Traveling to Tibet, you need to get your passport and China Visa first (If you are going to Tibet from Nepal, you have to apply the China Visa in Katmandu). After that, we (Lets Travel Tibet) will arrange Tibet Permits for you. It is an easy job for us to get the Tibet Permits for you. You need them to enter and travel in Tibet.
Click here to know more about Passport and China Visa Application
There are three kinds of Tibet Permits (some foreigners call it Tibet Visas): Tibet Entry Permit (TTB permit, as it is issued by Tibet Travel Bureau, also known as TTB permit); Alien’s Travel Permit (PSB permit, as it is issued by Foreign Affairs Section of the Local Public Security Bureau, also know as PSB permit); and Tibet Military Permit.
The Permits you will need depend on your itinerary and the places you are going to visit. Tibet Entry Permit is a must for people traveling to Tibet. It will be needed when you board the train or flight to Tibet.
Tibet Permits are free of charge now. Actually you do not need to worry about the Tibet Permits if you are booking the tour with a travel agency, anyway, if you do want to know more about it, check the information below.
Tibet Entry Permit
Alien’s Travel Permit
Tibet Military Permit
How to get the Tibet Permits?
At the time you book the tour with us, simply send us a COPY of the Passport and China Visa as well as following information (exactly the same as on the passport) of each member in your group. As we are a LOCAL travel agency, it’s quite easy for us to get the Tibet Permit for you.
1. Full name
2. Passport number
3. Nationality
4. Gender
5.Birth date
6.Occupation
Note:
1. You need to tell us your occupation because journalists and people that could be involved in political matters need more complicated procedures. We are not able to get the Tibet Permits for them.
2. Normally it costs us 2 or 3 days to arrange the Tibet Entry Permit and one day more to send it to your last stop before entering Tibet, such as Beijing, Shanghai etc. In peak season, especially in August and September, it may costs us more days.
3. The Alien’s Travel Permit can only be arranged after you arrive in Lhasa, as we need your original passport and China Visa to apply it. Please hand your original Passport and China Visa as well as Tibet Entry Permit to your guide after checking in your hotel, he or she will apply Alien’s Travel Permit for you accordingly.
4. Please note that if you do not book any tour from us, we can not help you get the permits. No travel agency can provide "permit-only" service. Here is a note from Lonely Planet:
"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."
Remark: If you enter Tibet from Katmandu of Nepal, you need to get your China Visa in Katmandu, because even you have had the China Visa in your country, you must get a China Visa in Katmandu, it is regulated by China and Nepal.
