(TibetanReview.net, Jun29’26) – Visiting Tibet is not like visiting China or any other country as it is a difficult occupied territory under tight foreign control and a mere visa would not suffice to fly to it. This message was brought home to a number of Indian pilgrims who travelled to Nepal for their visit to Mount Kailash and lake Mansarovar in western Tibet’s Ngari prefecture but have remained stranded there.
While any individual can apply for a visa to travel to China, an additional special entry permit is requited to visit Tibet. This can be applied for through a travel agency registered with the Chinese government and is only given for group tours. Besides, India pilgrims can apply for visa only from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, not anywhere else, including Kathmandu.
Following reports that a total of 52 Indian pilgrims were stranded in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a high-alert travel advisory for the 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra on Jun 28.
The incident occurred when a large group of Indian pilgrims attempted to enter Tibet via Nepal without the necessary pre-approved legal documentation. Because Chinese immigration laws require all pilgrimage permits to be processed and stamped by the Embassy of China in New Delhi, the travellers were denied entry at the border and forced to remain in Kathmandu, reported nomadlawyer.org Jun 28.
The report cited industry sources as indicating the group had been misled by travel intermediaries who suggested that documentation could be secured during transit.
The MEA directive now explicitly forbids travellers destined for Tibet pilgrimage from departing India without fully verified, physical copies of their Chinese visas and Tibet entry permits, the report said.
The ministry has emphasized that any agency claiming that visas can be obtained upon arrival in Kathmandu or at the Tibet border is operating outside of legal frameworks.
The border crossing into Tibet is a high-security zone requiring synchronized clearance between the governments of Nepal and China. Any discrepancy in paperwork—such as a missing permit or an incorrect visa category—results in an immediate travel block. The recent crisis underscores that the Nepal transit route is not a flexible pathway but a strictly regulated international border crossing, the report said.
While private transit via Nepal for the Tibet pilgrimage remains a popular choice, the MEA continues to promote the stability of the government-organized routes. These official corridors, which utilize the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim and the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, offer a more secure alternative to third-party operators.
However, the government-organized programme handles only a limited number of pilgrims selected by lot-drawing each year.
Nepali tourism entrepreneurs say Beijing has fixed a quota of 24,000 Indian pilgrims allowed to travel to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet via Nepal this season, even as demand has already crossed 40,000, the kathmandupost.com earlier report May 28.
Last year, the quota for Indian pilgrims was stated to be 20,000. It is said that when Tibet was free, Indians did not even need a visa to undertake this pilgrimage