In a significant development for India’s inbound tourism and business travel ecosystem, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that the country’s visa regime for Chinese nationals is now “fully functional.” The announcement marks the complete restoration of tourist visa services for Chinese travellers after a five-year freeze.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Indian missions have resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese applicants worldwide, while business visa services — which had already restarted earlier — continue to operate normally.
The move follows a phased reopening initiated in mid-2025 and forms part of broader confidence-building measures aimed at normalising cross-border mobility. The restoration of visas comes on the heels of the resumption of direct commercial flights between India and China, as well as the revival of limited pilgrimage travel.
For India’s tourism, aviation, and hospitality sectors, the reopening of visas for Chinese travellers reactivates one of the world’s highest-spending outbound markets. Industry stakeholders expect the development to support inbound recovery, boost occupancy levels in key metros, and open new opportunities across leisure, MICE, education, and business travel segments.
Travel trade bodies and tour operators are now gearing up to re-establish partnerships in the Chinese market, which had remained largely dormant since 2020. With full visa services restored, industry players anticipate a gradual but steady revival in demand over the next several quarters.
