Tibet Travel Permits and Tibet Group Visa Info

We arrange Tibet permits and Tibet Group Visa to Lhasa and beyond!

Tibet Permits

Tibet Permits including Tibet Travel Permits(TTP), Alien’s Travel Permit (ATP) and Military Permits. Tibet Travel Permits is a basic permits that every foreign traveller must be obtained and it’s good for if you are just stay in or around Lhasa. Alien’s Travel Permits and Military Permits are required if you are travelling in the restricted areas of Tibetan Autonomous Region.

All foreigners traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region require a Tibet Travel Permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa. Foreigners cannot directly obtain these permits; only travel agencies in China can apply for you. In order to obtain a permit, you must have a fully booked tour for the duration of your stay inside the Tibet Autonomous Region, which includes:

• Travel tickets to Lhasa
• Permit for Lhasa and additional permits for travel outside of Lhasa
• Itinerary for all days in Lhasa and surrounding areas (You are not allowed to travel to other than places listed on the Tibet Travel Permits)
• Registered guide (We arrange Tibetan Guides only)
• Registered car and driver for any trips outside of Lhasa
• All accommodations must also be booked at approved foreign tourist hotels
• Proof of travel leaving the Tibet Autonomous Region
• Plane or Train tickets from Tibet when you leave Tibet
   

In order to process your permit, we will need a color scan of your passport and current Chinese visa. This visa can be single entry to China, you can exit Tibet to mainland China with China single entry visa. Your Chinese visa must be valid throughout the duration of your stay in Tibet. We need 10-14 days to process your permit, so make sure to plan for this.

Note: If you need a visa extension, it is best to apply for one outside of Tibet, as they are extremely difficult to get in Tibet. The closest cities where you can extend China visa are Xining, Lanzhou, Chengdu.

Please note what type of visa you have and provide us with any additional information we may need.

Tourist (L) visa requires no extra documentation.

Work (Z) visas require that you also send us a copy of your work permit and an official letter from your company.

Business (F) visas require that you provide a letter from your company or school with this visa.

Student (X) visas require that you give proof of your enrollment at your place of study. A copy of your Student ID or a letter from your university will suffice.

More info on how to apply a Chinese visa and what type of visa you should apply, please check here.

Tibet Group Visa

This visa is only applicable for travellers who entry from Nepal by air or overland

All foreigners traveling to Tibet from Nepal require a Tibet Group Visa. This visa only can be obtained in the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. This visa is printed on a A4 size paper with your essential information such as all the group member’s name, passport number, gender, nationality, date of birth and occupation. The dates of entry and exit are precisely noted on the visa paper. All the members of the group must entry Tibet and exit China together. The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu issues two copies of original Tibet Group visa. One copy will be collected by immigration office when you entry Tibet and the other one need to show at the exit gate in China. If you entry from Nepal, then make sure you are not apply Chinese visa in your home country or elsewhere. Because if you do obtain a normal Chinese visa, it will be cancelled and you need to apply Tibet Group visa at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

Permit and Tibet Group Visa Eligibility

We cannot process permits for:

• Diplomats
• Journalists
• Press Agents
• Tibetan expatriates
• Anyone involved in organizations or activities that would disrupt the peace and prosperity of Tibet
   

Important information regarding train tickets:

In the first half of this year Lhasa hosted approximately 1 million tourists. This volume of travel makes getting train tickets very difficult. The prices for tickets frequently change based on the going rate at the time. If you plan to travel by train, give yourself a few extra days to avoid problems or complications. When you purchase your train tickets, you are requested to show Tibet Travel Permits, so make sure to have a copy of Tibet Travel Permits with you when you get your train tickets to Lhasa.

Please see our Central Tibet Tours page for more information on visiting Lhasa and other places in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

If you are planning a trip to Tibet, you can also check out our 6 most important things you should know before booking a tour and going to Tibet here.

For travelers from Hong Kong and Macau, you do not need a Tibet Travel Permits to travel to Lhasa and surroundings. You can use your Home Return Card / Huixiangzhen in Tibet. However, like all other Chinese citizen, when you go to the border areas such as Everest Base Camp, Kyirong Border, Mt. Kailash or any other places in Ngari, you will need to have a permit called Border Permits.

For travelers from Taiwan, you need to apply a Taiwan Citizen Visiting Tibet Permits. This permits has to apply before you come to Tibet. Due to the restriction of the Taiwan People Tibet Permits, not all tour operators can issue Tibet Travel Permits for Taiwanese( citizens from Taiwan).