Tibet travel permits, visas and travel restrictions

Aside from visas for China, travelers to Tibet must also obtain travel permits from the Tibetan Tourism Bureau. Shapshap Travel and its partners will organize your Tibet travel permit. Please send a copy of your passport if you plan on entering Tibet via Nepal as soon as you book the trip. When you plan on entering Tibet via China, we will also need a copy of your passport and the Chinese visa as soon as you book the trip.

Traveling individually to Tibet is officially not allowed. Travelers must officially be part of a group with a guide who will help with dealing with the Chinese authorities at checkpoints en route.

You are not allowed to travel in Tibet with an individual Chinese visa via Nepal- individual Chinese visas such as multiple entry tourist visas, working visas, student visas, etc., will get canceled once we apply for a Chinese visa from Nepal. The only way to keep your individual visas will be by entering Tibet from mainland China, i.e. joining the tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu instead of the Kathmandu to Lhasa tour.

If you are traveling to Tibet via Nepal, you must obtain the Chinese visa which will only be issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, BUT if you are planning to enter Tibet via mainland China, you need to get the Chinese visa from the Chinese embassy in your home country. The Chinese Embassy is opened only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Generally, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu takes about 5 working days to issue the tourist visa but by paying an express fee, we can get the visa in 1 day. The costs will be included in the tour price.

Please make sure that your passport will still be valid for at least six months after you arrive in Nepal. A visa cannot be provided to passports with less than six months validity. You need two passport sized photos for the visa application.

Travelers must use the same passport while traveling in Nepal and Tibet. When traveling to Tibet via Nepal, you will receive a Chinese visa only in the passport that is stamped with the Nepalese visa.

All Tibet travel permits can be obtained using a photocopy of your passport but you will need your original passport to apply for the Chinese visa. ShapShap Travel and its partners will collect your passport once you arrive in Kathmandu.

A detailed itinerary which states which places you will visit in Tibet must be finalized in advance and be attached to the application for the Chinese visa. The visa will be issued accordingly. In accordance to the places mentioned in the itinerary, the travel permit from the Tibet Tourism Bureau (Lhasa) will also be obtained. ShapShap Travel and its partners will arrange this for you.

If you would like to head out to mainland China after your tour of Tibet, the group visa will allow you to do so, but once you enter mainland China this visa will be replaced with an individual Chinese visa. (if the duration of your group visa covers all your programs in mainland China, you can use it during your stay in mainland China or it can be replaced by an individual visa- it depends on Chinese officials decision).

You are not allowed to bring in any Tibetan religious books, literature, photographs or anything related to the Dalai Lama (especially) into Tibet. If any such items are found in your possession, it will be confiscated and you may not be allowed to enter Tibet. (From personal experience we know there are some Lonely Planet guide books with a foreword written by the Dalai Lama- this can also cause problems… in our case only the page was torn out by a Chinese immigration official… but be warned…)

It is very difficult to get your group visa extended, so please let us know exactly what your plans are during your trip planning phase so that we can arrange the visa and permit accordingly.  

Please note: The rules and regulations regarding the Chinese visa and Tibet travel permit are subject to change without prior notice. We therefore suggest that you consult with ShapShap Travel and its partners to make sure everything regarding the visas and permits are in order so that all your programs and plans run as smoothly as possible.  

Interested in this tour?  or