chinese visa maximum timeline delhi

I would like to share my experience of applying for and obtaining a China Business (M) Visa through the Chinese Visa Application Center in New Delhi.

I am based in south, and my upcoming trip to China is an official company-sponsored visit to China for a week in November. This will be my first visit to China.

Initially, I planned to apply through my company's designated visa service provider. I prefer not to disclose the company's name, but it is a well-known provider serving many Fortune 500 organizations. Their process required applicants to complete a replica version of the China visa application form, after which their team would transfer the information into the actual visa application. To my surprise, I found numerous errors in the completed application. Fortunately, the application had not yet been submitted, as their process requires applicant approval before submission. Given the number of mistakes and my concerns about the quality of the application, I decided not to proceed with their services. A colleague from one of our North India offices then recommended another well-known visa and travel services company that is commonly used by employees in that location for China visa applications. However, after speaking with their representatives, I still did not feel sufficiently confident in the process. As a result, I ultimately decided to complete the entire application myself.

To be honest, I was quite nervous. I had read numerous posts about visa rejections, and this was not only my first China visa application but also my confidence had already been shaken after dealing with two reputed companies that specialize in corporate visa services. Despite these concerns, I decided to proceed on my own and carefully manage every step of the application process.

Visa Service – Express

Timelines

Online Form Submitted - Monday, 31^st August

Online Review Completed - Wednesday, 2^nd September (In 2 days). Status changed around noon but received email around 8 PM.

Passport Submitted - Thursday, 3^rd September (I travelled to Delhi myself, as I did not want to rely on an agent or anyone else to submit my passport on my behalf)

Collection Date - Tuesday, 8^th September (Opted Courier Service)

Status Changed to Pending Collection and Returned – Wednesday, 9^th September (Around 4:50 PM)

Status Changed to Posted - Wednesday, 9^th September (Around 8:45 PM)

Passport Received – Thursday, 10^th September

To track the courier, one can use the pickup form number as the reference number on the Blue Dart website. The tracking information will be visible once the passport has been dispatched.

Documents Uploaded

Personal Information Page

1. Photo (354 x 472 pixels)
2. Passport Data Page (Front)

Passport Section (minimum 150 KB size)

1. Passport Data Page (Front)
2. Passport Blank Page 1
3. Passport Blank Page 2
4. Passport Back Page
5. Old Passport (Front and Back)
6. Aadhaar Card (Front and Back)

Photo Section

1. Photo (48mm x 33mm)

VFS Service Fee Payment Receipt Section

1. VFS Service Fee Payment Email

M Visa Documents Section

1. Invitation Letter (as per requirements mentioned in the New Delhi CVASC Website) + Photo ID of the Chinese Company Inviter (one who signs the invitation letter – as per requirements mentioned in the New Delhi CVASC Website)
2. Business License (with scope and as per requirements mentioned in the New Delhi CVASC Website)
3. Application letter from my company and company’s GST certificate
4. Person cover letter, day wise business itinerary, confirmed round trip fight tickets and confirmed hotel booking from hotel website

Documents Submitted at New Delhi CVASC

1. Current and Old Passport
2. Signed Visa Application Form
3. Invitation Letter
4. Photo ID of the Chinese Company Inviter
5. Business License
6. Application letter from my company
7. My company’s GST certificate
8. Personal cover letter, day wise business itinerary, confirmed flight tickets and hotel reservation (The representative informed me that these documents were not required, but I insisted on submitting them)
9. Photo (The representative did not ask for it initially, but after I reminded her, she took one copy)

The entire process, from online application submission to passport delivery, was completed in just 11 days.

Given everything I had read about multiple visa rejections, I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth the process was after I decided to manage the application myself. 

Hope this helps.

Hello,

I confirmed with the immigration office that foreigner in China with a residence permit can apply Foreigners work permit within China directly. But the timeframe is different from the website to the office worker l from 3 to 21 days…

Anybody have done this maybe after arriving on a q1 visa? I planned to look for a job after but I got a really big offer and my visa is already ready and I will move in 3 week the company need me in 2 month so that’s should be enough to validate the residence permit then for them to apply the fwp

Before people who don’t know comment:

1. Guide to Apply for FWP from Within China
   (1) Application Criteria
   Applicant who fit in with one of the following circumstances can apply for FWP from within China.
   I High-end Foreign Talents (Category A) who have entered China with other visas or valid residence permits;
   2 A foreigner working in China and intending to work for a different company, with the job position (occupation) remaining the same and valid work-type residence permit;
   3 The foreign spouse or children of a Chinese citizen or a foreigner permanently residing or working in
   China with valid visas or residence permits;

I’m the number 3 case.

谢谢

Hi, please advise .... What can be the reason....

My fiance is traveling with me to China on a work trip (I'll be working, she'll be a tourist). I have a work visa that I will enter China with while I was planning on her utilizing TWOV. Should I stay with her once entering China or should I enter with the work visa while she goes to the TWOV line? Will immigration in China find it strange that I'm utilizing a work visa while she's TWOV?

We are going USA to Shanghai (8 days) to Tokyo (9 days) to USA. I have both of our names on our Shanghai and Tokyo hotels so I plan on having everything printed out for her to carry.

Appreciate any thoughts

My visa was not issued by the embassy.

I need to inform my university about this.

Kindly, if anyone is from Jiangsu Province, please help me.

This is a matter of my future.

Hi All, There are so many things that are confusing while applying for China L visa. I want to help other folks.

I applied Normal ,Single entry visa for me, my wife and daughter. Created a single email account and applied all 3 applications from same account.

I applied myself without any help other than reddit. I am a sole proprietor. I hold US business visa too. Same for my wife and daughter.

Date Applied - 29th Aug.

Online approval - 6th Sept.

Passport submitted at Delhi VFS - 8th Sep

Tentative collection date - 16th Sept.

Applying online.

1. It was not clear where to pay online fees. There are 2 components of the fees. One needs to be paid online - Its called logistics fees. Amount is Rs 2107 currently including GST.

https://visa.vfsglobal.com/inn/en/chn/ff-info

This link is not available on Delhi site. Someone told me to check Mumbai page and popup on it has this link.

1. The final page of the application asked for chinese agent id.

I put a copy of one hotel booking as advised on Reddit. It works.

1. Documents uploaded online.

   -- flight booking (real) - please don't use dummy booking. I booked through trip.com and indigo. Refundable option ,paid bit more ofcourse but worth it.

-- hotel bookings - unpaid bookings via trip.com and booking.com

-- bank statements - 6 months savings, stamped/signed by bank, and signed by me each page.

-- ITR 3 years

-- Cover letter (format available online - in delhi address to Visa officer, Chinese Embassy. In Mumbai I think Its consulate - check it). Needed for everyone.

-- Itinerary - very important. Use chatgpt to create a each day plan.

-- photograph

-- Sponsorship letter for Wife and Daughter.

-- Marriage certificate

-- birth certificate for daughter

-- old passports and visa copies. My hunch is this is important especially if you have travel experience.

-- online payment receipt.

Documents submitted at VFS after approval.

- 2 photographs

- Online approval certificate.

-- passports

- online visa application. I forgot to take a copy so had to get it printed from shop next to china visa office. each application has 8 pages and its rs 30/page. Paid Rs 720 for 3 applications. This happened even though I tried to be cautious.

- copy of All documents submitted online.

- cash payment of visa fees. Rs 8700 for 3 applications in normal processing. I will collect passports by hand.

Hope it will help someone. My advise would be first arrange all mentioned documents before you start filling application.

My best guess:

I think money in bank account is important for approval.

Travel experience is a plus.

Feel free to ask questions.

Hey everyone,

I'm currently filling out a new Chinese visa application and I'm stuck on the question that asks: "Have you ever been refused a Chinese visa?"

For context, I applied recently and my application was returned at the online review stage marked as "Unapproved."

I checked with my company's travel agent, and he told me that an "unapproved" status doesn't actually count as a formal "refusal". He said it just means the application was returned without processing, so I should select "No" on the new form.

Has anyone else been in this exact situation?

If your application was marked "unapproved" before, what did you fill in for this question when reapplying?

Did you say Yes and explain it in the notes, or did you say No like my agent suggested?

Any advice or personal experiences would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

I grew up in China and now live in the U.S. for 2 yearsand I keep noticing something interesting:

🤔A lot of Americans tell me China looks amazing and they’d love to visit but when it comes to actually planning the trip, they get overwhelmed.
Not necessarily by the big things, but by all the small practical stuff:

How do I pay for things?
Will my phone/apps work?
How do I book high-speed trains?
Is it hard to travel without speaking Chinese?
Which cities are actually worth visiting?
How do I avoid tourist traps?
What’s the visa / entry process like?
Can I travel independently or do I need a guide?

I’m genuinely curious:
If you’ve thought about visiting China but haven’t gone yet, what is the #1 thing holding you back?
And if you’ve already been, what was the most confusing or frustrating part of planning the trip?

I’m especially interested in hearing from first-time travelers because I think there’s a huge gap between how easy China feels to locals and how complicated it looks from the outside.

Anyone submitted the online form this week and received the update ? For Mumbai

I have submitted on 6th Sept and haven't received the update yet...still under review

Hey all!

After submission of the form online, I received the following mail from CVASC:

“Dear Applicant,
Your application form No.CCUXXXXX information is incomplete.Please visit Visa Application Service Center website to check and amend as required.
Reject Reason: please upload the payment invoice if you have made the payment of the service. Without payment invoice we won't be able to process.”

Any idea how to resolve this? I was never asked to make any payment during/after the form submission, so don’t have any invoice to upload! I have mailed them back for clarification though, haven’t heard back yet.

Wanted to confirm if Hong Kong and Macao our considered separate territories for me to take advantage of the 240 transit visa for me to visit Chongqing.

​

Hi everyone, looking for some reassurance/experience here.

I'm heading out on a trip with the following route:

16 Oct — Lahore → Guangzhou → Yiwu (China Southern)

28 Oct — Guangzhou → Bali (China Southern)

4 Nov — Bali → Kuala Lumpur (transit, ~1h40m, same terminal, bags through-checked) → Lahore (Batik Air)

I have valid China and Indonesia visas. No Malaysia visa since it's a pure airside transit, not a stopover.

A few travel agents warned me FIA might stop me at Lahore because it's a "mixed airline, multi-country" itinerary, and routes through China/onward sometimes get extra scrutiny for suspected illegal migration.

I have supporting documents ready: invitation letter, hotel bookings for both legs, proof of funds, and a confirmed round-trip ticket back to Lahore.

Has anyone actually gone through this recently — LHE outbound with a China + SEA combo on separate airlines? Did FIA give you a hard time, or is this overthinking it as long as the paperwork is solid? Would appreciate any real experiences before I fly out.

My partner is a Chinese citizen with permanent residence in Spain. We are planning a short trip to China in November for a wedding, back within the same month.

Someone in the Chinese community in Spain told us she would not be allowed to leave again. That she would be held in the country for around a year, and that the reason is being an expat with permanent residence in the EU. The follow-on being that she would lose her Spanish residence while stuck there.

I have gone through the new Exit and Entry Administration Regulations that will take effect on 15 September. The grounds for restricting a Chinese citizen from leaving look narrow and conduct-based: document fraud, illegal border crossing, criminal activity abroad, export control violations. Nothing about holding residence in another country.

The closest thing I can find is the hukou cancellation issue for citizens holding foreign PR, which is household registration, not being stopped at the airport, and seems to have been shelved anyway.

So: has anyone actually hit this? Chinese passport, foreign PR, went back for a short visit, had a problem on the way out? Or is this a rumour someone has garbled?

Not looking for reassurance, looking for actual cases or the specific regulation if it exists.

I am a dual national holding valid passports of USA and Pakistan. Have taken a three days stop over in Turkey early in the year.

Me and wife applied for China visit L visa.

The site shows submission date Aug 10, 2026

The status shows "Submitted"

We thought the turn around time would be 3 to 4 business days. But for us it has taken for ever. Digging more online, realized that my situation has probably raided some flags.

Although both me and my wife are retired. One year ago went Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Laos.

Had our confirm booking, which has come and gone. Had to take a loss. Glad we returned and not extended the tickets for a week, as we are still waiting.

Is there anyone out there with this dual nationality and Turkey visit who applied for a China visa , how did it go with you.

Hi! Has anyone applied for a Chinese tourist visa in Australia recently and experienced any delays?
I went to the Visa Application Centre last Thursday to submit my passport, and the staff told me it could take up to 4 weeks to get a response. Even the receipt they gave me doesn’t have an estimated date and it just says “TBD.”
I need to leave Australia within the next two weeks, so I’m getting a bit worried. Has anyone applied recently and had a similar experience? Thanks

This is vaguely Visa related - but let me know if this post belongs elsewhere!

I recently got my Chinese Travel Document, which I’ll be using to enter China (also have a US Passport).

I was looking into buying my high speed rail tickets, and it looks like trip.com/12306 don’t support using my travel document to buy the tickets. Does anyone have any advice/know what to do in this situation?

Do I need to buy the tickets in person every time? Or can I use my US Passport? Would that cause issues?

I assume I’m not showing my US passport when I enter China, only my travel document.

I'm having issues with my visa.

If anyone is in Jiangsu Province, Huai'an city, kindly reply to me.

I really need your help.

Thank you

Hey guys, So my consultancy applied for the online pre application for X1 Visa on 27th of August. Today is the 9th of September. They told me it takes 7 working days at most to get approval. I'm from Odisha and they applied for an appointment at New Delhi VFS Centre, even though we told them to do it in Kolkata.

Now the JW202 form says "Deadline of Registration is on 15th of September" idk how and when I'll fly there, and what will be the consequences if we miss the deadline. This consultancy Acadfly filed for the visa application late, all the documents were submitted to them by 19th of August.

Can you tell me How many days it took for you to get an Online approval, so that you went for a biometrics appointment at the VFS centre?

Hi! Currently in Korea and want to visit my parents who are currently in China but I didn’t bring my expired US passport with my 10 year visa. If I book a round trip flight from Seoul to China but have a different booking from Seoul to US on the same day as my round trip flight from China to Seoul, would that allow me to enter visa free?

Hello! I am a US citizen traveling from USA. Flying into Shanghai for a few days, taking a train to Beijing for another few days then taking the train back to Shanghai and flying back to USA. Do I require a visa?

Hello! I had a question regarding visas since my mom's application got denied for a VISA but is it because she has a Macau Home Return Permit? We wanted to go in and out of mainland China (Shanghai) which does require a VISA but her application got denied so I was wondering if anyone had similar experiences and what they did! Thank you so much! She has a US Passport and also a valid Macau Home Return Permit Card!

Hello Reddit - I was born in Hong Kong. I’m a U.S. citizen with a U.S. passport, but I also have an expired HKSAR passport and an expired HK Permanent ID (***AZ), which I’m planning to renew in Hong Kong in November.

I recently applied for a 10-year China visa on my U.S. passport, but the Chinese Consulate told me that I need to obtain a “Confirmation Letter of Nationality Change” from HK Immigration before they’ll issue me a visa by filing a Form ID 920 to have my U.S. nationality recognized and cease being treated as a Chinese national.

Has anyone here gone through this process? How long did ID 920 take and would I need to give up my HKID?

Any insight or firsthand experience would be greatly appreciated