China requires a visa, but there is a genuine benefit most Nepali travellers do not know about: the Chinese Embassy waives the visa fee itself for Nepali citizens. You still pay the visa centre's service charge, but the consular fee is nil.
At a glance
Visa needed: Yes — tourist (L) visa
Visa fee: Waived for Nepali citizens by the Chinese Embassy
Length of stay: Usually up to 30 days per entry, visa valid 3 months
Where to apply: Apply on COVA online, then attend CVASC, Rising Mall, Kamaladi, Kathmandu
Processing time: Around 4 working days for regular service
Fees
The Chinese Embassy in Nepal has not charged Nepali citizens a visa fee since 1 May 2024, for single, double and multiple-entry visas alike. The visa application centre still charges its own service fee, and express processing costs extra — those are the only charges you should expect. Diplomatic and official categories are handled separately.
Visa types
Tourist visa (L) — Usually 30 days per entry. The standard holiday visa. Requires your itinerary, flights and hotel bookings.
Business visa (M) — Varies. Requires an invitation from the Chinese company or trade organisation.
Visiting relatives (Q2) — Up to 180 days. For visiting Chinese citizens or permanent residents; needs the host's invitation and status documents.
Student visa (X1 / X2) — Course length. Requires the JW202 form and admission letter from the Chinese institution.
Tibet group visa — Varies. Travel to Tibet from Kathmandu uses a separate group visa arranged through an authorised operator — your existing Chinese visa is not used.
Documents required
Passport valid at least 6 months beyond entry, with blank pages
Completed COVA online application, printed and signed
Recent colour photograph to Chinese visa specification
Confirmed flight bookings in and out of China
Confirmed hotel bookings for the whole stay, or the host's invitation
Bank statement showing sufficient funds
Fingerprints, taken in person at the visa centre
Before you apply
Going to Tibet is a different process
Travelling to Tibet overland from Kathmandu uses a group visa arranged by an authorised operator, and an ordinary Chinese tourist visa cannot be used for it. Talk to us before you apply for anything.
Fingerprints must be given in person
The online COVA form is only the first step; biometrics are collected at the centre in Kamaladi.
About China
China is the rare long-haul-feeling destination that is actually short-haul from Kathmandu — Lhasa, Chengdu, Kunming and Guangzhou are all direct, and the Chinese Embassy has waived the visa fee for Nepali citizens since 2024. What makes the trip work is deciding early what kind of China you want: the imperial one in Beijing and Xi'an, the modern one in Shanghai and Guangzhou, or the quieter southwest around Kunming and Guilin. Trying to do all three in a week is the mistake most first-timers make.
Highlights
Walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu, quieter and better restored than Badaling
Cross the Forbidden City from Tiananmen Square to Jingshan Park's hilltop view
See the Terracotta Army at Xi'an, then eat your way through the Muslim Quarter
Watch the Shanghai skyline light up from the Bund at dusk
Meet the pandas at Chengdu Research Base — go at feeding time or not at all
Cruise the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo through the karst landscape
Stand in the Stone Forest outside Kunming, a whole geology lesson in an afternoon
Ride the maglev and the high-speed rail — the network is a sight in its own right
Visit the Potala Palace in Lhasa, arranged separately through a Tibet group permit
Packages from Kathmandu
Beijing & Xi'an Classic — 7D/6N, NPR 135,000
Kunming & Stone Forest Short Break — 5D/4N, NPR 125,000
Beijing, Shanghai & Xi'an Grand Tour — 10D/9N, NPR 195,000
Travelling with family
Install a VPN before you fly — Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Gmail are all blocked inside China
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card; many shops and taxis no longer take cash
Screenshot every address in Chinese characters — taxi drivers rarely read the Latin alphabet
Carry passports at all times; hotels must register foreign guests and will ask at check-in
High-speed rail beats domestic flights for anything under five hours, and children get cheap fares
Tibet is a separate permit and a separate trip — an ordinary Chinese visa does not cover it
Book major sights online in advance; Forbidden City tickets sell out days ahead in season