To further facilitate Chinese visa applicants, fingerprint collection will be exempted for all short-term visa applicants with a stay duration not exceeding 180 days, effective immediately until 31 December 2026, at all Chinese visa authorities overseas.
However, applicants applying for certain visa categories—D, J1, Q1, S1, X1, and Z visas—who are required to apply for residence permits after entering China, will still be subject to fingerprint collection in accordance with applicable regulations.
Please note that fingerprint collection will continue to be waived for the following categories of applicants:
- Children below 14 years of age and adults above 70 years of age;
- Holders of diplomatic passports, or applicants eligible for Chinese diplomatic, service, or courtesy visas;
- Applicants whose ten fingerprints are missing or cannot be collected.