In a significant diplomatic development, India will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals starting July 24, 2025, marking the first such move in five years. The Indian Embassy in China made the announcement on its official Sina Weibo account, as reported by Reuters and Chinese media outlet Global Times.
According to the update, Chinese citizens can now apply for tourist visas to India by completing an online application and scheduling an appointment. They must then submit their passport and necessary documents in person at one of the Indian Visa Application Centres located in Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou.
India had suspended tourist visas for Chinese nationals in 2020 amid the global outbreak of COVID-19. In April 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a notice declaring all previously issued tourist visas to Chinese nationals invalid. In a reciprocal move, China restricted the return of around 22,000 Indian students who had been studying in Chinese universities before the pandemic.
The decision to resume tourist visas is being viewed as a positive step towards rebuilding India-China relations, which have been strained in recent years due to military and diplomatic tensions.
This thaw follows a series of confidence-building measures between the two countries. Earlier this year, both sides agreed to withdraw troops from Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh, the last remaining points of military friction. In January, direct commercial flights between New Delhi and Beijing resumed after a long pause, coinciding with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to China.
During that visit, both countries also agreed to reopen the sacred pilgrimage route to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet for Indian devotees.
Most recently, in a diplomatic engagement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, further signalling improving ties between the two Asian giants.
