Visa application for China: fingerprints no longer necessary

Fingerprints no longer required for visa applications for travelers to China

Berlin - Germans who wish to apply for a visa for China by December 31, 2023 will no longer have to provide fingerprints at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center. This was announced by the Chinese embassy in Berlin. This regulation applies to applicants who wish to apply for a visa for single or double entries. Affected are business, tourism, family visit (category Q2) and transit visas as well as visas for crew members.

Fingerprints will continue to be taken when entering China. The introduction of a cheaper visa for tourism purposes is also being discussed.

Interest in traveling to China has declined in Germany and other European countries in recent years, not least due to restrictive coronavirus measures and political tensions. However, Lufthansa is planning to increase its flight frequencies and destinations to China to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels by summer 2024.