The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has announced that it will officially launch the ‘China Visa Online Application System’ from 30 June.
In a statement, the Embassy’s spokesperson addressed key changes and frequently asked questions about the updated visa application procedure.
From 30 June onwards, applicants are required to submit their visa applications online via the official portal at https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/. Applicants must create an account using their electronic mail address, complete the application form, and upload all the necessary supporting documents. Once the application passes the preliminary online review — usually within one to three working days — applicants will receive a notification indicating their ‘Passport to be submitted’ status. At that point, applicants must personally visit the Chinese Embassy in Colombo to provide their passport and biometric information, such as fingerprints. The final review then takes an additional three to four working days.
The system will continue to offer both ‘Normal’ and ‘Express’ processing options. However, the express service will only apply after the preliminary review is complete and the physical documents have been submitted in person. An additional fee applies for expedited processing, and this fee will not be refunded even if processing times are extended by the consular office. Applicants are advised to apply for their visas two to three weeks before their intended travel date to avoid delays.
Applicants may fill out the online visa application on behalf of someone else. However, unless the applicant is exempt from fingerprint collection, they must personally submit their passport and other required documents to the Embassy. Those exempt from fingerprinting may authorise a third party to submit documents, pay fees, and collect the visa on their behalf.
The Embassy also confirmed that visa forms submitted via the previous system before 5 p.m. on 27 June, will remain valid. However, applicants must submit their documents before the deadline to complete the process under the old system. The visa application portal will undergo a system upgrade between 5 p.m. on 27 June and 8 a.m. on 30 June, during which no submissions will be accepted. Any applications attempted during this period will be considered invalid.
The new system only applies to visas for mainland China. Visa applications for Hong Kong and Macao will continue to be processed through the Embassy using the existing manual procedures. For more information, the applicants are encouraged to visit the official website. Enquiries can also be directed to the Embassy’s Consular Office via telephone at 0094112676658 or email at colombo@csm.mfa.gov.cn.