THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR ALL TOURISTS VISITING TIBET
These are subject to change and depend on whether you join the trip in Kathmandu or China. If you are joining the trip in Kathmandu you will need a multiple entry visa for Nepal which can be obtained either from your nearest Nepalese consulate or on arrival in Nepal.
For Tibet, we organize a group visa, and in order to do this we will need a copy of your passport at least 20 days prior to the commencement of your trip, followed by your actual passport five days before the visa issuing days. If you are entering via mainland China you have to obtain Chinese visa from you home country. Visa regulation in Tibet keep changing please ask us for latest Tibet visa information.
The Chinese/Tibet visa you get in Kathmandu is a “Group Visa” and is not entered in travelers’ passports but on a separate sheet of paper - be it one person or a group consisting of two or more persons. If you are wishing to do tour to Tibet via Nepal, please do not apply for the Chinese visa in your country. If you had already applied the Chinese visa in your country prior to arrival in Kathmandu, it would be automatically cancelled when we get the Tibet visa for you here in Kathmandu.
TOURIST ARRIVING LHASA VIA MAINLAND CHINA
If you are planning to visit Tibet and are coming from to Lhasa via mainland China, you need to apply the Chinese visa from the Chinese Embassy in your country. Once you have the Chinese visa, you need to scan your visa and send it our company along with the copy of your passport. Both the documents should be clear and readable otherwise it will be rejected by the Tibet Travel Bureau in Tibet (TTB). On the basis of the copies of the Chinese visa and passport, we will apply for your Tibet entry permit from the TTB. With the combination of the Tibet permit and Chinese visa you would be allowed to enter Tibet from the mainland China. Once your Tibet permit is issued, you can collect it from anywhere in mainland China where you are supposed to arrive or have it delivered at your hotel you would be staying while in mainland China at an extra charge of USD 30 for courier.
TOURIST ARRIVING BY OVERLAND VIA ZHANGMU / SIMIKOT BORDER
On the other hand, if you are planning to fly to Lhasa or by overland from Kathmandu to Zhangmu or Simikot border, you would need to arrive in Kathmandu at least 4 to 6 days before your entry into Tibet. Travelers are thus required to arrive in Kathmandu a day prior to the visa issuing days to enable us to get Chinese/Tibet visa for them. In order to get the Tibet visa, we would need to show your original passport at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. As such, our operating officer who would be at the airport to receive and transfer you to your respective hotel would collect the passport from you and get the visa.
Require document for Tibet Permit/ Tibet Visa.
- At least six month valid your passport copy. You can send us your passport front page by mail, Viber, Whats App, face book or via any other social Medias.
- Chinese visa copy by mail or via any social Medias. (Only for those tourist, who are entering Tibet from mainland China)
- Have to fill up a form from Chinese Embassy Kathmandu with your latest passport size of a picture. This is only case, if you are travelling from Nepal. (Ethic Himalaya Treks manage will manage it)
- It takes about one week time to get Tibet travel permit approval from Tibet tourism bureau. It might take longer than a week in keep season time. So applying your Tibet permit before 15 days is safe way.
Special Note: Diplomats passport holders, Journalists, professional media photographer and government officials are not able to issue their Tibet permit through ordinary travel agencies. They are only able to get Tibet travelling permit under the arrangement of Foreign Affairs. We should know it earlier than applying your permit.
Have a look at the chart provided below of Tibet Visa Information for your reference for the costs on Tibet visa:
Nationality |
Times of Entry |
Tibet Visa Fee (US$) |
Other Citizens |
Single |
85 |
Canadian Citizens |
Single |
155 |
Romanian Citizens |
Single |
132 |
Brazillian Citizens |
Single |
165 |
Argentine citizens |
Single |
185 |