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Apply for Chinese Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit from Nepal

Last Update: January 31, 2024

Nepal is bordered with Tibet, and boasts the tourist hub of South Asia, so many tourists choose to travel to Tibet from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, by air or by road every year. As prescribed in the Chinese immigration regulation, all international tourists entering Tibet from Nepal should apply for Chinese Group Visa, as well as Tibet Travel Permit. Here we will focus on how to get Chinese Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit successfully from Nepal.

Chinese Group Visa for Entering Tibet from Nepal

Chinese Group Visa is a single-entry tourist visa issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. It is a special Group Visa only for foreign travelers who enter Tibet via Nepal. It is a sheet of paper that lists all of the names of the people in your tour group with their nationalities, birth dates, and passport numbers. Besides, the Chinese Group Visa for entering Tibet from Nepal is usually valid for no more than 30 days.

Chinese Group VisaChinese Group Visa is a single-entry tourist visa.

Difference between Chinese Group Visa and Chinese Visa

Chinese Group Visa is not equal to Chinese Visa, there are many differences between them:

DifferencesChinese Group VisaChinese Visa
Application Only through local Tibet travel agency By yourself or via travel agency
Issuing authority Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu Any authorized Chinese Embassy in your home country or the third country
From where to Tibet Nepal Mainland China
Number of entries Single-entry visa Single or multiple entry visa
Holders of visa The whole group tour members Individual

Your Chinese Visa will be automatically invalid when you obtain your Chinese Group Visa. Thus, it is suggested to enter Tibet from mainland China if you already get a Chinese visa. And if you decide to get Tibet from Nepal, as well as don’t wish your Chinese Visa become invalid, you can go to Chengdu from Nepal by flight, and then arrive Tibet from Chengdu.

Besides, if you and other travelers use one Chinese Group Visa, you guys have to enter or exit China on the same date. If you prefer to travel alone, you can tell our travel consultant, who will help you apply for Chinese Group Visa individually.

How to Apply the Chinese Group Visa

Because you need to apply for the Chinese Group Visa in Nepal, it is advisable that you arrive in Kathmandu a few days (at least 3 days) in advance before your tour start. Check the following guidelines to know the details about how to get China Group Visa in Nepal.

Step1:Confirm your tour itinerary and mail the scanned copy of the passport to us. We will help you get an Invitation letter from Tibet Tourism Bureau.

Step2: Arrive in Kathmandu and hand your original passport to us. You need to arrive in Kathmandu at least 3 days in advance and give your original passport, personal photo and visa fee to our staff in Kathmandu.

Step3: Obtain your Chinese Group Visa. After our staff gets your China Group Visa, he/she will deliver it to your hotel in Kathmandu immediately.

Kind Reminder:

If your tour date happens to overlap with the traditional Chinese festival, please do apply your Chinese Group Visa ahead of time to avoid the temporary suspension of the application service.

It seems a little complicated, but we can help you make it simple. Our Tibet Nepal tour packages include the application services for all the permits and visas you need for your Tibet Nepal trip and our 1-on-1 travel expert will always follow the whole procedures and keep in contact with you.

Chinese Group Visa Application Fee

NationalityTimes of EntryNormal (US$)Urgent (US$)
Nepali Citizens Single 48 77
US Citizens Single 155 185
Canadian Citizens Single 85 114
Israeli Citizens Single 54 83
Romanian Citizens Single 85 115
Serbian Citizens Single 39 68
Albanian Citizens & Micronesian Citizens Single 38 67
Brazillian Citizens Single 118 147
Argentine citizens Single 60 89
Other Citizens Single 60 89

Note: Chinese Group Visa fee charged by the Chinese Embassy is different by nationalities and processing time. The above Chinese Group visa fees are only for your reference, subject to actual charges.

How long to Obtain the Chinese Group Visa

It normally takes 4 working days to process your China Group Visa in the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. And Handling an urgent group visa needs only 3 working days. The working days of the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu is from Monday to Friday. The visa application needs to be submitted before 12 am at the Embassy so that you can get your Chinese Group Visa in the afternoon of the third day.

Could I Travel in Mainland China with Chinese Group Visa?

Of course, you can. The Chinese Group visa can also be used for traveling in mainland China. But the China Group Visa cannot be extended and is valid for no more than 30 days. Therefore, it is advised to enter Tibet from mainland China, if you have a valid Chinese Visa. You can enjoy a Nepal tour after your trip to Tibet.

Tibet Travel Permit Entering Tibet from Nepal

Whether you enter Tibet from Nepal or Mainland China, Tibet Travel Permit, also known as Tibet visa, is one of the indispensable necessary documents required for a tour in Tibet.

Kind Reminder: Apart from the Tibet Travel Permit, you may also need to apply for an Aliens’ Travel Permit when visiting Mount Everest, or obtain a Military Area Entry Permit and Foreign affairs permit if you want to tour Mount Kailash.

How to Apply for Tibet Permit if Entering Tibet from Nepal

No matter you enter Tibet from Nepal or Mainland China, the application process of the Tibet Travel Permit is exactly the same.

Step 1: Confirm your Tibet travel plan and book full tour services with a Local travel agency.

Neither the Tibet Tourism Bureau nor the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu would accept individual applications. Tourists must apply through a travel agency. Once you book a Tibet Nepal tour with us, we will apply for your Tibet travel permit on your behalf before your departure.

Step 2: Email required documents to your travel consultant

What you need to do is email the scanned copy of your passport information page, Chinese Visa page and your photo image to your travel consultant.

Application procedure of Tibet Travel Permit normally takes 8-9 business days. It is recommended to apply for it 10 or 15 days before you travel to Tibet.

Conclusion

If you desire to take a tour in Tibet from Nepal, you are required to obtain 2 kinds of permits before you arrive in Tibet. There are Chinese Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit. Besides, if you plan to visit “unopened areas” or military sensitive areas in Tibet, such as Mount Everest, Shigatse, Ngari, Nyingchi, etc., you also need to apply for Alien’s Travel Permit, Foreign affairs permit, and Military Area Entry Permit.

It is advised to apply for your Tibet Travel Permit at least 20 days before your Nepal Tibet tour. And you should arrive in Kathmandu at least 3 days in advance to go through the Chinese Group Visa application. Since the Chinese Group Visa cannot be extended and is only valid for up to 30 days, you are strongly suggested to travel to Tibet from mainland China, if you have a valid Chinese Visa.

Furthermore, both Chinese Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit can only be obtained through an authorized local travel agency. Only using your valid passport and scanned copies, you can get the Tibet Travel Permit and Chinese Group Visa easily, with the help of our professional staff in both Kathmandu and Lhasa.

If you still have confusion about the application of Chinese Group Visa and Tibet Travel Permit in Nepal, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact us for inquires.

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