The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of His Holiness the Dalai Lama claims to represent the government of Tibet from its headquarters in Dharamsala, India. Many advocates of the movement to free Tibet refer to the CTA as the Tibetan Government in Exile, reflecting their beliefs that the CTA is the true and rightful government of Tibet. No nation recognizes the CTA as a formal government, and the Tibetan Government in Exile continues to negotiate with China to achieve an autonomous status and perhaps ultimate independence for Tibet, allowing thousands of exiled Tibetans to return home.

The history of the Tibetan Government in Exile began in 1949, when China invaded Tibet under the pretense of liberating Tibetan serfs. China quickly took control of Tibet, and in 1959 His Holiness the Dalai Lama fled to India, after leading several unsuccessful attempts to liberate Tibet from Chinese administration. He founded the CTA and began to work to preserve traditional Tibetan religious practices, culture, and education among the Tibetans who followed him to India.

The Tibetan Government in Exile includes a full cabinet with officials who focus on issues like education, public service, religion, culture, health, finances, and security. It also includes a parliament, and in 2001, Tibetans around the world united to elect a Prime Minister, Professor Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche. The structure of the Tibetan Government in Exile is designed along democratic principles, in an attempt to demonstrate that Tibet is a modernized society, and that the Tibetan Government in Exile could justly rule if it was restored in Tibet.

Tibetan exiles are assisted by the Tibetan Government in Exile, and the organization also hosts conferences and events to focus the world's attention on the issue of Tibetan independence. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has traveled all over the world both as a religious leader and as the leader of the Tibetan Government in Exile. Efforts of the CTA are hindered by the fact that it has yet to be recognized as a formal government, despite worldwide debate and concern about the status of the Tibetans.

China refuses to cede its claim on Tibet, despite international controversy over the issue, and China has expressed irritation with nations which support the Tibetan Government in Exile or meet with its officials. China argues that it has a historical mandate to control Tibet, although many Tibetans argue that Tibet was once an independent kingdom, and that this status should be restored. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is currently advocating for autonomous status, much like that enjoyed by Hong Kong.