Tibet Permit (Tibet Visa)FAQ
- Tourist Visa and Permits for Entrance in Tibet
- Tibet Travel Insurance
- Tibet Travel Alerts
- Tibet Travel Currency
- Tibet Travel Customs
- Tibet Travel Packing list
- Tibet Travel Water And Toilets
- Tibet Travel Taboos–do’s & don’ts
- Tibet Travel Buying Jewelry And Tipping
- When in Barkhor,Bargain,Drops
- Sustainable Tourism,on Your Arrival,Something Physical
- About Electric Appliances ,Suitable Clothes ,When to Go
Traveler
- Obtaining a Tibet Travel Permit – The New York Times
- Why do foreigners need to get Tibet Travel Permit(TTP)? – Tibet Official
- Why are foreigners forced to get a permit to visit Tibet? – Yahoo Answers
- Preserving Tibet – The New York Times
There are two main documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel in Tibet.Chinese Visa and Tibet Permit
Get Chinese Visa before coming to Tibet
Chinese Visa
Firstly, please be noted that Chinese visa and Tibet permit is two things totally different.
To enter Tibet, or any part of China excepting Hong Kong and Macao (Visitors to Hong Kong, holding passports from the some countries DO NOT need a visa when staying for a specified free period), a Chinese visa is necessary. It may be best to obtain it before leaving your home country unless you are taking a package tour to enter Tibet overland from Nepal.
The first rule when applying for a visa as an independent traveler is to expect that you will be refused a visa if you mention plans to visit Tibet. There is a trick that when you apply for the Chinese visa, you can’t tell the officer that you have the plan for traveling to Tibet; you can only inform them you want to travel to somewhere else of China. Or else the application would become complicated and arduous.
Keep in mind
1. When entering China it is best to have a visa covering the expected duration of stay. Getting extensions inside China can involve delays and other difficulties.
2. You need to apply for a double- or multiple entry visa when you need to leave and re-enter mainland China. Please note that, even when you leave for Hong Kong or Macao from mainland China, you still need to have a double- or multiple entry visas.
3. When you apply for China visa, please do not mention Tibet. After you get China visa you can easily get Tibet permit. Otherwise you have to wait for Tibet permit and then you can get China visa. Of course you will face the risk of that you might be refused to come to Tibet even if you get China visa but your destination is Tibet.
How Can I get the Tibet Visa while Travel to Tibet through Nepal
If you entry Tibet from Kathmandu, Nepal, you are required to obtain a Chinese visa in the consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu, the opening time for the Consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu is only available from 9:30AM-11:00AM on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please note this visa application is compulsory despite you have already had a Chinese visa in your country or not since this is regulated by the border treaty signed between Nepal and China.
The Chinese visa you get in Kathmandu is a “group visa”. A “group visa” is not entered in travelers’ passports but is a separate sheet of paper issued in duplicate by the Chinese consulate in Katmandu, listing all members of the group. It usually allows a stay of 15 or 20 days. A “group” may be any number of travelers, and may be just one traveler. One or more travelers entering Tibet together with others may wish to have their own separate group visa so they are able to separate from the others. Obtaining a group visa requires at least two clear days in Katmandu.
What is Tibet Permit(Tibet Visa)?
Tibet Permit is Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit.Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permits are necessary for entry to Lhasa or any other part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and are obtained through tour operators as part of arrangements for travel; A T.T.B. permit does not obviate the need for an Aliens’ Travel Permit for any closed areas that may be visited. But you can get them easily from our Lhasa office.
How to get Tibet Permit(Tibet Visa)?
All kinds of people can get Tibet permit through a travel agency except diplomats, journalists, and government officials who should travel to Tibet under the arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Government.
Generally it takes three days to get the Tibet permit if you could supply the full necessary documents. After having a permit, tibettravel.org could buy you the air tickets, and you can pass the check-in at the airport.
Because we have LOCAL office in Lhasa, it’s quite easy for you to get a travel permit with our help. Simply send us your
Tibet Entry Permit (PSB permit)
1) full name;
2) gender;
3) occupation
4) date of birth;
5) passport number;
6) nationality
all information exactly the same as on your passport. And you need to tell us your occupation because journalists and people that could be involved in political matters could be revoked (they need more complicated procedure to get a permit).
After having a permit, a travel agency could buy you the air tickets, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and the check point reroute with the permit.
Lhasa PSB will not issue travel permits to individuals and will direct you to a travel agency. Agencies can arrange a travel permit to almost anywhere but only if you book a Land Cruiser, driver and a guide.
How much is Tibet Permit(Tibet Visa)?
Answer: First of all, please note that we never SELL a permit. We only help you abtain a permit from the local authority. the cost for a permit includes the charge by the government and the service fee by tibettravel.org. Usually this cost is included in a package tour. But it takes time, paper work, transportation fee and delivery fee for us to get a permit for you, so tibettravel.org will charge an extra fee for the permits.
How many days should I apply for the Tibet permit in advance?
You need to apply for the travel permit at least 10 days prior to your entry date.
How long can I get Tibet Permit?
Generally it needs three days to get the Tibet permit if you could supply the full necessary documents. But if it needs another 3 days (or more) to Express Deliver the permit.
Where can I go with Tibet Permit(Tibet Visa)?
You are not allowed to bring with the TTB permit and travel to anywhere outside of Lhasa city you want because except Lhasa you need another permit named as “Aliens’ Permit”.
What is Aliens’ Travel Permits (PSB’s)
These are required to visit closed areas – much of the Tibetan Autonomous Region outside the Lhasa prefecture-level district, and scattered counties elsewhere. They are usually only obtainable through tour operators, for tours by four-wheel-drive car.
Permits to visit places that are not declared open are known as Aliens’ Travel Permits, or PSB’s. They are issued by the police (Public Security Bureau, “PSB”). A single permit is normally issued to all the people who are traveling together, the permit naming just one of them and stating how many others are accompanying him; the passports, or at least photocopies of passports and visas, of all persons traveling must be presented in order to obtain a permit.
If you want to do an overland tour from Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai or Xinjiang province to Tibet, you must got the PSB permit before your tour starts.
Can I ask for Tibet Permit(Tibet Visa) only?
If you do not book any tour(Like Land cruiser with driver ,guide ) from us, tibettravel.org can not help you get the permits. No travel agency can provide “permit-only” service. and it is also not allowed by the govement.
Can I hold the Tibet Permit(Tibet Visa) During my tour?
Only the guide could hold the permit after you in Tibet. You are not allowed to bring with it and travel to anywhere you want because except Lhasa you need another permit named as “Aliens¡¯ Permit”. Otherwise if you are stopped by the police you will be sent out of Tibet or have trouble politically and economically. Furthermore, the travel agency which helped to get you the permit will also be in trouble.
FROM USA
Permits are required to visit Tibet as well as many remote areas not normally open to foreigners. A travel permit for Tibet can be obtained through local travel agents. Permits cost approximately renminbi (RMB) 100, are single-entry and valid for at most three months. Most areas in Tibet are not open for foreigners except Lhasa City and part of Shan Nan. Foreigners can be fined up to RMB 500, taken into custody, and deported for visiting restricted areas. For information about entry requirements and restricted areas, travelers may consult the Visa Office of the Embassy of China (PRC) at Room 110, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20007, or telephone (202) 338-6688 and fax (202) 588-9760
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Hello,
I will be travelling to Lhasa on the 25th of September and would like to do a 1.5 day tour in Lhasa, 2 night accomodation and then book on the train to Shanghai on the 27th. I will have a visa for China but not for Lhasa, Tibet. Since I have very limited time I would need the Lhasa visa to be ready when I arrive in Kathmandu. Is this possible? If I am on the train do I also need the alien visa (I will not leave the train).
Thanks,
Silvia
[Reply]
brooks Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Visa
The Chinese governments prohibits individual traveller to visit Tibet. The Chinese embassy will only issue visas to travellers on group tours i.e if there is a single tourist or a tourist group of less then 05 pax then they will have to join a group in order to get a visa.
In addition to the visa, it is necessary to obtain an aliens’ travel permit for travel in Tibet. Please carry 04 passport size photographs + smaller us dollars denominations for faster completions of visa formalities.
Customs Regulations
art objects and antiques in Tibet fall under special restrictions forbidding their export. Anything made before 1959 is considered an antique. Rugs may be bought and exported, so may the small religious objects that are sold in open markets, providing only one or two are taken as souvenirs. Customs officials have been known to confiscate jewellery or other objects if they consider that a tourist has purchased ‘too much’.
[Reply]
ROBERT Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
hope you can understand the above, i.e. you have to joint a groupof 5 people then you can go to any city government to get the Tibet visa,be sure during the working hour.and if u need a chinese interpretor,i can recommend myself…..for further questions do not hesitate to contact me or the web
[Reply]
Melly Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
sorry Sir/ Mrs, please specify your question to see if we can help you.
[Reply]
I would like to travel to Nepal and then visit Tibet. I am alone and would like to get a permit to visit Tibet.
I would like to know If I am traveling alone, is it possible to get the permit?
What is the cost in US to get a Chinese Visa and the Permit to Tibet
I am a Canadian citizen.
Please advice?
Michael
[Reply]
Maryle Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your enquiry.
But I’m afraid you can not get Tibet permit if you want to travel alone. Here are some reasons that i say so. First, the entry management of Tibet now is very strict now, especially when the National Day is coming. Second, individual tralver are not allowed to travel in Tibet. The traveler who want to visit must join in a Chinese tour group consisted of at least 5 travelers and there must be a Chinese guide.
Getting a Chinese visa in US will cost you $130 and the Tibet perimit is about 500 RMB.
Please do n’t hesitate to ask if you have any quetions.
Wish you good luck
[Reply]
Hello,
I’ve got an house in Lhasa (my wife is chinese), and I would like to invite friends to staying there for a period, as my hosts. Is it possibile to have a permit in this case?
[Reply]
brooks Reply:
June 29th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Dear Sir,
Thanks for you enquiry.
We contacted the Tourism Administration of Tibet Autonomous Region as soon as we saw your question and the anwser is that travelers who want to visit Tibet must join in a Chinese tour group consisting of at least 5 travelers and one Chinese guide.
So I’m afraid your friends must join in a tour group in China and then can visit.
Contact us at support@szcpost.com. We’ll be glad to help with any of your questions.
[Reply]
Hi
We are two guys. We wanna travelling from Lhasa to Kathmandu with Mountain-Bikes and a tent on the south-route from the friend-ship highway.
Is it possible?
[Reply]
Maryle Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 10:41 am
Hi Sir,
Which country’s passort do you have? Where are you now, in Tibet or abroad? We can’t help if we know nothing about you. So please provide details.
If you want to go to Nepal from Lahsa, you probably need to go to the Ambassy of Nepal in Lahsa for more information of the visa.
Please find the following contacting information:
NEPAL DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS ABROAD
China
No. 1, Xi Liu Jie, Sanlitun, Beijing
Tel: 86-1-532 1795 Fax: 86-1-532 3251
E-mail: rnebc@public.netchina.com.cn
Tibet
Royal Nepalese Consulate General
Norbulingka Rd. 13, Lhasa, T.A.R. P.R.C.
Tel: 86-891-36890/ 22881 Fax: 86-891-633 6890
Consulate General of Nepal, Hong Kong
Consulate General of Nepal, Unit 715 Concordia Plaza,
No. 1 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (East) Kowloon, Hong Kong
Phone Number: (852) 2369 7813
Fax Number: (852) 2824 2970
E-mail: cgnhk@biznetvigator.com
We hope those information would help a bit for you.
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you stil have questions.
support@szcpost.com
[Reply]
Volker Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 1:49 pm
hi thanks for your reply.
We are from germany. We already booked the flights to chengdu on 28. August and the flight back from kathmandu on 16. September. We have the chnia-visum too, but no permits to thibet.
so we are looking for the permits to thibet, the flight from chengdu to lhasa and the permits from lhasa to kathmandu for traveling with the bike.
Do you have any information for this?
thanks a lot
Volker
[Reply]
jeffery Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
We have consulted Tibet Tourism Bureau and the travel agency entitled to apply for Tibet Travel Permit. They replied to us as follows: The foreigners must travel with a tour group in tibet, they shuold enter into Tibet, and come out of Tibet with that group, they cannot break away from the group and travel freely. To ensure your safety, the travel agency will not allow you to go to Nepal alone from Tibet. However, you can go to Kathmandu from Chengdu after you finish your Tibet tour and back to Chengdu.
PS: You must join a tour group organized by a travel agency, and the travel agency will go through the formalities of applying Tibet Travel Permit for you.
Hi,
Me and my friend, both British Citizens living in London, have booked return flights to Kathmandu landing on 19th December 2009, and returning January 6th 2009.
We were planning to flyfrom Kathmandu to Lhasa (with our bikes), have a day in Tibet, then cycle the famous long downhill back to Kathmandu.
How would we arrange a permit for Tibet? I read somewhere that we could get Chinese visas in the UK, also a Tibet Permit – but the permit still has to be endorsed by the China embassy in Kathmandu. Is this right? How long does that take?
Also I’ve read that you must be in group of 5 with a chinese guide? How can this be arranged if it’s just 2 of us flying direct to Lhasa?
Please help – thanks.
[Reply]
Maryle Reply:
August 31st, 2009 at 10:48 am
Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM) to Lhasa, China (LXA)
10:45 am Depart Kathmandu (KTM)
Arrive Lhasa (LXA) 2:05 pm Sun 20-Sep
Duration: 1hr 2mn
Air China 408
Nonstop flight
Permit to Tibet: Any organized oversea travel group who want to visit Tibet must transact Tibet visiting permit through the travel agency of Tibet Autonomous Region. Tourism Administration of Tibet Autonomous Region has set up offices at Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nepal, U.S, and Japan etc. for individual travelers to join in a group to visit Tibet and other consulting issues.
Travelers who go to Tibet from Kathmandu must use their Tibet Permits to get their visa or notes from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal and meanwhile buy their flight tickets for transacting the formalities of going to Tibet.
The agencies and each travel reception units of Tourism Administration of Tibet Autonomous Region can all handle those formalities for entering Tibet.
Hope this will do some help.
if you have any question don’t hesitate to contact me .
Regards
[Reply]
Hi Traveleragency-team,
my name is Chris.
Me and my Girlfriend want to celebrate Chrismas in Lhasa.
This is a suprise and Chrismaspresent for her.
We don´t wanne go on any kind of tour or Guide for 200RMB per day.
We´ll stay only inside of Lhasa!!!
We heart about that is possible to get only the permit for Lhasa.
(we don´t need the Alienpermit!!!)
I hope so much that u can hlp me to get my Chrismasgift comes true.
Thank you in advance and best regards: Christian
[Reply]
At the present, you have to apply for a Travel Permit if you are planning to visit the following places:
1. Tsetang: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Changdruk Temple, Yumbulakhang
2. Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, The Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
3. Gyangtse: Pelkor Chode Monastery & Kubum Stupa
4. Nqari Region
5. Basumtso lake in Nyingchi Region
6. Chamdo Region
Lhasa and Nagqu regions are open to foreign travelers and no need for Travel Permit.
[Reply]
For those asking questions about permits to Tibet when traveling as a couple or alone / individually – I’ve just returned from Tibet (January 2010) with my ten year old son. (We did not need to join in another group, or have anyone else join us) I arranged it through tibetravel.org – they arranged the train to Lhasa, permit, hotel and guide – yes, we were forced to have the guide, though it was fairly relaxed and was actually quite useful.
Some useful tips:
1. Make sure you get the mobile phone number of the staff member you are dealing with at tibettravel.org (yes they will give it out)
2. Get yourself a local chinese SIM card for your mobile (when you first arrive)
3. Be sure your mobile is unlocked before you depart home
4. Don’t plan anything involving climbing steps on your first day as you will be SO exhausted – its not funny! (ok, it is a little)
(by the way, the Beijing – Lhasa train is so pumped full of oxygen that you don’t realize the altitude until about 30 minutes after exiting the train at Lhasa… you’ve been warned.
Have fun, its the best…..
Peter Flynn
[Reply]
Hi I am from India.
We are 6 frnds in shanghai for a business trip & we r planning for a trip to Lhasa for 3 days.
After reading all the above comments & replies i came to know for Lhasa we must need a Tibbett Travel permit.
But the problem is, we want to travel on 13th of this month.
We have only 7 days left.
If we are applying for the permit , it ll take around 6/7 days .
So is it possible to get a permit in urgent.
If Yes , how much it costs to get a urgent permit.
[Reply]
brooks Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Dear Sir/Madam
Usaully it needs about 10 days to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit, so time is not enough for you to get it if you want to travel on Jan 13.
I suggest you change your tour desination.
[Reply]
Allen Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Dear Sir/Madam
According to the local law, you can not get the Tibet Travel Permit without Tibetan tour itinerary, which means you must need to book a related tour if you want to visit Tibet and usually the guest could get the Tibet Travel Permit within about 3 working days since submit the application. As Jan 13 is the Tibetan Festival, so, both the tour vehicle and local tour guide are rather difficult to arranged, thus, we suggest you and your friends change the schedule for traveling Tibet or select other travel destinations of China.
[Reply]