As India and China work towards repairing their strained ties, the Indian government is working towards resuming visas for Chinese tourists. As per a report by news agency Reuters, India will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens for the first time in five years.
Citing the Indian Embassy in Beijing, Reuters reported that this renewal is set to start from Thursday – July 24.Chinese media The Global Times shared the post made by the Indian Embassy in China on Weibo. “From July 24, 2025, Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to visit India. They must first fill out the visa application form online on the web link and print it, and then make an appointment on the web link. Then they must take a passport, visa application form and other related documents to submit an application at the Indian Visa Application Center,” read the post issued by the Indian embassy.
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign affairs Ministry said on Wednesday that China had noted the positive move.”China is ready to maintain communication and consultation with India and constantly improve the level of personal exchanges between the two countries,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters.In 2020, India had suspended all tourist visas in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. China had also suspended visas to Indian citizens and other foreigners during the pandemic, but lifted those visa restrictions in 2022 for students and business travellers. However, many Indian students were not allowed to return for physical classes. Hence, in April 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a notice which stated that all tourist visas for Chinese nationals will no longer be valid.