In this post about how to go to Tibet from Nepal, we will cover the Tibet Travel permit, the Free Visa policy in China, the Chinese Group Visa, the procedure for applying for the Group Visa, and the travel route from Nepal to Tibet.
Unlike traveling to other parts of China, traveling to Tibet requires additional documents and special procedures. This additional document is why traveling to Tibet has been perceived as a challenging place to visit. Yet, if you have the correct information about how to visit Tibet, then getting to Tibet is very easy and convenient.
The minimum number of people required for a Chinese Group Visa is 5. Please check with us before booking your tour.
Free Visa policies for Tibet
The Chinese Government has free visa policies for 64 countries, including Tibet. If you are eligible for a free visa, you can come to Tibet from other cities in China and Nepal. You do not need a Chinese group visa, even if your travel agency asks you to get one.
Please continue if your country is not on the free visa country list. You must get the Chinese group visa if your nationality is listed on the free visa.
Visa and Tibet travel permit
First, you must know that traveling to Tibet from Nepal requires a Chinese Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Tibetan travel regulations differ from those of other parts of China. Besides this, a local travel agency in Lhasa needs to organize all tour arrangements. A Chinese group visa is issued on paper rather than on your passport.
Procedure for Applying for a Chinese Group Visa
Here are the detailed processes for applying for a Chinese group visa.
1st) Book a tour
First and foremost, you will have to book a trip with a local travel agency in Lhasa. While booking your trip, you must tell them you are coming to Tibet from Nepal.
2nd) Visa invitation
After booking your trip, you must send us a copy of your passport, which we will use to make your permit. Please consider sending it at least 25 days before your tour date. We will send you a visa invitation from the Tibet Tourism Bureau to our partner visa agency in Nepal by the end of the Tibet Travel Permit procedure. You must go to that agency and give them your passport to get the visa.
We often recommend that our clients visit our Visa agency at their office. At the beginning of 2016, a client came to Tibet from Nepal. At the last minute, he didn’t trust our partner agency and chose to go to the Embassy directly with a copy of the visa invitation. He was not granted the visa and lost all his deposit money. So you must give them your passport to make your group visa.
Duration of Visa Process
The visa fees for group visas differ from country to country and depend on the urgency of the visa requirement. The following are the Chinese group visa fees according to nationality and speed.
| 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 |
Duration of Visa Process
The Chinese Embassy in Nepal has a Cancel one-day Critical visa service and two days of urgent assistance. So, as of now, the only option available is three to four days of Normal Visa service. So plan three days in Nepal for it.
Please check here for the holidays at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu and other details.
Once the travel agency in Lhasa notifies you that the visa invitation has been send to their partner agency in Nepal, it also indicates that your Tibet travel permit has been issued. However, the Tibet permit should remain within China’s domestic jurisdiction. So, it will be with your guide waiting for you at the border, either at the airport or the border port.
So it is relatively more comfortable to meet your guide.
The routes from Nepal to Tibet
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Taking the flight from Nepal to Tibet
The flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa is the only international flight in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Several flights are available each week. I want to remind you to book your flight tickets in advance.
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Overland tours from Nepal to Tibet
The Tibet Tourism Bureau is issuing Tibet Travel Permits for international visitors to travel overland from and to Nepal. Please read here for more updates about Tibet tourism. We recommend that everybody come to Lhasa by flight and then leave Tibet for the Nepal Via Overland journey.
In this way, there is a better opportunity for Acclimatization in the Lhasa area before heading to a higher altitude in the Himalayas. If your itinerary consists of China ( Tibet and any other part of it) and Nepal, it is better to first come to China and then to Nepal.
Hack
Recently, we told our clients about the Chinese group visa. They had already applied for a Chinese visa from Home and did not have free days for a group visa. So we told them to buy a flight ticket from Kathmandu to Chengdu and another flight from Chengdu to Lhasa. In this way, we could skip the Chinese group visa.
If you want to travel to Tibet from Nepal without getting a Chinese group visa, take a flight from Nepal to Chengdu, then another trip to Lhasa, or take the train to Lhasa. If you are taking another trip to Lhasa, our agency will deliver your permit at the airport. Read here on how to get your Tibet travel permit.
Conclusion
This post explains everything we know about how to go to Tibet from Nepal from our ten years of operational experience.
If you want to know more about Tibet Travel Information, please let us know. Please email us at info@itibettravel.com, or you can find us on WhatsApp or WeChat. We highly recommend that all travelers download and start using WeChat. Everyone in Tibet uses it. This App will help you communicate better with your guide and tour operator.
Read here for information on going to Tibet from another part of China, and Tibet Travel Information.
Tenzin Travel is one of Tibet’s most experienced tour operators, with over 20 years in the industry. Founded by a local Tibetan family with decades of expertise as guides, managers, and route planners, we craft personalized itineraries for every traveler.
Our Lhasa office is just steps from Barkhor Square, and our all-Tibetan team ensures deep cultural, linguistic, and religious insights, setting us apart from other agencies.
Beyond tourism, we support Tibetan communities by donating a portion of each tour to local projects. Your travel to Tibet is about more than profit—it’s about opportunity for us to give back.
