India will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens starting July 24, the Indian Embassy in Beijing announced on Wednesday — marking the first time in five years that such visas will be issued.
Tourist visas were suspended in 2020 as part of India’s efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In its statement, the Indian Embassy said Chinese citizens can now apply for tourist visas by completing an online application, scheduling an appointment, and personally submitting their passports and required documents to the Indian Visa Application Centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou (South China’s Guangdong Province).
“Please be informed that all passport withdrawal requests for applications submitted to the India Visa Application Center in Beijing must be accompanied by a passport withdrawal letter,” the statement added.
Travel between India and China had been significantly disrupted due to the pandemic and subsequent diplomatic tensions, particularly after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. While China gradually resumed visa issuance for Indian students and business professionals, general travel remained largely restricted.
Bilateral ties between the two countries deteriorated to their lowest point since the 1962 war following the Galwan incident. However, after a series of diplomatic and military talks, both sides agreed to withdraw troops from several friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
In October last year, India and China finalized a disengagement agreement for Depsang and Demchok — the last two major friction points in the region. Shortly after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held discussions in Kazan and agreed on steps to improve bilateral relations.
Earlier this year, both nations initiated efforts to rebuild ties by promoting people-to-people exchanges. These included talks on resuming direct flights and restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which had been suspended since the onset of the pandemic.
In April, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India-China relations were moving in a “positive direction” but emphasized that more work was needed to normalize ties.
