I’m sorry, did you just say you want to travel to China in 2026? See the dazzling city of Chongqing, explore the futuristic streets of Shanghai, or give climbing the Great Wall a go? Well, you’re going to need a few things before you can start planning that adventure.
The L Visa, also known as the China Tourist Visa, is waiting for you. If you’re an Indian traveller, you’ll want to get your paperwork in order before that dream China itinerary becomes a reality.
From eligibility and required documents to application steps, visa fees, processing times and bank-balance requirements, here’s everything you need to know about getting a China tourist visa from India in 2026-2027.
The L Visa is for travellers visiting China for tourism.
You’ll need to provide the required personal, travel and financial information and demonstrate that your planned visit matches the purpose of the visa. The Chinese authorities ultimately decide whether to issue the visa and determine its validity, duration of stay and number of entries based on the individual application.
In other words, don't book your entire China adventure around the assumption that you'll automatically receive a particular visa validity or number of entries. Not only that, China visa applications in India are handled according to consular jurisdiction, so you can't necessarily pick whichever visa centre happens to be most convenient.
The current jurisdiction arrangements include:
Mumbai: Maharashtra and Karnataka
Kolkata: Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal
New Delhi: Other jurisdictions covered by the Chinese Embassy
Passport:
Your original passport should have at least six months of remaining validity and blank visa pages. You'll also need a photocopy of the relevant passport pages. If you've previously held a Chinese passport or Chinese visa, additional documentation may apply depending on your circumstances.
You need to complete a visa application form online. You'll need to enter your personal and travel information, upload your photograph and supporting documents, and then follow the instructions for submitting the application.
You'll need a recent colour photograph meeting the Chinese visa centre's specifications. The current requirements specify a 33 × 48 mm colour photograph with a white background.
The current L Visa requirements call for documents showing your itinerary, including your planned places to visit and travel dates.
A useful itinerary could include:
Arrival date in China
Cities you'll visit
Number of nights in each city
Major attractions you plan to see
Internal travel arrangements
Departure date
So yes, that Chongqing trip you've been daydreaming about can finally make it onto paper.
You'll need a round-trip flight booking as part of the tourism documentation under the current requirements. Make sure your flight dates make sense alongside your itinerary and accommodation.
You'll generally need proof of accommodation, such as hotel reservations. Your bookings should line up with the cities and dates listed in your itinerary. Alternatively, the requirements allow an appropriate invitation letter from an entity or individual in China in place of the standard itinerary/accommodation documentation.
A covering letter gives you an opportunity to explain your trip in a straightforward way. The current requirements ask for details including your passport information, places you plan to visit and the relevant contact person's or company's details.
Bank Statment
As of August 2026, the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Mumbai says each applicant applying for an L Visa must provide bank-account documentation showing a balance of more than ₹1,00,000.
The Mumbai L Visa checklist specifies an original six-month savings-bank statement, with the required bank stamp and signature on each page. For families, the requirement can be higher if one person is paying for everyone's trip. The centre's example says that if one person is covering the expenses of three applicants, that person must demonstrate a balance above ₹3 lakh.
The current Mumbai fee for Indian citizens is ₹2,900 for single entry. Other entry categories have different fees, and a separate visa-centre service fee applies.