The formation conditions and typical characteristics of oversea typical tight oil plays are analyzed systematically, which provides referential basis for the tight oil research in China. According to the study, typical tight oil plays oversea are characterized by “3 formation conditions” and “7 basic characteristics”. The 3 formation conditions include wide spread tight reservoir, wide distribution of sapropel type source rock with moderate maturation, close contact between continuous tight reservoir and high quality source rock. The 7 basic characteristics involve indefinite trap boundaries, no-buoyance accumulation and inapparent hydrodynamic effect as well as complicated distribution of oil and water, abnormal pressure and high production related to fractures, no-Darcy flow, short distance migration, nanometer-scale pore-throat connection system, horizontal wells and staged fracturing as vital technologies in the development of tight oil. Based on these two aspects, the formation conditions and typical characteristics of tight oil in China are studied, revealing the huge potential and good exploration prospect of tight oil in China.