The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai have announced that, from 26 October 2026, they will begin **directly** accepting all applications for Chinese visas and consular legalisation services. The notice, dated 22 October 2026, means travellers and companies in India will no longer need to use the outsourced Visa Application Centre (VAC) for mainland-China visas or the authentication of Indian documents for use in China. Under the new arrangement, applicants must book an online appointment through the embassy’s website, submit printed application forms and supporting documents in person, and pay fees at the embassy cashier. Fingerprint collection has been **temporarily waived for holders of visas with stays of 180 days or less until 31 December 2026**, significantly shortening processing time at the counter. Long-term (Z, X1, J1) visa applicants and those whose prints cannot be matched in the system must still provide fingerprints on site. The embassy has tightened document requirements for certain categories. Tourist-visa (L) applicants must now show six months of personal bank statements with an average monthly balance of at least INR 100,000 or a fixed deposit certificate issued at least three months before the application date. Business-visa (M) applicants must present an *Invitation Letter (PU)* or *Invitation Verification Notice* issued in China, while student-visa (X) applicants must bring the original *Admission Notice* and *JW202* form. Applications missing mandatory documents will be rejected outright. For Indian multinationals and service providers that previously used the VAC’s courier or group-submission facilities, the change introduces new logistical challenges. HR departments will need to allocate staff to attend in-person appointments and ensure travellers’ fingerprints are on file before ticketing. On the upside, direct filing at the embassy eliminates the VAC service fee (INR 3,910 for regular service) and should shorten overall turnaround once officers adjust to the higher counter volume. Travel-management companies advise corporate travellers to submit complete files at least ten calendar days before departure until the new workflow stabilises. Companies planning large group movements after Diwali—especially for the 2026 China International Import Expo in Shanghai (5-10 November)—should stagger submissions or engage local agents to avoid congestion. The embassy has pledged to “optimise appointment slots” if daily capacity proves insufficient. In the longer term, diplomats hint that India could be added to China’s 30-day unilateral visa-free list, which is currently set to expire on 31 December 2026. The direct-acceptance model allows Beijing to monitor demand closely and may lay procedural groundwork for future facilitation measures between the two Asian giants.
