Tibet Travel Permit

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For foreigners who want to travel Tibet, Tibet Permits are necessary documents required by the government. In fact, there are kinds of permits that vary according to the places tourists plan to go, including Tourism Bureau Permit (generally known as Tibet Travel Permit or Tibet Visa), Aliens’ Travel Permit, and Military Permit.

Here we will introduce you all kinds of Tibet permits and tell you how to apply for Tibet Travel Permits successfully online.

Tibet Travel Permit

Tibet Travel Permit, also called Tibet Entry Permit, Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit or Tibet Visa, is a must-have permission to enter and travel in Tibet. You need to show the permit to the security counter when boarding your flight and train to Tibet and when checking in hotel in Lhasa.

How to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit from Mainland China

For tourists who will enter Tibet from other cities in mainland China, you need to have a passport and a China visa in your country before you go. Once you confirm your tour with us, you need to send us the scanned copy of your passport and Chinese Visa to us. Once we received your documents, we will submit them to Tibet Tourism Bureau at least 15 to 20 days before your leaving for Tibet to apply for your Tibet Travel Permit. Please feel free to contact us for more details.

How to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit from Nepal

The Tibet Travel Permit can also be applied through Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, if travelers plan to enter Tibet from Nepal. In this case, you do not have to apply for Chinese Visa in your home country.

For tourists who plan to enter Tibet from Nepal, they do not need to apply for a Chinese Visa in their home country. In this case, when you confirm your Tibet tour with us, a local travel agency in Tibet, we will submit your required documents to Tibet Tourism Bureau and get a Visa invitation letter. You just need to take your passport and the invitation letter to Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu and apply for a China group visa in 3 days in general. Then you can take your flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa, and your Lhasa local guide will take your Tibet permit for you at the airport.

Tibet Tourism Permit

Aliens’ Travel Permit

Aliens’ Travel Permit is a must document for tourists who plan to the “unopened areas” outside Lhasa, issued by the local Public Security Bureau ( PSB ) of Tibet's different prefectures.

It is easy to apply for this permit. You just offer your passport and Tibet Tourism Permit to your guide, and it will be done for only several hours. Different from Tibet Entry Permit, the Aliens’ Travel Permit can be only applied for when you are in Tibet. For example, if you take a trip to Everest Base Camp, the Aliens’ Travel Permit will be applied and issued when you arrive in Shigatse.

Which areas require Aliens' Travel Permit
1) Tsetang County: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Yumbulakhang Palace, etc.
2) Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, Mt. Everest Base Camp, Rongbuk Monastery, etc.
3) Gyangtse: Pelkor Monastery, Kubum Stupa, etc.
4) Nyingchi Region: Basumtso Lake, Pomi, Rawotso Lake, etc.
5) Ngari Region: Mt. Kailash, Mansarovar Lake, etc.
6) Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchan, etc.

Military Permit

Traveling to the military sensitive areas in Tibet, such as Mount Kailash in Ngari and some area in eastern Tibet, foreigner tourists need to hold a Military Permit besides the Tibet Travel Permit and Aliens' Travel Permit.

The Military Area Entry Permit is issued by the military affairs office. It is always arranged together with your Tibet Travel Permit by our local travel agency. And it normally takes about 10 to 15 working days to get it.

Which sensitive areas require Military Permit:
1) Ngari: Mt. Kailash, Lake Mansarovar, etc.
2) Nyingchi: Draksumtso, Pomi, etc.
3) Chamdo: Chamdo, Riwoche, etc.
4) Tour from Sichuan, Yunnan, Xinjiang or Qinghai Province.

Apply for Tibet Travel Permit Online

It is easy and convenient to apply for Tibet Travel Permits online through a local travel agency like 3rdpoletour.com. You just need to fill the Online Tibet Permit Application Form. Our 1-on-1 travel expert will contact you soon and help you arrange your tour in Tibet, as well as apply all the required travel permits and documents for you.

Frequent Asked Questions about Tibet Travel Permits

1. Do I Need to Apply for both Chinese Visa and Tibet Permit?

If you go to Tibet from mainland China, you have to get a Chinese Visa in your country at first. Then, when you confirm your tour with us, you can just send us the copy of your passport and your Chinese Visa. We will submit all required documents to Tibet Tourism Bureau. Then, we will wait for the permit issued and deliver it to your address in China as soon as we get your permit.

If you plan to enter Tibet from Nepal, you are required to apply for a Group Tourist Visa through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. If you book a Tibet tour with us, you just need to send us the scanned copy of your passport and we do the Tibet Permit application for you.

When the Tibet Permit is issued, you will be required to apply for the Group Visa in Kathmandu with a visa invitation letter. You’d better arrive in Kathmandu at least three days in advance. Therefore, there will be enough time for you to obtain the Group Visa from Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

2. Do I Need a Tibet permit as a Hong Kong Resident?

If you have Hong Kong SAR ID, you can enter Tibet without Tibet travel permit. If not, Tibet Travel Permit is also required.

3. Can I Get the Tibet Permit without a Tour?

According to the policy, foreign tourists can only apply for Tibet Travel Permits through a local travel agency who also offer the tour services for them. So, there is no Tibet travel agency that provides Permit-Only service.

4. How Far in Advance Should I Apply for My Tibet Permit? When Can I Get My Permit?

We always ask our clients to offer their passports and other required documents at least 20 days in advance of the departure date. In fact, it takes about 12 working days to approve the Tibet Travel Permit and about another 3 days to deliver it to the place where you are in China.

However, you should notice that your Tibet Travel Permit will be released to us from the Bureau only about 7 days ahead of your departure date. Though we will deliver your Tibet Travel Permit to your address in China as soon as we receive it from the Tourism Bureau, there may be a case that you just get your permit only a few days, even at the night before your departure. But please don’t worry about it. As a reliable local travel agency who arrange Tibet tours for thousands of tourists every year, we never fail to get the Tibet Permit for our clients.

5. Can You Deliver My Tibet Travel Permit to My Home?

Tibet Travel Permit cannot be mailed to foreign addresses. Generally, Tibet Travel Permit will be sent to the hotel in your departure city. For example, if you depart from Chengdu, your Tibet Travel Permit can be sent to our hotel in Chengdu.

6. Is There Any Age Limitation to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit?

Actually, there is no age limitation to application of Tibet Travel Permit. That is to say that you can get the Tibet Travel Permit even if you are over 70 years old as long as you are in good health. But, it is not suggested for those people who have high-blood pressure or heart disease to travel Tibet, no matter how old they are.