Tibet Group Visa - A Must for Traveling from Nepal to Tibet
Nepal and Tibet, China border on each other in the mysterious Himalayas. With the opening of international flights and road port between them, traveling to Tibet from Nepal becomes increasingly popular in recent years. To make a Tibet tour from Nepal, by air or overland drive, a Tibet Group Visa is always required, whether you have a Chinese Visa or not. The special Group Visa not only permits your Tibet tour from Nepal, but also allows continued journey in other cities in China, like Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Xian, etc. Booking tour package from Tibet Discovery, you can obtain the Group Visa easily and simply and enjoy the best Tibet tour services, because individuals can NOT apply for Tibet Group Visa and travel in Tibet independently.
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What is a Tibet Group Visa?
Tibet Group Visa actually refers to a special kind of Chinese Group Tourist Visa for traveling from Nepal to Tibet, as well as for extension China tour after Tibet trip. It is a single-entry Chinese Group Visa issued by Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu Nepal exclusively, with a maximum validity of 60 days.
What Does a Tibet Group Visa Look Like?
Unlike normal Chinese Visa printed on the travelers’ passport, Tibet Group Visa is issued on a piece of A4 paper, listing the visa validity, entry and exit date of China, number of entry, basic information of tourist group (including tourists’ full name, gender, date of birth, passport number...) and total number of travelers.
5 Important Things to Know before Applying for Tibet Group Visa
Here are five most important things you should know about Tibet Group Visa, before planning your Tibet tour from Nepal.
❶ Once you apply for Tibet Group Visa in Kathmandu, Nepal, the Chinese Visa you already got, such as short Chinese Tourist Visa, or long-term Chinese Tourist Visa, work visa, study visa, etc, get expired immediately. Besides, Tibet Group Visa is only valid for 30 or 60 days at most.
❷ All foreign travelers must travel in Tibet with a local travel agency. Only the agency can prepare Invitation Letter to help you apply for Tibet Group Visa successfully.
❸ Your travel in China (including visiting Tibet from Nepal and after trip from Tibet to other cities in China) should strictly follow the scheduled and submitted itinerary.
❹ All members in your tour group have to travel together during the whole tour in Tibet and extended tour in other Chinese cities.
❺ Only an authorized local travel agency in Nepal can submit the Group Visa application to Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, and individual application is unaccepted.
If you don’t worry about one of the above matters regarding application of Tibet Group Visa, you can choose from our most popular Nepal Tibet tours, and let us begin the application process and get it as soon as possible for you.
Our French customer Sivanla had a 14-day Himalayan adventure with visits to Bhutan, Nepal (Kathmandu), Tibet (Lhasa) and Xian, Luoyang and Shanghai. And, one of our US tourists spent nearly 20 days on a Nepal Tibet tour to Kathmandu, Lhasa, Nyingchi and Mount Everest. You can travel the same route, choose from our best tours or let us customize a special Tibet tour based on your requirements.
Best Nepal Tibet Tours:
For travelers who don’t want to revoke your Chinese Visa, or have problems with any of these conditions, but are quite interested in Nepal and Tibet both, you have another good option to take: firstly getting to one of the major gateway Chinese cities to Tibet (like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu...), and then taking flight or train to Tibet and continuing travel to Nepal from Tibet.
Tibet Discovery once tailor-made a 20-day China Tibet Nepal tour for Bogusia and his large American tour group (26 members) from Beijing, to Xian, Xining, Lhasa, Mount Everest and Kathmandu, Nepal. We are always ready and glad to help you accomplish a combined tour in Nepal and Tibet. Please feel free to contact us to get the most useful visa guide and the best travel experience!
Top Recommended China Tibet Nepal Tours:
How Long to Get a Tibet Group Visa?
Currently, Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu offers Regular Visa Service and Urgent Visa Service only. Sometimes, Extra Urgent Service is provided too. (We will pay close attention to that and update once available).
After submitting visa application request to Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, the Regular processing usually needs about 5 working days and Urgent service just takes about 3 working days. If urgent application is submitted before 12:00 am on the first day, you may get your Tibet Group Visa on the third day, otherwise, it can only be collected on the fourth working day.
It’s suggested to contact us at least 1 month in advance before your Tibet tour date, because we need enough time to apply for a Group Visa invitation letter and Tibet Travel Permit in Tibet. You will also need time to confirm your Tibet itinerary with our travel consultant.
How to Apply for a Tibet Group Visa?
It’s very easy and simple to apply for and get a Tibet Group Visa. With our help, you can obtain it with the least amount of your time and effort, by providing several needed documents. You don’t even need to go to the Chinese Embassy in person. We will take care of all travel services as you requested, including the application of Tibet Group Visa.
Step-by-step Instruction of Applying for a Tibet Group Visa (free to download)
Step 1: Contact Tibet Discovery to plan a detailed travel schedule in Tibet, and book a Tibet tour with us.
Step 2: Send us a clear and complete photo of your valid passport.
Step 3: We apply for an visa inviation letter from Tibet Tourism Bureau.
Step 4: Complete Tibet Group Visa application. Our staff in Kathmandu will bring a Visa Application Form and help you fill in it, collect your original passport and passport-size photo. (Note: You can still hold copy of passport to travel in Nepal when you original passport is taken to embassy for visa application.)
● Valid Passport & Scan Copies of Passport: Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months with blank pages. And you need to prepare scan copies to use, which we also need for applying for Tibet Travel Permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa, Tibet.
● Passport-size Photos: The photo is required to be a recent 48mmX33mm front passport-size photo on white background without hat on.
Step 5: We submit all required documents (including the Invitation Letter prepared by us) to Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
Step 6: Pick up your Tibet Group Visa. Once the visa is issued, we will collect it and your original passport from Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu on embassy working days from Monday to Friday. And give it to you before you take flights to Lhasa or start drive journey to Tibet via Gyirong Port.
About Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal
Address: Baluwatar, Kathmandu,Nepal
Fax: 00977-1-4414045 / Tel (daytime): 00977-1-4411740
E-mail: consulate_npl@mfa.gov.cnn / International Call Code: 00977-1
Official Website: http://np.china-embassy.org/eng/
Working Hours: From Monday to Friday (9:00 -12:00 & 14:00.-17:00. Local Time in Nepal) Consular Section of Embassy will be closed during Nepal holidays and Chinese national holidays according to notices released from embassy.
How Much is a Tibet Group Visa
The fee of Tibet Group Visa is collected by Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal, and it varies from applicant’s nationality and type of visa services (processing time). Exact schedule of fee will be adjusted irregularly and collected based on the official notice.
Visa Fee of Tibet Group Visa
Nationality | Time of Entry | Regular (US Dollar) | Urgent (US Dollar) | Extreme Urgent (US Dollar) | Service Charge (Per Person) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Passport Holders | Group Visa (Single) | 154 | 188 | 215 | 25 USD |
Canadian Citizens | 100 | 134 | 160 | ||
Nepalli Citizens | 57 | 90 | 117 | ||
Israeli Citizens | 62 | 95 | 121 | ||
Brazilian Citizens | 130 | 147 | 168 | ||
Argetina Citizens | 150 | 165 | 187 | ||
Romanian Citizens | 100 | 135 | 160 | ||
Serbia Citizens | 40 | 73 | 100 | ||
Other Citizens | 70 | 103 | 130 |
Note: 1.) Tibet Discovery collects additional fee per person as service charge. 2.) The latest visa fees above are only listed for reference, subject to actual charges. If you hold passport of other countries, want to check the updated cost, you can contact us for further details.
Useful Notes after Getting the Tibet Group Visa
After you obtain a Tibet Group Visa, there are essential tips you need to pay much attention to when taking it to visit Tibet and other cities in China.
● Tibet Group Visa, playing a same role as a regular Chinese Visa, is needed when you board flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu, get into Tibet at Gyirong Port and check in hotel anywhere. Better put it in a safe bag easy to take out.
● Please take good care of it during your whole tour in China, for all tour members share one original Tibet Group Visa only.
● It’s very difficult to alter and extend Tibet Group Visa after expiration.
Other Permits Needed for a Nepal Tibet Tour
Tibet, located in southwest China, is endowed with plenty of fantastic tourism resources, distinctive Tibetan customs and culture. It's a fascinating destination worthy of your time and effort. If you will travel to Tibet from Nepal, the Group Visa and another permit - Tibet Travel Permit are imperative documents you must acquire.
Tibet Travel Permit (also called Tibet Entry Permit/TTB Permit)
Issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, it is the foremost and compulsory official travel document which permits a foreign traveler to travel in Tibet. Tibet Discovery will apply for Tibet Travel Permit for you in advance and bring it to meet you at border port or airport.
Planning a further travel to Mount Everest, or to Ngari (Mount Kailash and Manasarovar), to Nyingchi (Peach Blossom Festival), Shannan, Qamdo and regions beyond Lhasa? Extra Tibet permits like Aliens' Travel Permit and Military Permit are needed as well.
Please rest at ease, Tibet Discovery will help every customer get all requisite Tibet permits and guarantee you a carefree trip to Tibet and extended exploration of other regions in China. All you need to do is to confirm a tour in Tibet and provide us your passport info.
Most Popular Tibet Tours 2024:
√ 4 Days Holy City Lhasa Private Tour - Heart of Tibet
√ 8 Days Lhasa Mount Everest Private Tour (Lhasa/Shigatse/Everest)
Comparison of Tibet Group Visa and Chinese Visa
In fact, Tibet Group Visa belongs to a type of Chinese Tourist Visa. The two kinds of visas are often searched when planning a tour to China. Apart from the form of visa, Tibet Discovery lists main differences between them to give you a clear understanding of each other. You are free to contact us to get more details!
Difference between Tibet Group Visa and Chinese Visa
Type | Tibet Group Visa | Chinese Tourist Vsia |
---|---|---|
From Where to Enter Tibet | Nepal (only) | according to which city (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu...) you plan to depart from |
Number of Entry | single entry | single entry double/multiple entries |
Apply for in Person of Not | Travel Agency (only) | Individual/Travel Agency |
Holder of the Visa | a tour group | individual |
Travel Regulation | all group tourists must travel together; follow the same travel route; enter & exit at the same time and place |
travel freely around China; enter and exit China from any opened port |
Can be Extended or Not | difficult to change or extend | extension is available |
Travel Worry Free with Tibet Discovery
Tibet Discovery, one of the best local Tibet based travel agencies provides superior Himalayan tour to Tibet, Nepal & Bhutan. Traveling with us, you are assured to enjoy all our excellent travel services, including vehicles, professional tour guide and experienced driver, well-organized itinerary, assistance of visa and permits application and other travel related services.
Your Tibet tour will be hassle-free, go smoothly and conveniently because we settle all required visa and permits for your traveling to Tibet together with your transportation to, around and off Tibet, such as land transfer from Kathmandu to Lhasa via Gyirong Port, dining, accommodation and etc. Many travelers we served spoke highly of our knowledgeable tour guide, skillful driver, considerate travel help before/in/after their Tibet tour and shared memorable stories of their once-in-a-lifetime Tibet tour. Can’t wait to meet the holy Tibet? Contact us to start your Tibet discovery now!
Recommended Nepal Tibet Tour Packages
Choose one of our travelers' favorite Tibet Nepal tours below to explore the mysterious Himalaya, with our local travel experts. All of the tours are customizable. You can also let us design your own Nepal Tibet itinerary to match your personal needs and interest.
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Kathmandu - Gyirong - Everest - Shigatse - Gyantse - Lhasa
7 Days Kathmandu to Lhasa Private Tour via Mount Everest
Highlights: Mount Everest, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Yamdrok Lake, Potala Palace
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Kathmandu - Gyirong - Tingri - Mount Everest - Shigatse - Gyantse - Lhasa
8 Days Tibet Group Tour from Kathmandu
Highlights: Mount Everest, Tashilumpo Monastery, Palcho Monastery, Yamdrok, Potala Palace