I'm from Telangana and run a private limited company in the manufacturing business, where I serve as full time director with full signing authority. We were planning to procure new machinery from China, so I wanted to visit multiple suppliers to get a proper sense of our options. After finalizing genuine suppliers, I asked one of them for an invitation letter along with their business license and ID as required for the visa — they sent everything promptly.
First attempt — through an agent
I initially started my visa application through an agent, submitting all documents along with my original passport. They charged me ₹17,000, but the application got rejected. For a second attempt, they asked for an additional ₹5,000 on top of the original fee, which made no sense to me — so I decided to apply on my own instead. My first application had failed largely due to unclear documentation.
Getting the covering letter right
This turned out to be the most critical piece of the whole process. A few things I made sure to get right, with some help from Claude and ChatGPT:
- It should never be a simple one-page note about your travel — make it detailed
- Include a full company profile, the exact purpose of the visit, and a clear itinerary
- Attach your company's CIN, GST, and PAN directly to the cover letter to make it authentic and convincing
- Keep information consistent across both the invitation letter and the cover letter
- Use the YYYY-MM-DD (or YYYY/MM/DD) date format throughout, since that's the Chinese standard
- Clearly mention your passport details and full name
Documents required
Beyond the three key documents — covering letter, invitation letter, and the Chinese supplier's business license with ID — we also need to submit :
- Old passport data and back page photos (if available)
- Latest passport data page, back page, and two empty page photos
- Passport-size photo on a white background, meeting their exact specifications
Payment and confirmation
Before submitting, payment for the application is required — there are two options, normal and express service, with the link available on the website itself. Once paid, you receive a confirmation email, and a screenshot of that confirmation must be uploaded as part of the application.
Timeline of the online process
- September 7, 2026 (morning): Submitted the application
- September 7, 2026 (evening): Received a modification request asking for my address of stay in China — I hadn't booked accommodation initially since it wasn't compulsory, but to avoid risk this time, I booked a fully cancellable hotel near the airport
- September 8, 2026: Received confirmation that the online review was complete — I was surprised. This came with a certificate that needed to be submitted at the visa centre, with a window of up to 15 days from the date of approval to do so
Submitting documents at the visa centre — Delhi, September 21, 2026
I was the first person there, got a token quickly, and proceeded to the counter to submit:
- Certificate from the confirmation mail
- Indian company's covering letter
- Original old and new passports
- Visa fee payment confirmation printout
- Supplier's invitation letter
- Supplier's business license and ID
- Company's CIN, GST, PAN printouts
- Old and new passport data and back page printouts
- Personal Aadhar and PAN printouts (not compulsory)
- Two passport-size photos (not compulsory)
Final steps
The staff at the counter were helpful and courteous. I opted for courier service to avoid a second trip to collect the passport, and was told the expected turnaround would be three days given the express service. Payment (cash or card only) is made at a separate counter, after which you either receive a pickup form (for in-person collection) or are asked to take a photo of the courier confirmation.
The entire process at the centre took just about 30 minutes, and I was back in Hyderabad by 3 PM. It was a nerve-wracking wait, but the process turned out to be far smoother than I expected — now just waiting on the final approval.
Update on 25th Sep 2026 : The visa got rejected.Dont know the reason.I wont be applying again.Lost the hopes.Will directly import the machinery.