China's fingerprint waiver, and the date it runs out

Fingerprint collection is waived for all short-term visa applicants staying 180 days or less, at every Chinese visa authority overseas, until 31 December 2026.

The waiver does not cover applicants in the D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z categories, who must apply for residence permits after entry and still give fingerprints.

For ordinary tourism and business travel this is the difference between sending someone to the visa office on your behalf and having to attend yourself. It is the single reason a mail-in agency can currently handle a Chinese tourist visa at all.

It is also on a clock. When the waiver lapses, this route moves from one where an agent can act for you to one where you appear in person — and any service still quoting you the current process will be quoting the wrong one.

Worth checking first: US passport holders are not covered by China's unilateral visa-free entry, but may still qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit onward to a third country, Hainan visa-free entry on a registered tour, or 15-day visa-free cruise entry. None of those needs this visa at all.