upload the required documents through the official Chinese visa application system. There is no consular fee payable at this online review stage. Once the online review is approved, the applicant receives an email notification. Within 30 days of receiving that email, the applicant must go to the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate with their passport, printed application form, and other required documents. Fingerprints are collected if required. Applicants for diplomatic, official, or courtesy visas must arrange a telephone appointment before submitting their documents. Applicants should normally have a passport valid for more than six months with at least two blank visa pages, two recent colour photographs with a white background, and any other documents required for their visa category. Non-Indian citizens applying in India must provide valid evidence of their stay, residence, employment, or study in India, as applicable. Applicants may also need to provide previous passports, evidence relating to a change of name, invitation letters, financial documents, or other category-specific materials. The precise requirements depend on the visa requested, and the embassy may ask for additional evidence if necessary. The consular district determines where the application must be submitted. People living in Maharashtra and Karnataka should use the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai. People living in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal should temporarily use the Chinese Embassy in India. Applicants living in other Indian areas should also use the embassy under the published instructions. For document legalisation, the relevant office is generally determined by where the document was issued, rather than simply the applicant's home address. The transfer for the Kolkata area is expressly described as temporary; the announcement does not state when the former arrangement will resume. For consular legalisation, applicants must complete the correct application form and provide the original document and a copy, valid identity documents, and any other material requested by the consular officer. If someone applies through an agent, the agent must also provide identity documents. Documents issued by Indian authorities for use in mainland China must first complete the prescribed Indian notarisation and legalisation steps before submission to the Chinese diplomatic mission. The embassy and consulates do not accept legalisation requests by post or fax under the published instructions, and applicants may be asked to attend an interview in certain cases. The missions can refuse documents with incomplete procedures, unlawful content, alterations, non-standard formats, or replaced pages. Fees are payable under the published consular fee schedule. Rates differ according to the applicant's nationality, visa type, and whether express processing is requested. For Indian passport holders, the listed fees are ₹2,900 for a single-entry visa, ₹4,400 for a double-entry visa, ₹5,900 for a six-month multiple-entry visa, and ₹8,800 for a multiple-entry visa valid for 12 months or longer. Different fees apply to some third-country nationals, including nationals of the United States, Canada, Brazil, and other specified countries. Applicants must check the relevant rate rather than assuming that the Indian passport-holder fee applies to them. The embassy and Mumbai consulate state that they will temporarily accept only demand drafts for payment. Cash, personal cheques, and other payment methods are not accepted under the current fee notice. Demand drafts must be printed by the issuing bank and made payable to the correct mission. Applicants should check the official payment instructions carefully, as a draft made out to the wrong office may not meet the stated requirements. Express-processing fees may apply when that service is available. The New Delhi Visa Application Centre stopped accepting new Chinese visa and document-legalisation applications from 26 October. It remains open for collecting documents that had already been processed until 12 noon on 30 October. Its notice also states that service fees were not charged for online applications submitted after 5 p.m. on 23 October, while service fees already collected for earlier applications are non-refundable. These rules apply to the transition away from that application centre and should be distinguished from the consular visa fees payable to the Chinese authorities. The change does not alter China's visa categories, the evidence required to qualify for each visa, or the rules governing entry into China. It changes the official route through which applicants in India submit their applications and documents. The direct-processing arrangement is therefore an administrative change to consular services, not a new immigration eligibility rule.

Visa procedures can affect how quickly a person is able to complete an application and obtain a decision. Applicants must know where to submit their documents, which office is responsible for their area, and what steps they must complete before their passport can be accepted. When handling arrangements change, people who continue following older instructions may attend the wrong office, use an outdated payment method, or face delays in submitting their applications. The new arrangement makes the Chinese Embassy in India and the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai the direct processing offices for the services covered by the announcement. The Kolkata consular area is temporarily being handled by the embassy. This is particularly important for applicants living in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, whose Chinese visa applications and document-legalisation requests are now temporarily directed to the embassy rather than the Kolkata consulate. The change also affects people applying for Chinese visas who are not Indian citizens but live in India. The official visa instructions require non-Indian applicants to provide valid evidence of their stay, residence, employment, or study in India, as applicable. Applicants must follow the consular district rules and provide the documents required for their particular visa category. The new processing arrangement does not remove these requirements. Another important point is the difference between the online application review and the physical submission of the passport. Applicants must first submit their form and supporting documents online. They should not assume that completing the form means their visa has been approved, or that they no longer need to attend an embassy or consulate. Once the online review is approved, the applicant receives an email explaining how to submit the passport and other documents. The authorities then continue processing the visa application. Consular legalisation is a separate service that matters for people using official documents across borders. Examples include civil-status documents and commercial records that need to be used in China. China and India do not apply the Hague Apostille Convention to the circulation of public documents between mainland China and India, according to the Chinese Embassy's instructions. As a result, qualifying documents issued in India for use in mainland China must go through the required Indian notarisation and legalisation stages before being submitted for Chinese consular legalisation. The new arrangement also changes how payments are made. The published fee schedule lists fees according to nationality and visa type, and states that payments must be made using a demand draft. This differs from the payment options applicants may have used at a visa application centre. Applicants who arrive with cash, a personal cheque, or another payment method may find that it is not accepted under the current instructions. The change does not mean that every visa will be processed more quickly. The published visa instructions give an indicative processing period of seven working days for regular applications and four working days for express applications, calculated from the day after the passport is submitted. These are the stated processing times, not a guarantee that every case will finish within them. Requests for additional documents, further checks, or particular individual circumstances may affect processing times.

Explained simply

Starting on 26 October 2026, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi and the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai are taking visa and document legalisation applications directly, rather than using an intermediary. If you live in Kolkata or its surrounding consular district, your applications are temporarily being taken and handled directly by the Embassy in New Delhi.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v1Effective 26 Oct 2026EffectiveHigh impact
    China Transfers Visa and Document Legalisation Applications in India to Direct Embassy and Consulate Processing

    On 22 October 2026, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in India announced that from 26 October 2026, the Chinese Embassy in India and the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai will directly accept and process applications for Chinese visas and consular legalisation. Under this arrangement, consular services for applicants living within the consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata are temporarily reassigned to the Chinese Embassy in India. The announcement does not explain the earlier processing system in detail. Specific procedural steps, document requirements, and consular fee lists are set out in separate supplementary notices.

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