Headed for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra? MEA issues urgent warning to secure China permit and visa - What to know

The Ministry of External Affairs has advised Indian citizens planning the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through private tour operators to exercise caution. It has also urged pilgrims to ensure that their chosen tour operator is properly registered and authorised before booking the trip.

Here's what MEA said

"This Ministry is in receipt of several requests for help and assistance from Indian citizens stuck in Nepal while undertaking Kailash Mansarovar Yatra without the required entry permit and visas for China, through tours organised by private tour operators," the MEA said in an advisory.

The advisory, issued late night on Saturday, is for Indian citizens undertaking Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through private tour operators.

“Citizens are advised not to commence their journey from India until all required travel documents have been obtained for undertaking the complete journey,” it says.

Commencing travel without confirmed documentation or in anticipation of obtaining the necessary documentation "increases the likelihood of being stranded," it adds.

“Pilgrims are also strongly advised to verify that their tour operator is duly registered and authorised,” the MEA said.

52 Indians stranded in Nepal

Around 52 Indian nationals on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra are currently stranded in Kathmandu, Nepal, and have appealed for urgent assistance to continue their journey safely.

The issue was raised on Saturday by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, who called on the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions in Nepal to step in and provide immediate support to the affected pilgrims.

In a post on X, Sule highlighted the situation and appealed for coordinated action by authorities.

"Around 52 Indian citizens travelling to Kailash Mansarovar are currently stranded in Kathmandu, Nepal and are in need of urgent assistance," she wrote.

She further requested intervention from the External Affairs Minister and Indian embassies in Nepal and China.

"Requesting Dr S Jaishankar, Embassy of India in Kathmandu, Nepal, Embassy of India in Beijing, China and Ministry of External Affairs, India to kindly look into the matter and extend the necessary support to ensure their safe onward journey," she added.

How to apply for a Chinese visa?

Theprocess for obtaining Chinese travel documents for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra varies depending on the route.

Government of India route (via Lipulekh or Nathu La): Pilgrims are not required to apply for Chinese permits on their own. After being selected by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the necessary Chinese travel documents are arranged through the official government process.

Nepal route through a private tour operator: Pilgrims must confirm that their tour operator has secured all the required Chinese travel documents before departure. These include a valid Chinese visa or, for those entering Tibet from Nepal, a Chinese Group Visa.

According to the official website of the Chinese Embassy, India, "The Indian Pilgrims to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, Xizang, China, should apply Chinese group visa at the Chinese Embassy in India via Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi. The Indian Pilgrims who are resident in Nepal could apply Chinese group visa at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal with relevant supporting documents."

The address of Chinese Visa Application Service Center:Concourse Floor,Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Shivaji Stadium Metro Station, New Delhi. The telephone number is 91-11-30013601 / 30013603, it further added.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

On June 20, the first batch of pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2026 crossed into China through the India-China border at Nathu La Pass.

In April, the MEA had announced that the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was set to take place from June to August this year via two routes - Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The yatra resumed last year after a gap of nearly five years as part of efforts to normalise the relations between India and China.

It was suspended initially in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic and subsequently because of the military standoff between the two sides on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

(With inputs from agencies)