Fingerprints for a Chinese visa: what three embassies have announced

Whether you must give fingerprints depends on the embassy that handles your application, because each embassy has published its own rule. Below are the texts of four embassy pages: the embassy in India, the embassy in Pakistan, the embassy in Nigeria, and the UK embassy's answer to question 18 in its FAQ. Read the one for your embassy and check its date before you plan your trip.

India

The embassy in India's notice, "Notice on Updating Requirements for Chinese Visa Application (Update August, 2024)", is dated 20 August 2024. It says the following applicants can be exempted from fingerprint collection:

• applicants under the age of 14 or over the age of 70;
• applicants who already had fingerprints collected within the past five years at the Chinese Embassy in India or the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi using the same passport;
• applicants with all fingers mutilated or uncollectible.

The same notice says that a temporary measure of fingerprint collection exemption for certain applicants has been implemented. Under that measure, applicants eligible for short-term single or double-entry (staying for less than 180 days) are exempted from collection of biometric data (fingerprints). For the expiry of this temporary measure, the notice refers readers to the embassy's relevant notice, so check that notice on the embassy's website.

Pakistan

The embassy in Pakistan's notice, "Notice on the Further Expansion of the Period and Scope of Exemption from Fingerprint Collection for Chinese Visa Application", is dated 24 December 2025. It says: "starting from December 17, 2025 until December 31, 2026, fingerprints collection will be exempted for eligible applicants who apply for short-term visas with a stay period of 180 days or less."

The same notice says that, "In accordance with relevant regulations, for applicants of D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas, which require the application of a residence permit after entering into China, fingerprint collection is still required."

So, under this notice, the exemption covers eligible short-term applicants. Applicants for the D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas listed in the notice are still required to give fingerprints.

Nigeria

The embassy in Nigeria's notice, "Notice on Exemption of Fingerprints Collection for Applicants for Certain Types of Chinese Visas", is dated 19 December 2025. It says the exemption runs "from today until December 31, 2026". During that period, "Chinese visa-issuing authorities will exempt fingerprints collection for all short-term visa applicants whose intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days."

The notice also says: "Fingerprints collection will still be required for the visa applicants who need to obtain residence permits after entering China, including the D, J, Q1, S1, X1, and Z visas."

Note that the Nigeria list reads "D, J, Q1, S1, X1, and Z". The Pakistan notice names J1 instead of J. Each notice applies only to the embassy that published it.

United Kingdom

The UK embassy's FAQ page, "Part Seven: FAQs and Answers", carries a date stamp of 1 July 2020. Its answer to question 18, "Do I need to attend interviews and provide fingerprints when applying for a Chinese visa?", reads in part:

"Consular officers may interview applicants if necessary. Chinese laws and regulations require the collection of 10 fingerprints of each applicant at the Visa Center or Embassy/Consulates-General."

The answer lists two exemptions:

(1) Persons under the age of 14 or over the age of 70.

(2) Persons with injuries on all ten-fingers or other situations fingerprints cannot be collected.

The answer adds: "Some diplomatic, service and courtesy visa applicants are also exempted from the biometric requirement. Please refer to section 'Diplomatic, Service and Courtesy Visa' for details."

Question 18 contains no end date for these exemptions.

How to find the rule for your application

• Find the embassy or consulate that handles your visa application.
• Open that office's notice on fingerprints.
• Check the dates printed in the notice.
• Check the notice again shortly before you travel, because the notices above end or change on the dates they print.
• If the notice refers you to another notice for part of the rule, open that notice as well.

For the visa type that applies to your trip, see the visa classes page.

Sources

• Embassy of the PRC in India — Notice on Updating Requirements for Chinese Visa Application (Update August, 2024), Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of India
• Embassy of the PRC in Pakistan — notice on fingerprint exemption (December 2025), Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Embassy of the PRC in Nigeria — notice on fingerprint exemption for certain visas (December 2025), Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom — Part Seven: FAQs and Answers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs mission

Checked 10 and 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, any embassy, consulate or visa application service centre, and it is not legal or immigration advice. If the official text differs from this page, the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case prevail.