Chinese Group Visa for visiting Tibet. How to obtain one, what is it? Those are the most obvious confusion for the International visitors proposing to visit Tibet. Here is our intake for Chinese Group Visa for visiting Tibet.
The Chinese Group visa can be related to you in two scenarios.
- If you are coming to Tibet from Nepal, Both by flight or overland journey from Nepal to Tibet.
- Yours a big group. You want to Apply for the Chinese Visa from Home with a group Visa invitation from Tibet Tourism Bureau.
What is the Chinese Group visa?
The Chinese Group Visa is a special visa issued by respected Chinese Embassy base on the above scenarios.
It is a set of two A4 sized Paper VISA. It contains all the personal details of the group members including; Name, Sex, Date of Birth, Occupation, Your passport number, and Nationality. And the Date of Entry and Exit. This Visa could be valid for Your journey in Tibet and your extended journey in other parts of China.
Out of two sets of it. One is for arrival and other is to use while exiting the country.
Following this, We will explain about the Chinese Group visa in two above mention scenarios
A) Chinese Group Visa from Nepal ( Nepal to Tibet tours)
If visitors are coming to Tibet from Nepal. It is compulsory for all to apply for a Chinese Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Your Chinese Visa from home will be revoked. because no individual can hold two valid VISA.
How can I apply for Chinese Group Visa from Nepal?
If you have had made your mind to get into Tibet from Nepal. Please do not get the usual tourist Chinese Visa on your passport already from home. It is compulsory to get the Chinese group visa from the Embassy in Nepal.
As soon as you booked your tour with a local travel agency in Lhasa, please tell them about how are you planning to get into Tibet. It’s important for them to know you plan to make the Document as per your plan. You also have to send them a scanned copy of the passports for making permit and Chinese Group visa invitation from Tibet Tourism Bureau.
Once when your Tibet travel permit is done, The travel agency will send your Visa invitation to their associated with Nepal. This guarantees the approval of your Chinese Group Visa from the Embassy in Nepal.
Chinese Embassy will not entertain an individual applicant. It has to be applied through a local agency who are registered with them.
The Embassy will never issue a visa for a passport which does not have Nepalese Visa and arrival stamp for Nepal. You will have to be legally present in Nepal for applying for the Group visa. So the option of sending the passport in the courier for the Group Visa is not possible. But for the Indian citizen, you can send the passport in Nepal to get the Chinese Visa prior they arrival in Nepal, as Indian doesn’t require Visa to go to Nepal.
It normally takes three business days for the Chinese Group visa process, so you will have to arrive three to more days prior to your departure to Tibet.
Here are the Steps is obtaining your Chinese Group Visa for visiting Tibet.
- Book the tour with Tibetan travel agency in Lhasa
The first step is to find a suitable travel agency and the tour itinerary and book a tour with them. The travel agency in Lhasa will have to send a visa invitation from the Tibet Tourism Bureau to you in Nepal - Send your passport copy and Hotel information.
You will have to send them a clear scan copy of your Passport and you will also have to send them clear information about your hotel in Nepal. - Visa invitation and Tibet travel permit
When your travel agency will have all the required information, They will initiate the Tibet travel permit and your visa invitation. - Application of Chinese Group Visa
Upon arriving in Nepal, you will be contacted by their partner agency in Nepal. He will help you make the visa. You will need to consider three business days for the Visa to finish.
Here are the day to day plan in Visa applications in Nepal
Day 1) You will meet our agent in Hotel and he will make all the preparation for the Visa application. ( This can be your arrival date)
Day 2) He will apply the Visa applications at the Embassy
Day 3) —————-
Day 4) He will get your visa in the Evening in Nepal.
Day 5) Only on the fifth day you will be able to take a flight to Lhasa.
Here a price list of the Visa as per the Chinese consulate website.
| Nationalities | Number of entries | Normal | Urgent | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Single | 140 USD | 155 USD | 175 USD |
| Canada | Single | 120 USD | 135 USD | 155 USD |
| Herzegovina | Single | 17 USD | 35 USD | 55 USD |
| Bosnia | Single | 17 USD | 35 USD | 55 USD |
| Maldives | Single | 17 USD | 35 USD | 55 USD |
| Albania | Single | 17 USD | 35 USD | 55 USD |
| Pakistan | Single | 17 USD | 35 USD | 55 USD |
| Serbian | Single | 15USD | 40 USD | 52 USD |
| Montenegro | Single | 41 USD | 59 USD | 95 USD |
| Romania | Single | 80USD | 95 USD | 115 USD |
| Others | Single | 50 USD | 65 USD | 85 USD |
The Local Nepalese agency may charge USD 20-50 per person for their services. The consulate accepts group visa application is only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (except Chinese holidays).
Duration of Visa Process
It will take three business days for the Visa process, there are no one or two Days Emergency visa services. So please arrival in Nepal with enough window for the Visa process and to leave for Lhasa on the fifth day.
B) Chinese Group Visa from Home (Other parts of China to Tibet)
It is a very rare scenario for travellers coming to Tibet in the group Visa from their home country. However rare it may be, it is happening and creating lots of Inconvenient and frustration for our visitors. So we think it is very important for all the travellers to read this once.
Some time mainly travel agencies aboard would like to have a Visa Invitation from the travel agency in Lhasa to avoid visa hassles. If you are going to ask your travel agency in Lhasa for a group, most likely they will send you a visa invitation consisting all the group members details under one invitation. This will automatically generate Group Visa on a piece of paper, not the individual Visa on your passport.
What does Group Visa Means?
The Group Visa is for the entire group members, So all the group members will be listed in the Visa Paper. Everyone will have to Enter into China and exit from China at the same period of Time, and together from the same place. They are no option for extending the Visa and separating one or two individuals from the group visa once after arriving in China.
So, if you are in a group and if everyone has a different plan in arriving and Departing from China. Getting a group Visa is not an option.
Group Visa on our invitation is addressed only to the embassy.
This year we have to cancel some tour for this reason. The Visa invitation will be addressed to all the embassy to a particular country. If you intend to get the Visa with the invitation in a consulate, they will reject to issue the visa. for it’s not addressed to the consulate.
At the Tibet tourism bureau system, we have no option to choose between the embassy and the consulate. the invitation will be automatically addressed to the embassy.
What are the best solutions?
Unless you are coming to Tibet from Nepal. Don’t ask the travel agency in Tibet for the Visa invitation. and do not tell the Chinese Embassy about the plan to visit Tibet.
If you are coming to Tibet from Nepal, getting the Visa is very easy.
Conclusion of Chinese Group Visa for visiting Tibet
If you are coming to Tibet from Other parts of China. It is not a very good idea to get a Chinese Group Visa from Home. Rather, it is best to get individual Chinese Visa on the passport. There is an option to get the individual visa in the passport. Therefore gives group members more flexibility in China.
If you are coming to Tibet from Nepal. And if you some of your group members have a different plan after the Tibet tour. Hence it is best to get a different Visa invitation for the subgroups for more flexibility.
If you have more question about obtaining Chinese Group visa for visiting Tibet, please do contact us. You don’t need to book the tour with us for getting free consultancy from us.
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