On April 22, 2026, the Union Home Ministry issued a revised visa framework allowing regular visas for nationals of the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong, while easing travel conditions for Buddhist pilgrims and family members of Chinese diplomats. The ministry said a decision on extending e-visa facilities to these travellers is still pending, and it has expanded entry points to facilitate arrivals.
The move follows a series of confidence-building steps between the two countries last year, including a January 2025 agreement to resume direct passenger flights. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which had been suspended for five years, was also revived in June 2025. Officials reiterated that all foreign nationals entering India must carry a valid passport or a UN Laissez‑passer and a visa issued by an Indian mission or post abroad.
Security conditions remain strict: existing Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines bar foreigners on tourist visas from carrying satellite phones into India. Such devices will be seized if detected, and violations will invite legal action. These measures were introduced after the 2025 Pahalgam massacre in which 26 tourists were killed in Baisaran Valley.
As part of the new modalities, the MHA has designated 14 additional seaports as immigration checkpoints for foreign nationals holding e-visas, about half of them in Gujarat. Electronic visa facilities have been operational since March 19 at Alang, Bedi Bandar, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Hazira, Pipavav and Mandvi in Gujarat; Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu; and Kakinada and Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
The regular visa categories available to Chinese nationals will include tourist, business, employment, student and entry visas. Applicants must complete an online form and then submit a printed application, supporting documents and fees at a visa facilitation centre. The changes aim to ease people‑to‑people travel while maintaining security controls; the government’s final stance on wider e‑visa access remains to be announced.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/india-to-resume-tourist-visas-for-chinese-citizens-after-five-year-pause-post-galwan-14003333.html
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Publish Date: 2026-04-23 00:54:00
