India Resumes Tourist Visas for Chinese Nationals, Ending Five-Year Freeze
India announced that it will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals from July 24—a resumption that follows a five-year hiatus. The Indian Embassy in Beijing confirmed this through Reuters, terming it a move toward healing soured bilateral ties.
The resumption comes following a thaw in India-China relations, including the resumption of direct flights and pilgrimages earlier this year. The action will allow Chinese travellers to visit India again, and is an indication of a larger rapprochement in diplomatic and people-to-people contact.
India had halted tourist visas for Chinese nationals in 2020 after the Galwan Valley conflict and escalating border tensions. Although India subsequently reopened other types of visas—diplomatic, business, OCI, and pilgrimage—the tourist category remained shut.
IATA reaffirmed the suspension on April 20 2022, which also impacted valid ten-year visas. The move by India was one of geopolitical tension, yet a reset sign started appearing in 2024–2025.
This visa reopening comes after a series of conciliatory moves earlier. Direct flights from India and China resumed in January 2025, after a five-year freeze in air travel. Pilgrimages to Kailash Mansarovar resumed in April 2025, after a half-decade hiatus.
Top-level diplomatic talks, including between Foreign Secretary Jaishankar and Chinese officials, emphasized easing border tensions and fending off trade restrictions.
Since July 24, Chinese nationals can apply for regular tourist visas. They will facilitate movement among India's popular vacation spots, cultural sights, and heritage locations. The development may spur tourism as well as economic activity and assist in re-establishing trust.
Sources at the embassy indicate the decision is in line with "progress toward mending strained ties", as quoted by the Economic Times.
Revival of tourist visas is a significant development in India-China relations. It reflects the bilateral intent to revive people-to-people connections. It also complements wider diplomatic outreach and relaxation of travel curbs.
Security continues to be a concern, but this move paves the way for better bilateral communication and cooperation.
India's action comes in the face of continued diplomacy, such as Indian appeals to eschew trade restrictions and promote border rapprochement. The reopening of visas will likely spur tourism, the revival of academic and cultural ties, and more people-to-people contact. Direct flights, pilgrimages, and visa easing signal increased confidence—and could foreshadow increased economic cooperation and dialogue.
India's opening up of tourist visas to China is more than a change in policy—it is an act of reconciliation. As the two countries move pragmatically toward normalization, this visa reboot is a tangible indicator of mending relations and greater possibilities.
