India lifts ban on Chinese tourist visas after 5 years, issues fresh advisory on new process

India will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens starting July 24, the Indian embassy in China announced on Tuesday, marking a significant move toward restoring people-to-people ties disrupted by years of diplomatic friction.

The suspension had been in place since 2020 following the deadly Galwan Valley clash, which triggered a steep downturn in India-China relations. The decision to resume tourist visas is the first such relaxation in five years.

In a post shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo, the Indian embassy detailed the new process for visa applications. “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,” the embassy said.

The announcement was also reported by Chinese state-affiliated media, including Global Times, which noted that Chinese citizens would need to personally submit applications at centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. "This marks the first time since the suspension in 2020 that India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens after a five-year hiatus, according to media reports," read the Global Times post.

Suspended during 2020

Tourist visas were initially suspended across the board in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the continuation of the freeze specifically for Chinese tourists became politically loaded after Beijing delayed the return of around 22,000 Indian students stuck outside China. In response, India invalidated Chinese tourist visas in April 2022, in what was widely interpreted as a retaliatory measure.

Tensions had escalated dramatically following the border violence in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, prompting India to impose investment curbs on Chinese entities, ban dozens of Chinese apps, and cut air connectivity between the two countries.

The thaw comes months after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Beijing in January 2025. That visit led to an agreement to resume direct commercial flights between New Delhi and Beijing and also reopen the pilgrimage route to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet.