China Visa Delays Feb 2026: Plan for Spring Festival

China visa submission and processing in India will slow through mid–late February 2026 as consular offices observe Spring Festival closures. Travel agents, corporates, and mobility teams should schedule applications earlier and build processing buffers. Keywords: China visa delays, Spring Festival 2026, India consulates.

What Travel Managers Should Know

For travel professionals handling business, MICE, or corporate travel to China in early 2026, one crucial operational factor is the Spring Festival holiday impact on visa services.

According to official holiday calendars from Chinese consular mission notices, visa submission, processing, and passport pickups at key centres in India will be affected during the Spring Festival period.

Key Holiday Closure Dates

The Spring Festival — China’s longest public holiday — is scheduled broadly from mid-February to late February 2026:

• Most Chinese consular services observe closures linked to the country’s public holiday calendar from around 16 to 23 February 2026.

• Official back-to-work typically occurs after this window, meaning centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities will resume normal operations late February.

• During this span, no visa filings or passport collections are processed, and automated timelines reset once services restart. 

Travel planners should factor in longer turnaround times before and after this period as backlog clears. 

Operational Impact Across India

Here’s what consular closures mean in practice:

Delays in Submission & Approvals

Visa centres are not open for routine filing or biometric appointments, slowing application throughput. 

Passport Return Holds

Passports lodged immediately before the holiday window are typically held until after closures, affecting travellers who need documents urgently. 

Worldwide Ripple Effect

Because this is a nationwide holiday in China, consulates across global locations experience slowdown or shutdown — so foreign visa processing delays are common.

Why This Matters for B2B Travel Planners

For corporate travel teams, consolidators, and travel agents handling international assignments, a few key risks include:

• Missed business travel dates when visa pickup timelines slip

• Group travel disruption for trade fairs, conferences, or short corporate trips

• Higher operational coordination costs when itineraries overlap closures

Delays during peak travel windows often create cascading schedule impacts — especially for large groups or fixed-agenda business trips.

Proactive Steps for Travel Professionals

To minimise disruption and client stress:

1. Submit visa applications early – ideally no later than early February, to avoid holiday backlog. 

2. Schedule appointments well in advance with consular service centres to secure preferred slots.

3. Avoid tight travel dates mid–late February if possible, especially for commercial or critical travel segments.

4. Prepare clients for potential delays and build buffer days in project timelines.

This proactive planning protects client expectations and reduces pressure on internal operations when processing bottlenecks occur.

Final Thoughts

Every Spring Festival brings unique challenges for visa operations. In 2026, the extended holiday period offers ample time for inbound travel celebrations, but for global travel teams, it reinforces the importance of early planning and workflow alignment.

By building sufficient lead times into visa workflows and coordinating well before mid-February, travel agents and corporate planners can sidestep unnecessary delays and uphold service excellence.

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