Guaranteed Tibet Travel Permit & Tibet Visa for 2018 & 2019

Based in Lhasa, our Tibet travel expert team go behind the scenes of the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) and reveal the secret of the latest Tibet travel permit application guidelines. This important information on Tibet permits, Tibet visa, current permits application regulation, and local tourism policy news update will impact all foreign travelers. So please follow our local Tibet tour agency to learn more before you come.

Latest Tibet Travel Permits News updated on Jan.5 2018: Tibet is to be closed again as usual between Feb.10 and April 1. For foreign travelers who want to travel in Tibet, we would suggest you begin the Tibet trip no earlier than April 1 because of the Tibet permits restriction policy recently. Normally from April 2nd or 3rd onward is risk free. If your travel destination covers Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, you’d better enter Tibet no earlier than April 17.

  • All Tibet Travel Permits & Visa Documents Category

There are overall 6 kinds of travel documents for your Tibet holiday. You will just need The Tibet permits documents A.B.C or A.B.C.D. or A.B.C.D.E.F. This depends on your Tibet travel itinerary. As different parts of Tibet requires different Tibet travel permits. Please take a quick look and hope it helps you.

  • A. Valid Passport (Not Public Service Category)
  • B. Chinese Visa or Tibet Group Visa
  • C. Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permits-Tibet travel permits for entry
  • D. Tibet Aliens’ Travel Permits (PSB’s=ATP permits)-for not fully open areas;
  • E. Tibet Military Permit and Foreign Affairs Permit-for Kailash and Kham Tours;
  • F. Tibet Boarder Defense Permit-for Everest and Kailash trip

More Details about Necessary Tibet Travel Permits and Visa Documents

A---Valid Passport is a must for travelling in Tibet

All foreign travelers travelling to Tibet must hold a valid passport. This is the travel document provided by yourself. When our Tibet tour agency applies all necessary Tibet permits for you, we need this important document. It is the best if you can email via attachment upon your Tibet tour booking confirmation with us.

B--- Chinese Visa or Tibet Group Visa

Travel to Tibet from China, firstly you need to apply Chinese visa by yourself.

As it is a fact that Tibet is part of China, under the Chinese Central Government’s Sovereignty. Thus to travel to Tibet from China, you will need China visa. And you can apply this visa from most Chinese embassies.

Most Chinese embassies and consulates will issue a standard 30-day, single entry tourist visa in three to five working days (an ‘L’ Visa means travel). If you are lucky, some embassies abroad may give you a 60 or even 90 days. Especially in Hong Kong, it is very easy to get a 90 day visa; most agencies can arrange it in one day. If you want more flexibility to enter and leave China several times, most Chinese embassies will issue a double-entry visa. For those who are working, studying or living temporarily in China, you may need other kinds of China Visa, such as “F” Visa, “X” Visa or “Z” Visa, etc. 

Important tips for you when you apply for a China visa to Tibet:

You’d better not mention Tibet or any places in Tibet such as Lhasa, Everest as your travel destination when applying for China visa (China Embassy in Kathmandu is the exceptional) because the embassy may refuse your application if you state that you will go there.

If you travel to Tibet from Nepal, you need Tibet Group visa document.

For entry from Nepal by land or air, you need “TIBET GROUP VISA”. A Tibet Group Visa is an A 4 size sheet of paper. It includes all members’s passport numbers, date of birth and occupations. The dates of entry and exit are on the paper as well. Usually, the visa is valid just for your Tibet tour, but it can be valid for 1 to 2 months if in need, so you can travel in China after Tibet with this visa.

To apply this Tibet group visa, we will help apply the visa invitation letter as below:

Nepal-Tibet-travel-permit-group-visa-invitation-letter

There will be two original copies of Group Visa, one for immigration at the entry and one for exit. Based in Lhasa, our agency can help arrange “Tibet group visa” invitation letter and our partner agency in Kathmandu can help apply the Tibet group visa in one working day. And we suggest you’d better have at least 2 working days in Kathmandu to get the visa from us.

C--- Tibet Entry Travel Permits (Tibet Tourism Bureau-TTB Permits)

Tibet entry travel permit includes two pieces of paper covering your travel info and names, passports numbers,etc.

Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permits are Tibet travel permits for entry to Tibet. Our local Tibet travel agency will apply all necessary Tibet travel documents as a part of arrangements for your travel. After you decide to travel with us, we will help you to obtain your Tibet Entry Travel Permits.

Tibet Travel Permits Tips—Please Keep in mind:
  1. All info should be exactly the same as on your passport. And you need to tell us your occupation because journalists, military person or public service people need more complicated procedure to get the Tibet travel permit. 
  2. Please note that if you do not book at least a mini tour from us, we cannot help you get the Tibet travel permits. No Tibet travel agency can provide “permit-only” service. The mini tour could be a hotel booking, or few hours Lhasa tour guide rental, etc.
  3. A TTB Permit is not enough if your Tibet tour covers not fully open areas such as Mt. Everest Base Camp, Samye Monastery, etc. 

D ---Tibet Travel Permit-Aliens’ Travel Permits (PSB’s)

Aliens’ Travel Permit is important Tibet travel permit when your trip covers Mt. Everest, Mt. Kailash, Lake Draksum tso etc. All these places are not fully open. So to travel to these destinations, you will need it. This permit has another name of “PSB permit” because the local Public Security Bureau issues these permits. We can apply these permits in PSB in Lhasa or Nyingchi, Tsetang and Shigatse city. If your trip covers Lake Draksumtso, we can get this permit ready in Lhasa before going.

Where You Will Need Special Tibet Travel Permit of ATP-Alien’s Travel Permit ?

At present, you have to apply for a Alien’s Travel permit if your destinations include following places:

  • Tsedang: Yumbulakhang Palace, Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trundruk Monastery, 
  • Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
  • Gyantse: Pelkor Chode Monastery & Kubum Stupa, Shalu Monastery
  • Ngari Region: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang, Guge Kingdom Ruins, Qionglong, Saga, Payang, Zhongba
  • Nyingchi Region: Basum-tso, Pomi, Rawo-tso (Lake Raog), etc.
  • Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen, etc.

Exception
1. If your Tibet travel destination only covers Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, there is no need to apply “PSB” travel permit.