How to get China Visa when traveling from Nepal to Tibet

The Himalaya is the natural border of China and Nepal, boasts eight of the top 10 peaks in the world including the highest one Mount Everest, attracts thousands of travelers and adventurers yearly. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, is one of the gateway cities to Tibet, a great start point for those travelers who want to taste both sides of the Himalayas. But what is the travel policy going from Nepal to Tibet? How do I apply for the China Group Visa in Kathmandu? How much does the China group visa cost? In this article we would like to share all the details about China visa and Tibet permit when going from Nepal to Tibet.

Table of the contents

1.Travel policy when going from Nepal to Tibet

2.China group visa and Tibet permit procedure with WindhorseTour

3.China group visa cost and processing time

4.Other special notes for China Group Visa

Travel Policy when going from Nepal to Tibet

Tibet is part of China, according to the Chinese immigration regulation, all foreign visitors who want to travel to Tibet are not only required to have a valid China visa but also additional documents - Tibet permit. Furthermore, foreign individual travel in Tibet is not allowed, all the foreign visitors need to take part in one organized tour accompanied by a licensed tour guide.

For those travelers going to Tibet from Nepal, the China visa application will be different from going from mainland China. It will be a China group visa issued by the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu instead of applying for an individual Chinese tourist visa by yourselves at the local Chinese Embassy in your own country. Normally the travel agency who organized your tour will assist you to apply for this China group visa at your arrival in Kathmandu, the process takes about 3-4 working days, so you need to prepare to be in Kathmandu waiting for the visa issued. Please keep in mind that for those who already got your Chinese Tourist Visa or any other type of individual China Visa to go to Tibet from Nepal, the individual China visa will be canceled and you will be required to apply for the Group China Visa.

China group visa procedure with WindhorseTour

Below is the detailed procedure applied to WindhorseTour clients who travel to Tibet from Nepal.
 

Step 1: You are required to send us copies of your valid passports (up to 6months) by email upon the confirmation of your booking.

Step 2: We will submit your permits application together with your passport copies at the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) office to get all the files recorded and approved. 

Step 3: We will receive the China group visa invitation letter from TTB office in Lhasa, and then send it to our Nepal partner agency in Kathmandu.

Step 4: You need to prepare to arrive in Kathmandu several days in advance, as the process for the China Group visa takes at least 3 working days. Upon your arrival at Kathmandu, please call our Nepal partner agency so that one of their staff can go to your hotel in Kathmandu to collect the original passport, fill the visa application form with a passport photo, meanwhile you need to pay for the visa application fee.

Step 5: Our staff in Kathmandu will return your passport with your China group visa. So you can travel to Tibet without any hassle. Our guide who will meet you at Lhasa airport / Gyirong border has your Tibet permit.

China visa cost and processing time

(Updated on 02 March, 2020)

e.g. If you are an Italian citizen, the Ordinary Visa fee is 89 USD (74US$+15US$) per person /Urgent Visa fee is 124 USD per person.

Ordinary  Visa processing time    => Minimum of 4 Visa working days  

Urgent         => minimum of 3 working days  

Top Urgent  => minimum of 2 working days  

Agency handling charge includes =>  Logistic services - including documents pick up and drop from the hotel in Kathmandu City.

Visa Rejection Charges

If China Embassy rejects a visa due to whatever reason below charge will be levied.

Charges are categorized as per the visa category. In the case of re-apply additional charges need to be added to balance the visa fee.

Other special notes for China Group Visa

Visa Length and Visa Extensions

The Group China Visa is a single-entry visa, valid for a maximum of 30 days, with exceptional cases to be valid for a maximum of 60 days. It cannot be extended like a normal Chinese Tourist visa. But if you wish to stay in China for more than 30 days, we highly suggest you start your travel from mainland China with a normal Chinese Tourist Visa, then go to Tibet, then continue to Nepal. If you travel to Tibet from mainland China, then you need to apply for the Chinese tourist visa at the local Chinese embassy in your country, the longer Chinese tourist visa can last for 60 to 90 days just depending on your travel schedule. 

Group China Visa is not in Your Passport

Unlike the standard China Tourist Visa, which is placed directly in your passport, the Group China Visa is actually a set of 2 full-sized pieces of paper, one piece is stating your travel time/ travel places, the other piece is your group member name list. It is a group China visa for your whole group, you are requested to enter and exit China through the same Chinese customs port together at the same exact time. If your group needs to exit China in two different cities, then you need to tell us in advance so that we can apply for two group visas to solve this problem. 

China Group Visa is valid for all of China

The China group visa you get from the China embassy in Kathmandu is valid for all of China, which means when you finish your Tibet tour, you can continue the journey to other parts of China and you don’t need to take an organized tour except the one in Tibet. 

Interested in traveling to Tibet from Kathmandu? Please check out more information on this article: How to get to Tibet from Kathmandu in Nepal