How to Apply Tibet Travel Permits ( Tibet Visa ) ?

Foreigners need to apply Tibet entry travel permit, also called Tibet visa popularly, it is only valid in Lhasa around. And if they want to visit the deeper area of Tibet, they need to apply local travel permit again ( Alien’s travel permit, also PSB permit ).

Tibet Travel Permit ( also called Tibet visa mistakenly by some people )

When you fly from any city to Lhasa you will need to show this permit when you check in at the airport. Furthermore, whenever you buy a flight to Lhasa you need to show this permit. TTB permits are also needed by groups traveling by Land Cruiser but this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.

Alien's Travel Permit ( PSB Permit )

If you want to go further to the "unopened" areas, you need an Alien's travel permit issued by PSB of Tibet. It is called "Alien's Travel Permit" or "PSB permit".

How to get the travel permits?

Simply send us the photo page of your passport and Chinese visa page by e-mail or fax. And the information about your occupation is also required. Please aware: Only L visa, means tourism visa can apply Tibet entry permit from travel agency. The foreigners reside in China need to show their copy of residence paper. Journalist, reporters and diplomats can not apply travel permit from travel agency, they need to apply permit from the relating journalist and embassy department. It is through the copy of your China visa we can tell if it’s a L visa or F visa.

The time of procedure

It takes about 2-5 working days to apply the travel permit in minimum. But considered the efficiency of Tibet Tourism Bureau and too many applications, it will be better to apply it as early as possible in order to insure you get it in time.

Relation of China Visa and Tibet Permit

Many tourists are confused by the concept of ‘China visa’, ‘Tibet visa’ or ‘Tibet travel permit’, therefore asked us the questions like ‘if the china visa still valid or shall I need to apply for a double entry China visa when I head for inner land of China after I completed tours in Tibet’ . Here China Exploration clarified the relation of China and Tibet hope it can be helpful for traveler.  

China Visa is must for any foreigner traveling in Tibet. Tibet is only one of the five autonomous administration regions in China, which is a provincial level district just like Beijing, Sichuan, Xinjiang, etc. And the China visa is still valid after he /she returns to the inner land of China from tours in Tibet. No new China visa or double entry visa is required.  

Tibet travel permit is also required if foreigner visits Tibet. Because Tibet is a political sensitive area compared with other provinces like Beijing, Sichuan, so the government required foreigner must apply Tibet travel permit from Tibet tourism administration besides he holds China visa, some companies also called this permit as “ Tibet visa ‘ wrongly’, actually it is only a local permit, not a visa from country. Visa is issued by China Embassy, and travel permit is only issued by Tibet tourism bureau. Normally it is very easy for tourist applying Tibet travel permit when he is in China with his passport and China visa.

Tour companies in China can obtain the travel permit just by the copies of traveler in one or two working days. Some times it takes longer because the political situation in Tibet. And the travelers don’t need to show in any of tourism administration, no interview is needed. By the way, this travel permit is only valid in some open area like Lhasa, Shygatse in Tibet. If the traveler want to some unopened area like Gyantze, and Kailash, Local Travel Permit issued by police department is further required.

And here we would like to clarify a special situation for the tourist entering Tibet from Nepal side. China government want to restrict Tibet separatist entering Tibet, who are mostly stayed in India and Nepal, so any foreign tourist entering from Nepal side must be clarified by Tibet tourism administration firstly to get the travel permit and they will issue traveler China visa approval letter, with this letter can the China Embassy in Kathmandu issue traveler China visa with the mark of “visiting Tibet ". His original China visa applied in other countries will be cancelled in Kathmandu. By the way, single China visa is not allowed when tourist enter from Kathmandu to Tibet, so we don’t encourage tourist enter Tibet from Nepal side.

Last, Tibet is a very wide concept, including the heart place in Xizang Autonomous Region and Tibetan plateau in Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan and Ganshu province. The travel permit required area is just in Xi’an Autonomous Region, if you just travel in the Tibetan area in Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai and Ganshu province, no travel permit will be required, a passport with valid China visa can do!