China Visa

Any non-Chinese citizen who enters, leaves or transits through the People's Republic of China must apply for China visa at the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General. According to his/her identity, visit purpose, passport type, the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General issues diplomatic, courtesy, service or ordinary visa respectively. (warm note: please don¡¯t mention that you will travel to Tibet, but any other city of China when you apply for China visa.)

Tibet is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China, so you have to obtain a China Visa at first before you travel to Tibet. Usually, the travel agency specializing in the tibet tour receives the tourists who hold ordinary visa. The ordinary visa includes eight categories which are coded with D, Z, X, F, L, G, C, J-1 and J-2 respectively.

Tourist Group Visa must be applied in Kathmandu if a tourist travels to Tibet from Kathmandu of Nepal directly, which is under the Agreement between China and Nepal governments. Do not apply for any China visa until tourists are in Kathmandu. The local travel agency can help tourists apply for the tourists group in one, three, five days with different commision fees.
(The Tourist Group Visa is the one that issued to a tourist group organized by the travel agency who must travel together both in and out of China. The Tourist Group Visa is evidenced on the Group Tourist Form instead of on the individual passport.)

The premise is that the traveller shall have the citizenship of a country having diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and carrying an ordinary passport.