Necessity for Foreign Tourists to Tibet: Tibet Travel Permit

What is Tibet Travel Permit？

Tibet Travel Permit is a mandatory document issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, allowing foreign travelers to enter Tibet for journey. It is noted that the only way for you to get Tibet Travel Permit is through joining the tour from travel agency with the purpose of traveling. It is composed of 2 sheets of A4 paper. The first page is marked with the date of entry and exit in Tibet, the name of the tourist attractions, the travel agency. The second page is marked with the name, date of birth, and passport number.

The reason why Tibet Travel Permit is required:it is due to the special ethnic traditions, cultural monuments and ecological and environmental protection needs of Tibet, combined with local traffic conditions and tourist service facilities and reception capacity. What is the most important is it can ensure your safety in Tibet better.

Who Needs to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit?

1. All international tourists with foreign passports.
2. Taiwanese tourists without China ID card.

Here are some situations:

1. Tourists from Hong Kong and Macau don’t need Tibet Travel Permit to enter Tibet, but Home Return Permit.
2. People with US or Canadian green cards and Chinese passports are not required to apply for Tibet Travel Permit to get to Tibet. Similarly, Chinese living outside of China with China ID cards and China passports don’t need too.
3. All Indian tourists who travel to Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar or go via Ali prefecture, they will be treated as pilgrims for certain. Therefore, Tibet Travel Permit for pilgrims needs to be verified and issued jointly by the Foreign Affairs Office of TAR, Tibet Military Region, Armed Police Tibet Frontier Corps and the Department of Public Security of TAR.
4. Journalists, diplomats and officials of foreign embassies are unable to get to Tibet as tourists. They must process the application for Tibet Permit approved by the China Foreign Affairs Office.

How to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit?

Firstly, make a detailed plan to determine the date, transportation and itinerary of your tour. The information on Tibet Travel Permit must be consistent with your actual trip. If not, you may be denied boarding the train or plane to Tibet. And you are welcome to consult with our travel agency at your convenience.

Secondly, email the photo image of passport (Valid for more than 6 months) information page and of China Visa page to your travel consultant. If you are from a visa-free country, China Visa is not required. Our travel agency will hand in the application to Tibet Tourism Bureau on your behalf.

Thirdly, it usually takes 8-9 business days to process Tibet Travel Permit. Once we receive your Tibet Travel Permit, it will be delivered to your hotel in mainland China and it can only be delivered within China territory. Our staff will give it to you in person in railway station or airport in some extreme cases.

Here are some tips for Tibet Travel Permit:

1. Tibet Travel Permit is free.
2. Generally, it takes 1-2 weeks. Expedited procedures can be processed in case of your urgent need.
3. Tibet Travel Permit is a part of the travel agency's Tibet travel package which can’t be provided separately, and you can’t apply for it on your own.

For Taiwan Compatriots to Apply for Tibet Travel Permit

For Taiwanese Compatriots Living in the mainland China:

The documents needed are as follows:

1. Residence permit for Taiwan residents of People's Republic of China.
2. Mobile phone number.
3. Card Residence Permit or Work Certificate (attached to company landline phone number).
4. The transportation to enter and exist Tibet and the name of city to arrive in Tibet.

For Taiwan local residents:

The documents needed are as follows:

1. Residence permit for Taiwan residents of People's Republic of China.
2. Mobile phone number.
3. Travel contract with travel agency.

Things You have to know before departure to Tibet

1. Foreign tourists are unable to travel alone without tour guides in Tibet. However you can book private customized tour to fulfill your demands or join money-saving group tour.
2. Transportation: only with the original Tibet Travel Permit can you take a plane to Tibet. If traveling to Tibet by train, you can just carry a copy of Tibet Travel Permit (Xi’an, Chongqing and Lanzhou need the original one).

Visit Tibet from Nepal

Except for tourists from visa-free countries, other foreign tourists arriving in Tibet from Nepal need to apply for China Group Visa instead of China Visa. If you already have China Visa, your China Visa will expire after getting China Group Visa.

You can visit Kathmandu office for the Group Visa application. You need to provide the original passport and pay the visa fee. It generally takes 4 days to process China Group Visa. Currently, China Group Visa is only issued to a tour group of at least four tourists. Otherwise, you can find a travel agency to go on a group tour for China Group Visa. Foreign tourists holding China Group Visa must enter and exit the Tibet Autonomous Region with their group members together while Foreign tourists holding China Visa can enter and exit Tibet independently. China Group Visa is applicable to entry at Lhasa (airplane), Zhangmu Port (land), and Gyirong Port (land).

Additional Documents to Travel to Special areas

To visit some border areas, such as Ali, Mount Everest, etc., in addition to the letter of Tibet Travel Permit, you need to apply for Foreign Travel permit or Military Region Approval. This is because border areas are involved in issues such as national security and military management, which requires strict management and approval of tourists. It sounds a bit complicated, but our travel agency can handle these documents for you.

Inform You of different types of China Visa

In addition to Tibet Travel Permit, you also need China Visa to get to Tibet. When it comes to the best type of China Visa to visit Tibet, Tourist Visa (L) is the most popular choice for most tourists visiting Tibet. Please do not list Tibet as a travel destination when filling out the application form. This could increase the likelihood of rejection. Cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu are highly recommended as travel destinations.

Here are some other types of China Visa:

1. Student Visa (X): issued to those who is going to stay in China for more than 6 months for the purpose of studying, pursuing advanced studies, or engaging in internships.
2. Business Visa (F): issued to a foreigner who comes to China for a visit, an investigation, a lecture, business, scientific-technological and culture exchange, short-term advanced studies or internship for no more than 6 months.

Other Types of Chinese Visa: depending on your specific circumstances, there might be other types of visas available, like Crew Visa (C) issued to crew members, Q Visa issued to relatives of Chinese citizens, etc. Make sure to check with the Chinese embassy or consulate for the most suitable visa category for your situation.