Citizens of the United States are one of the largest groups of tourists to Tibet, and account for a huge percentage of foreign travelers to the region as well. According to the U.S. State Department, more than a million American passport holders travel to Tibet every year, majority in spring and fall when the weather is milder and the skies are clear for travel to Everest base Camp (EBC). More than 9,000 Tibetan-Americans currently live in the U.S., majority in the states in the northeast of the country, around the area of the Great Lakes. Tibetan culture has been of interest to American tourists since the immigration of migrant Tibetans to the States in 1955. One of the biggest draws for American travelers to Tibet is the immense height of Mount Everest, which sits at 8,848 meters above sea level. This massive number of travelers to the region at the roof of the world means that a lot of visas need to be processed every year for the American tourists alone.

Chinese Entry Visa

The Chinese Entry Visa is required for all American Passport Holders when traveling to Tibet via China, and can be obtained from the main embassy or one of the consular offices around the country. As of 2014, an arrangement between the United States and China means that U.S. passport holders with more than one year of validity remaining on their passports may be eligible for a multiple-entry visa that is valid for ten years. This allows tourists that travel to the country on a regular basis to apply for the visa once every ten years, instead of for every trip.

Requirements

The Chinese Entry Visa requirements are simple and straightforward, and can be found on the Chinese Embassy website at http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ or through the website of the United States State Department at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/China.html. The requirements for the visa for tourism, known as the “L” visa, are:

• Original passport with at least six month’s validity remaining at the time of travel and two blank facing visa pages, plus color scanned copies of the passport’s photo and data page.
• The completed Visa Application Form, labeled Form V.2013, with a passport-sized glossy photo attached in the photo box of the form. The application form can be downloaded from the Chinese Embassy website at:

http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/lszj/bgxz/P020130830121570742708.pdf.

• A photocopy of any previous Chinese Entry Visas issued or previous Chinese passports if the applicant is a Chinese American, as well as any previous American passport that had a Chinese Entry Visa sticker within its pages.
• Proof of legal stay in the United States if the applicant is not a U.S. citizen, including both original and photocopies of the valid certificate or visa to stay in the U.S., such as residence visas, work visas (green cards),  student visas, or any other documents that prove the right to reside in the united States.
• The Chinese Entry Visa fee of US$ 140 for U.S. passport holders or the relevant fee for non-U.S. passport holders.
• Documents that show your itinerary in China (not including Tibet).
• Round trip flight booking record or record of onward travel flight booking.
• Proof of hotel reservation within China according to your first itinerary location.

Application Process

Applications for visas are much the same around the world, but with the United States, there are some subtle differences in the application process. While majority of countries require you to attend the embassy or consular office in person to make he application for the visa, in the United States you may send the application form and all relevant documents, together with a bank or money order for the fee, to the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. or the closest Consular Office to your home state by registered mail. The application documents should also include a pre-paid, self-addressed registered mail envelope for the return of your documents and visa. The Embassy and Consular Offices will not accept standard delivery parcels, only registered mail with either the U.S. Postal Service or a recognized national courier service such as FedEx. The standard application process normally takes three to five working days, after which time your passport and visa will be returned to you using the pre-paid envelope provided.

Chinese Embassy and Consular Offices

With the United States being such a big country, one embassy is not enough to cover all 50 states. As well as an Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the nation’s capital, there are five other Consular Offices in different states across the country. These additional Consular Offices operate on behalf of the main Embassy to process visa applications, among other things, for residents of other areas of the country. The main Embassy of the People’s Republic of China is located in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., while the Consular Offices can be found in Los Angeles and San Francisco in California, New York City, Chicago in Illinois, and Houston in Texas. The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States does not process applications for permits to travel into and around Tibet. These must be obtained through a registered Tibet tour operator such as Explore Tibet.

Contact Information

The Chinese Embassy can be contacted in several ways, either by phone, email or through the website of the People’s Republic of China Embassy Online at http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/sgxx/lxwm/. The addresses and details for the Embassy and Consular Offices are:

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Washington D.C.

Visa Office of the Chinese Embassy 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 110, Washington, DC 20007 Automatic Voice System: (202) 338 6688 Service Hotline: (202) 337 1956 Fax: (202) 588 9760 Email: [email protected] Opening Hours: 9:30am to 12:30pm, 1:30pm to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday

Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York

Passport and Visa Office, Chinese Consulate General 520 12th Ave., New York, NY 10036 Tel: (212) 868 2078 (Visa Section) Fax: (212) 564 0300 (Visa & Authentication) Website: http://newyork.china-consulate.org/eng/ Email: [email protected] Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 am, 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Houston

Passport and Visa Office, Chinese Consulate General 3417 Montrose Boulevard , Houston , Texas 77006 Phone: (713) 520 1462  (Visa Section) Fax: (713) 521 3064 Website: http://houston.china-consulate.org Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 11:30am, 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles

Passport and Visa Office, Chinese Consulate General 443 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA 90020 3rd Floor, 500 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (Passport and Visa Office) Tel: General: (213) 807 8088; Passport and Visa office: (213) 201 1765 Fax: (213) 807 8091 Website: http://losangeles.china-consulate.org/eng/ Email: [email protected] Opening hours (for visa services): 9:00am to 2:00pm Monday to Friday

Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in San Francisco

Passport and Visa Office, Chinese Consulate General 1450 Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 Tel: (415) 872 9091 (Visa Section) Fax: (415) 852 5940 Website: http://www.chinaconsulatesf.org/eng/ Email: [email protected] Opening Hours (for Visa Services): 9:00am to 5:00pm

Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago

Passport and Visa Office, Chinese Consulate General 1 East Erie Street, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60611 USA Tel: (312) 453 0210 ext. 3000 Fax: (312) 453 0211 Website: http://www.chinaconsulatechicago.org/eng/ Email: [email protected] Opening Hours (for Visa Services): 9:30am to 12:00pm; 1:30pm to 2:30pm, Monday to Friday