How to Get A Chinese Visa for Tibet Tour

To travel to Tibet in southwest China, a Chinese Tourists Visa (L Visa) is the primary travel document for all foreign tourists to get before departure. At present, there are two ways to get to Tibet: from Beijing, Shanghai or other cities in China or from Nepal. A Chinese Visa is always needed to be applied for and obtained in overseas Chinese Embassy or consulate, no matter where you choose to leave from.

In order to help you get a Chinese Tourist Visa easily and successfully for your exploration in Tibet, Tibet Discovery here provides detailed application guide and tips, covering the requirements, fees, processing time and related visa information.

Chinese Visa for Traveling from Other Cities in China to Tibet

Currently, there are over 20 cities in China directly connected with Tibet by flights or trains, including major tourist destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, etc. According to your travel length and other consideration, you can either take a non-stop flight to Tibet within several hours or try an novel plateau Tibet train passing through picturesque Qinghai Lake, Kunlun Mountains, wild Hoh Xil and north Tibet grasslands. Thus, the top priority for such a China Tibet Tour is to get a Chinese Tourist Visa. (Note: It’s also available to get to Tibet from other cities in China, if you hold a Chinese Visa in other category, may be a Chinese Work (Z) Visa, a Student Visa or other type. )

Booking tour with Tibet Discovery, your trip to China with Tibet would be hassle-free, interesting and memorable with our excellent services on visa and every aspect of your tour.

How to Get a Chinese Visa?

With required documents, foreigners can apply for a Chinese Visa from overseas Chinese Embassy and Consulate, in your home country or nation where you reside, by your self or via an agency. You’re advised to confirm your purpose of visiting China and travel schedule, and follow the official process, submit application normally one month before your planned departure for China.

4 Steps to Apply for Your Chinese Visa:

✔ Step 1: Check on Chinese Embassy’s website to find out a proper visa category (such as the Chinese Tourist/L Visa is for tour in China), where to submit application and which documents should prepare and essential details.

✔ Step 2: Complete Chinese Visa Application Form as required and prepare required materials. (visit www.visaforchina.org to see if you must fill in online application form, make an appointment and submit through a China Visa Application Service Center). Applying for in America, you need to submit directly to Chinese Embassy or consulate, while in UK, Australia, Canada and specific countries, you must submit documents to a Chinese Visa Application Service Center.

✔ Step 3: Take all materials to submit, choose visa service based on your need and pay visa fee (price varies from visa type, validity and nationality). If all documents meet requirement, a regular processing takes about 4 business days. In most foreign countries, you can pay extra to speed up the processing to 1 to 2 working days. Some exceptional application would take longer time like postal application in Australia (usually about 10 working days), supplementary document to Chinese Embassy.

✔ Step 4: Collect your Chinese Visa and passport.

Online Homepage of Chinese Visa Application Service Center

Understand Your Chinese Visa

After you get your Chinese Visa, you must check carefully if it is correctly issued and in accord with your travel plan. Any inaccuracy may cause a refusal of your entry to China. Be sure to understand each line of your Chinese Visa.

Sample of Single-entry Chinese Tourist Visa (old version)

【Visa Type】: Chinese Tourist Visa is printed as 旅游 (L) in the middle of top. Personal Basic Information: Make sure the name, gender, date of birth, passport

【Entries】: number printed on Chinese Visa is totally the same on your passport’s data page.

【Personal Basic Information】: Make sure the name, gender, date of birth, passport number printed on Chinese Visa is completely the same on your passport’s data page.

【Entries】: Check if it is single entry, double entries or multiple entry, and suitable for your itinerary.

【Valid for Entry By】: It is the deadline date when you’re allowed to get into China, instead of a time you should leave China before the date.

【Duration of Each Stay】： It means the longest length of your stay in China, including in Tibet. It counts from the 00:00 the next day after entry and expires on 24:00 of the last day.

Important Tips about Chinese Visa

1. Once a Chinese Visa has used up the number of entries are used up, passed the validity date, it’s invalid. A new and valid Chinese Visa should be got to visit China.

2. Within 24 hours after entry, foreigners need to make temporary accommodation registration at the hotel or the local police station.

3. Holders of Chinese D, J1, Q1, S1 and X1 Visa needs to apply for an resident permit from a county-level Public Security Bureau, within 30 days from the date of entry.

4. You can enter China freely from any opened international port, including newly-opened Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), and continue to travel around China after a Tibet trip.

5. Chinese Visa Extension is available as long as you apply for at least 7 days before the expiration date.

Chinese Visa for Traveling from Nepal to Tibet

Planning to visit Tibet from Nepal? No matter you have a Chinese Visa or not, by a flight or overland drive, you must get a Chinese Group Tourist Visa (most people call it Tibet Group Visa) in Nepal. Foreign tourists have to book a Tibet tour from a tour operator (like Tibet Discovery) and make the visa application through the agency. Only a few simple documents and steps, you can get the needed Chinese Group Tourist Visa for traveling to Tibet.

Sample of Tibet Group Visa

How to Get a Tibet Group Visa?

✔ Step 1: Confirm your Tibet itinerary with our travel consultant, book a Tibet tour package covering local vehicle, tour guide and other services in Tibet.

✔ Step 2: Send us a clear and complete copy of your valid passport (at least 6 months).

✔ Step 3: We will apply for an visa invitation letter from Tibet Tourism Bureau in Tibet for you.

✔ Step 4: Arrival in Kathmandu, deliver your original passport, completed visa application form and qualified headshot to us.

✔ Step 5: We submit all required materials to Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

✔ Step 6: Collect your passport and Chinese Group Visa.

Important Things Must Know about Tibet Group Visa

A. It’s compulsory required for a Tibet travel from Nepal. Meanwhile, Chinese Visa you already got will get expire if you apply for Tibet Group Visa in Nepal, even it’s a 10-year multiple-entry Chinese Visa.

B.Tibet Group Visa is printed on a A4 paper, listing travelers’ information and number. All members share one single visa paper only.

C.With the Group Visa, you can visit Tibet and other pre-scheduled cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Guilin within the longest validity of 60 days.

D.The Group Visa can only be used for entry of China once, and is difficult to get extension and alteration.

Know more about the application documents, fees and more details of Tibet Group Visa >>

How to Plan Your Tibet Tour

Besides the sacred Tibet, a valid Chinese Visa also offers you superb opportunity to discover other marvellous scenery, diverse culture and profound time-honored history in China.

Travel Tibet Worry Free with China Discovery

Recommended Tour Packages

Tibet has too much to offer. And our aim is to bring you the best experience in Tibet. Following are some other recommended Tibet tour packages that you may be interested in. All of our Tibet tour packages are customizable to meet your personal requirements. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want or check more Tibet Tours>

• 

  Lhasa

  4 Days Lhasa City Private Tour - Heart of Tibet

  Highlights: Potala Palace, Barkhor Street, Sera Monastery

  $619 / Details

• 

  Lhasa / Gyantse / Shigatse / Everest / Lhasa

  8 Days Lhasa to Mount Everest Private Tour

  Highlights: Potala Palace, Yamdrok Lake, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Mt. Everest

  $1,599 / Details

• 

  Lhasa / Gyantse / Shigatse / Mount Everest / Gyirong

  7 Days Lhasa to Gyirong Border Overland Tour via Mount Everest

  Highlights: Potala Palace, Yamdrok Lake, Palcho Monastery, Mount Everest

  Request / Details