A major step towards normalizing travel ties after the 2020 Galwan tensions.
India has announced the resumption of tourist visas for Chinese citizens starting July 24, 2025, marking the first such move in five years, according to the Indian embassy in China.
Why This Matters
- This announcement signals a step toward mending strained bilateral relations, disrupted by the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- China has welcomed the policy shift, calling it a positive step in restoring people-to-people ties.
🛂 What’s Changing?
| Visa Type | Status Before | Status from July 24, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visas | Suspended since 2020 | Resumed |
| Student, business, & transit visas | Resumed earlier or unaffected | Continue |
- Tourist visas, specifically |most affected category|, will be reinstated on July 24,2025.
- Student and business visas resumed earlier.
- The reintroduction aligns with an agreement to resume direct air travel and the Kailash–Mansarovar pilgrimage
🌐 Where It Fits in the Bigger Picture
- In early 2025, New Delhi and Beijing agreed to restart diplomatic exchanges, including visas, flights, and pilgrimage routes.
- Earlier this year, Chinese embassies issued over 85,000 visas to Indians, reflecting reciprocal easing on border controls.
📝 Background Context
- Post–Galwan clash, India had suspended tourist visas under security and diplomatic pressure.
- Beijing had also suspended visas for Indians due to COVID and later geopolitical tensions—resuming non-tourist visas in 2022.
🔮 The Road Ahead
- Tourism experts expect this revival will boost people-to-people exchanges and tourism.
- Direct flights and planned pilgrimages like Kailash–Mansarovar are expected to resume later in 2025.
- Both nations will likely keep up high-level engagement, emphasizing strategic agreements and border stability.
