Necessary Travel Documents for Tibet and Nepal
Admin - Updated: November 12, 2020
If you
travel to Nepal and Tibet together, a world of excitement and adventure awaits
you. From the high plateau of Tibet with its gompas and mountains to Nepal's
diverse country, which is full of hiking trails, mountain, and subtropical
forest views, a combined tour of Nepal and Tibet is the exploration of a
lifetime. Travellers can take the train from China to the Tibetan capital Lhasa
to enjoy the Potala Palace's incredible views and the famous Jokhang Temple. Then
travel through the region, visiting small Tibetan villages, crystal clear
lakes, high mountains, alpine meadows, and countless monasteries and make a
stopover at the northern Everest base camp before crossing the border to Nepal.
You can
visit Kathmandu, the capital, and one of the most exotic cities in Asia. Visit
the impressive national parks to see crocodiles, rhinos, endangered Bengal
tiger or take one of the hundreds of hiking trails in the country's mountains
and valleys, from Annapurna to Manaslu and Everest. If you prefer, you can do
it the other way around, from Nepal to Tibet and then on to China.
The trip
from Nepal to Tibet
For entry
into Tibet from Nepal, specific permits and visas are required and the standard
visa for Nepal's entry. The visa requirement is different if you go from Nepal
instead of China, but the other permits are all the same.
Tibet
Group Visa
The tourist Group
visa for Tibet is a particular entry visa for Tibet issued by the Chinese
Embassy in Kathmandu. Similarly, travelling from China, where you have
first-time access to entry into China, the tourist group visa replaces the
standard Chinese visa for travellers.
The tourist
group visa is valid for 30 days in Tibet and China. Although it is called a
"group visa," you do not have to be part of it to use it, and individuals
can use it. However, individual tourists cannot apply for the visa in person
but must apply it through a registered tour operator, such as Nepal Tour &
Trekking Service P. Ltd.
If you are travelling as part of a group, all group members will be listed on the visa, including names, nationalities, dates of birth, and passport numbers, and you will receive separate copies for each. However, please note that all members listed on the group travel visa must enter and leave Tibet all together and through the same exit point. If you intend to leave Tibet via a different exit point than the rest of the group, it is advisable to apply for a separate group visa.
To obtain a
group tourist visa, you must present your passport, visa fee, and other
original documents to your tour operator's representative upon arrival in
Nepal. You will apply for the visa through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
The required receipts are the invitation letter and the tour operator's travel
plan form, and the Tibet travel permit, which is also obtained through the tour
operator.
The Group
Tourist Visa is first applying through the tour operator. First, you need to
find a tour operator, such as Nepal Tour & Trekking Service P. Ltd, discuss
the desired trip options for Tibet and book the trip to Tibet. Then they will
submit your Tibet travel authorization application.
Once the
permit is returned, they will ask you to present your original passport in
Kathmandu, so you will need to be in Nepal at least four or five days before
your planned departure date. With these and other documents, you will then get
your visa at the Chinese Embassy
Visa
applications are only accepted from Monday to Friday; the same applies to
pick-ups. It usually takes three days to process your application. If your
application is submitted on Monday before 11:00 am, your visa will be ready for
pickup on Wednesday afternoon. Once your visa is ready, your tour operator will
pick you up and take you to your hotel in Kathmandu. Please note that Kathmandu's
Chinese Embassy does not have an "express visa" procedure and does
not accept express visa applications.
The cost of the group tourist visa varies depending on your country of origin as below.
- For the U.S.
citizens US $140
- Canadian
citizen US$ 120
- Romanian
citizen US$ 80
- Citizen of
Montenegro US$ 41
- Serbian
citizen US$ 15
- Pakistani
citizen US$ 17
- Citizen of
Albania US$ 17
- Citizen of
the Maldives US$ 17
- Bosnian
citizen US$ 17
- Citizen of
Herzegovina US$ 17
Authorization
to travel to Tibet
The Tibet
Travel Permit is the permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Board for travellers
planning to visit Tibet. It should be noted that the Tibet Travel Permit does
not allow access to all areas except Tibet, and some areas require additional
access permits.
To obtain a
Tibet Travel Permit, all you need to do is book your trip through a recognized
professional tour operator, such as Nepal Tour & Trekking Service P. Ltd
and they will take care of the rest. All you need to send a scanned copy (in
colour) of your passport, which will show the main page with your photo and
details. You should make sure that the scanner is precise and that the details
are easy to read.
Nepal visa
In Nepal, it
is relatively easy for tourists to enter the country. If you have not received
your entry visa to Nepal from the Nepalese embassy in your country of origin
before your departure, you can always obtain it at the point of entry into
Nepal. While most visitors travelling to Tibet arrive in Nepal by air, some
cross India's land borders, its only other neighbour. All border crossings that
allow foreign tourists to enter Nepal can be arranged upon arrival, and the
same can be done at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
To obtain a
visa upon arrival, all you have to do is fill out the visa application form at
the immigration office and hand in your passport and a travel passport-sized
photo with a transparent background. The fee depends on the visa required
length and is $25 for a 15-day visa, $40 for a 30-day visa, and $100 for a
90-day visa. If you want to stay longer, you can extend your visa at the
immigration office in Kalikasthan, Kathmandu, up to 150 days per calendar year.
Visa fees
can be paid upon arrival in various currencies, but the US dollar is the
preferred payment method. You can also use the Euro, Swiss Franc, Pound
Sterling, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Singapore
Dollar, and Japanese Yen. Credit cards, Indian rupees, and Nepalese rupees are
not accepted as payment for entry visas.
The trip
from Tibet to Nepal
Chinese Visa
Unlike many
other countries in the world, China does not offer an entry visa service. All
visas must be requested through the Embassy of the People's Republic of China
in your country of origin or in the country you are travelling to. To apply for
a visa, you must apply in person, as there is no online application procedure.
However, you can download an application form from the Embassy's website, and you
can also fill out the form within the document and save the completed form
before printing it. For the visa application form, you must provide the
following information
At least six
months valid original passport
Completed
visa application form
A passport
size photo
Proof of
legal residence or domicile (if required from outside your home country)
Photocopies
of all previous Chinese entry visas
Documents
showing an itinerary, including the booking protocol of your return flight and
proof of your hotel reservation
The
processing time for a Chinese entry visa is usually about four working days for
your regular service. You will receive a collection slip with a specific date
at the time of application. Single-entry visas cost $140 for a U.S. citizen and
$30 for a non-U.S. citizen and can be paid with individual credit cards, money
orders, bank checks, or company checks at the time of pickup of the visa. Cash,
personal checks, online payments, and cards other than Visa and MasterCard are
not accepted.
Tibet
Travel Permit
Getting a
permit to enter Tibet is very similar to getting a Visa in Nepal. Even in China,
personal applications are not allowed, and one must apply to a recognized tour
operator. The same procedure is used for the application, except that the
original passport is required since a scanned copy is sufficient.
Once you confirm
and complete the trip booking, your tour operator will apply for your Tibet
travel permit. On average, the permit's processing takes about ten days and is
usually delivered to your hotel room after you arrive in China, ready for your
trip to Tibet.
Nepali
Visa
Just as a
Nepalese visa is available when entering Nepal from another country, it is also
available to those entering Nepal from Tibet. The visa on arrival can be
applied for at Tribhuvan International Airport or the land border crossing in Kyirong
port. The same requirements apply, including fees.
What
other visas or permits are required for travel to Nepal and Tibet?
A travel
permit for foreigners is required for travel to some regions of Tibet outside the
city of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, such as Gyantse, Shigatse, Rongbuk,
Everest, etc. Again, it cannot be offered without an approved tour and is
usually purchased by your guide upon arrival in Lhasa. However, if you are
travelling by land from Nepal to Tibet, this applies and will be obtained for
you before entering Tibet from Nepal. The cost is about 50 CNY, although this
is included in the price of your trip with Tibet Tour.
Permission
to enter the military zone
Certain
areas of Tibet are considered "militarily sensitive" areas, which
require an entry permit for the military zone (commonly known as an army
permit) to cross. It is usually also purchased in Lhasa and costs 100 CNY per
person, which is also included in a trip to Tibet. Since this permit is
required for entry into Ngari Prefecture, where Mount Kailash is located, it is
obtained upon entry from Nepal before entering the country.
Trekking
Information Management System (TIMS) card for trekking in Nepal
Trekking in
Nepal is an incredible adventure, and to ensure that it is safer for everyone
involved, there is the Trekker Information Management System card or TIM’s
card. The TIMS card was introduced to ensure trekkers' safety in Nepal and can
be ordered in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Namche Bazaar.
TIMS
collects data from trekkers and enters it into the system to assist in managing
trekking routes in Nepal to aid in search and rescue operations in case of
natural disasters and accidents that may require the use of air transport.
You can
obtain the card by applying it yourself at one of the approved application centres
with a photocopy of your passport and two passport-sized photographs. The cards
cost the equivalent of US$20 in Nepalese currency for the green card, which is
used for free individual hikers, and the equivalent of US$10 per person for
group hikers who receive the blue cards.