1. Only foreign passport holders and visitors from Taiwan need to apply for a Tibet visa. Citizens of the mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao residents do not need to apply.
2. To apply for permit to Tibet: You can simply copy your passport and occupation to your travel agents, and they can apply for a permit to Tibet ofr you.
When your Tibet visa is ready, your travel agencies in Tibet will give you a confirmation, and you can book the flights or train tickets to Tibet and a Tibet tour package only with the Tibet visa
If foreign guests and compatriots in Taiwan want to participate in a dream trip to Tibet, they could send a copy of their passport to service@tibetcn.com, we can apply for a Tibet visa for you.
Tibet Travel Permits (or Tibet visa) are the necessary documents required for a tour to Tibet in addition to Chinese visa. Tibet Travel Permits vary according to the places that travelers plan to visit, but the most basic one is the permit issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau. It is required as a must entry pass to Tibet for every foreign traveler.
Due to Tibet's unique ethnic traditions, cultural heritage, tourist service facilities, reception capacity, ecological protection needs and traffic situation, the National Tourism Administration prescribed that foreign tourists, Taiwan and overseas Chinese tourists (except for Hong Kong and Macao residents holding Chinese passports or return certificates) have to get a Tibet Travel Permit before they are allowed to enter Tibet. All tourists can get it through a travel agency except for diplomats, journalists and government officials. They have to go through the Tibet Foreign Affairs Office.
Please keep in mind that foreign tourists are generally required to have four kinds of documents to travel in Tibet.
As Tibet is under the jurisdiction of China, tourist will need to obtain the first document, Chinese Visa, for the purpose of entering China. Tourists can apply for it in a Chinese Embassy overseas or in Hong Kong. Types of Chinese visas are listed as below. The requirements for applying for Tibet visa vary for holders of different types of visas.
L Visa - The L visa (Tourist visa) is mainly for overseas tourists to travel in China. L visa is the most convenient visa for the Tibet Permit application. The tourists are only required to provide a scanned copy of the passport and the L visa to apply for it. However, if you can get an invitation letter from a company or travel agency in China, it will be easier to apply for a visa successfully.
F Visa - The F visa (Non-Commerce Visa) is mainly for people who are engaged in exchanges, visits and investigations in China.
M Visa - The M visa (Business Visa) is mainly for people who are engaged in business, trades and commercial activities in China.
Q1 Visa - Q1 visa (Long-term Family Visa) is issued to relatives of Chinese citizens applying to enter and reside in China for purposes of family reunion (with their Chinese family members as spouse, parents, children, children’s spouses, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and parents in law), and to those who apply for family reunion of foreigners with Permanent Residency in China (spouse, parents, children, children’s spouses, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and parents in law), as well as to people applying to enter and reside in China for foster care, adoption and other reasons.
The Q2 visa (Short-term Family Visa) is mainly for the relatives of Chinese citizens living in China and relatives of foreigners with permanent residency in China who are visiting relatives in China for a short period of time (not more than 180 days).
When a F, M, Q1 or Q2 visa holder is applying for a Tibet Visa, in addition to providing a scanned copy of the passport and the visa, an invitation letter must be provided as well. For a F or M visa holder, the invitation letter should have a stamp of the applicant’s inbound relevant unit with the applicant’s name and the passport information, which proves that the inbound units in China invite the person to come to China for exchanges, visits, investigations, commercial or other related activities. For a Q1 or Q2 visa holder, the invitation letter should have a signature of the inviter in China with the invitee’s passport information on it as well. If you have change your Q1 or Q2 visa to a residence permit, you need to send the copy of your residence permit instead of visa.
X1/X2 Visa - X1 visa is a Chinese student visa issued to foreigners who come to China for long-term study (more than 180 days). X2 is a Chinese student visa for short term (less than 180 days).
A X1 or X2 visa holder needs to prepare the photocopy of passport and China visa, and provide proof of being at school, or student ID with photo when applying for a Tibet Visa
Z Visa - The Z visa is mainly for foreigners who work in China. When applying for a Tibet Permit, a foreigner holding a Z visa is required to provide a work certificate in addition to providing a passport and a scanned copy of the visa (a scanned copy of the residence permit should be provided after changing the Z visa to a residence permit), as well as a work certificate from the working place in China with the name and other information of the applicant.
The Tibet Travel Permit is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB). It is also called Tibet Entry Permit, for the purpose of entering Tibet.Tibet Travel Permit
Travelers need to have Tibet Travel Permit to enter into Lhasa or any other parts of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. It is obtained through tour operators for most tourists. When you take a flight or train to Lhasa, you will be asked to show this permit during check-in. Furthermore, the permit is also needed by groups traveling by road. But this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.
Important Facts About Tibet Travel Permit
The Alien’s Travel Permit is issued by the Public Security Bureau. It is required when tourists are planning to travel to the "unopened" areas of Tibet, like Mount Everest Base Camp in Shigatse, Samye Monastery in Tsedang.
Aliens' Travel Permit is required to visit "unopened" areas. It is issued by the police (Public Security Bureau, "PSB"). Usually, you can apply for it once you arrive at Lhasa. For tour groups, our guide will ask you for the passport and Tibet Travel Permit, which they will submit to the Foreign Affairs Division of the PSB for the Aliens’ Permit. It normally takes several hours and the cost is 50 CNY per person. If you travel alone, you need to join local tours to "unopened" areas, and the local travel agencies will arrange the PSB for you as well. Pay attention, no travel agency can provide 'Alien’s Travel permit-only' service.
Notice: If you want to do a Tibet overland tour from Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai or Xinjiang province to Tibet, you must got the PSB permit before your tour starts.
Which parts of Tibet are listed as the "unopened"areas?
At present, you have to apply for a Alien’s Travel permit if you are planning to visit the following places:
Tsedang: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trundruk Monastery, Yumbulakhang
Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
Gyangtse: Pelkor Chode Monastery & Kubum Stupa
Ngari Region: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang, Years, etc.
Nyingchi Region: Basum-tso, Pomi, Rawo-tso, etc.
Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen, etc.
The military area entry permit is required if tourists are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas in Tibet. Like Mount Kailash in Ali, Rowok Lake in Chamdo.
Sensitive borders such as Mt. Kailash and eastern Tibet not only require a Military Area Entry Permit, but also a Foreign Affairs Permit. For Tholing and Tsaparang in western Tibet, you will also need a permit from the local Cultural Antiquities Department. All these will be arranged by our travel agency one month before you enter Tibet. The Military Area Entry Permit is issued by the military affairs office while the Foreign Affairs Permit is issued by the Foreign affairs office in Lhasa. It normally takes 10-15 working days to get them all.
1. Email us the photo copy of your passport and Chinese Visa at least 20 days before your Tibet tour starts.
There are three main types of Chinese Visa, “L”,”F”,“Z”, including other types for studying, travelling and working.
Please refer to Apply for Tibet Visa to understand what Travel documents you need to prepare.
Note: Any Visa issued by associations like APEC is not equal to Chinese Visa for Tibet Travel Permit application.
2. If you work or live in China or visit China for business purpose, you will need to offer a certificate to prove your purpose for visiting China.
3. Your Tibet Travel Permit will be issued within 2-5 working days after we pass your documents to Tibet Tourism Bureau.
The Tibet Travel Permit will be posted to the city from which you depart to Tibet. Please let us know the address and telephone number of your hotel in that city 15 days before you arrive in China. If we want you to pick up the documents at our branch office in that city, we will mention it in the contract.
4. Travelers need to offer unfeigned, effective and related credential, license or certificate through which TibetCn Dot com will apply for necessary permits.
Once any counterfeit credential, license or certificate from travelers is confirmed, TibetCn Dot com reserves the right to cancel the corresponding trip, without any refund. Necessary compensation from travelers also occurs when any counterfeit made by the travelers induces loss to TibetCn Dot com.
Please pay attention: Tibet occasionally sees political tension and social unrest. When there are important political events or any indication of such political or social unrest, the government may not issue Tibet Travel Permits. Although the conflicts are defused day by day, it is still a problem out of our control. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that you will get the Tibet Travel Permit under those circumstances. Moreover, we cannot predict when it will happen. Please do understand and take it into consideration when planning your trip to Tibet. However, it is not necessary to worry too much because it rarely happens. And any unofficial information you find on the Internet or hear from other people, even from travel agencies, can be considered as rumor. Please do not believe it unless you get an announcement from the government.
As the catastrophic earthquake resulted in widespread damage and loss of life across Nepal, the access to Nyalam County, the Sino-Nepal border, was also temporarily shut down and so was the entire region of Shigatse for both the safety concerns for the tourists and the assistance of the Nepalese disaster relief and rescue efforts.
In addition, the application and issue of Tibet Travel Permit was also affected due to the natural disaster. Currently, Tibet Travel Bureau suspended temporarily the issue of Tibet Travel Permit of Ali and Shigatse region and the suspension was expected to last at least 10-15 days, or even longer.
However, those prime attractions not affected by the aftershocks of earthquake in Tibet, remained safe to travel, places like Lhasa, Namtso Lake, Yalongzangbu river, dozens of monasteries, etc
The foreign affairs section of the local PSB handles visa extensions. Extensions are difficult in Tibet (and only likely in Lhasa) so don't count on one. It is far easier to extend your visa in other areas of China such as Chendu, Xining or Xi'an, where a 30-day extension is commonplace.
last updated on Jul.24,2017
So far, the application and issuing of Tibet Travel Permit has been on, as usual. Till now, Tibetcn.com has successfully helped more than 2,000 clients get Tibet Travel Permit in 2017. We promise to nail visa to Tibet for every of our clients with 100% guarantee.
So, to tourists who are planning to tour Tibet in 2017 and 2018, we are readily available to help you successfully handle the application of Tibet Travel Permit.
Years of Tibet tour operation experience and outstanding networking within the industry promise hassle-free Tibet Permit Application Service. We will treat your any inquiry responsibly and give timely response. Why not join our fixed-departure Tibet small group tour for your long-awaited vacation at the most competitive price
Latest Tibet Permit News from Tibet Tourism Bureau last updated on June 17th, 2017
Currently Tibet Travel Bureau issues the Tibet Travel Permit normally without restrictions for nationality, group size, days. But still, tourist have to book tour service from a Tibet travel agency, and let the agency apply for Tibet Travel Permit. To obtain the permit successfuly, the scanned copies of your passport and Chinese Visa must be sent to us at least 15 days before your trip, then we deliver to the Tourism Bureau. Once the permit is issued, we will post it to your arrival address in China so that you can board the flight or train to Tibet.
2016 Tibet Travel Permit or Tibet Visa Information Updated on Jan 7th, 2016
Currently it is winter in Tibet and many people thought it is freezing cold and not a good time to travel Tibet, but in the reality, it is not freezing cold as you thought, even though today's temperature in Lhasa is 9 to -15 degree celcius, but it is sunny in the day and there are crowds of local Tibetan pilgrims all around, and not many tourist crowds, so actually Tibet winter tour is the best way to learn and experience authentic Tibet, and the most important is there is no permit restriction at all and the whole Tibet travel permit process is shorten to 7 days, couple of days ago, Tibet tourism bureau had announced that Tibet travel permit won't have any restriction untill Feb 20th, then from Feb 20th to end of March, the permit would be closed for one month. Since from 2008, the tibet travel permit is closed for every March, but it will reopen again from end of March, so if you planning the Tibet tour from April, then you can start book a Tibet tour and will get the permit from April 1st onward. If you are still planning your Tibet tour, then please check our Tibet.
Latest Tibet Travel Permit Information Updated on Jan 9th 2017
We are just informed that Tibet travel permit will be closed for a month long from Feb 25th till 31st Mar, 2017. This closure is very common since from 2008, but all the Tibet travel permit process will normalize from 1st April. End of 2016, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal has announced a new restrictions for the Tibet Group Visa for 26 different nationalities, so all these 26 nationalities should obtain the Chinese visa or Tibet Group Visa from the Chinese Embassy in their home country. Those 26 countries are 1. Pakistan, 2. Bangladesh, 3. Sri Lanka, 4. Afghanistan, 5. Azerbaijan, 6.Lebanon, 7. Syria, 8. Iraq, 9. Iran, 10. Kazakhstan, 11. Kyrgyzstan, 12. Tajikistan, 13. Turkey, 14. Uzbekistan, 15. Albania, 16.Democratic Republic of Congo, 17. Ghana, 18. Cameroon, 19. Kenya, 20. Libya, 21. Mali, 22. South Sudan, 23. Nigeria, 24. Somalia, 25. Tunisia, 26. Chad.
If you are solo traveler or budget sensitive, then we have guaranteed departure Tibet Small Group Tours every week, you can just sign up one of our Tibet Group Tours departure based on your interest and we will find other like-minded travelers to share the cost. For free consultation about Tibet travel permit please write us at service@tibetcn.com
2017 & 2018 Latest Tibet Travel Permit Information Updated on Feb. 06, 2017
As usual, Tibet travel permit is not available during March every year since 2008. This year of 2017, Tibet travel permit will be closed from Feb 25th till 31st Mar.2017, and everything will be normalized from 1st April.
So, to tourists who are planning to tour Tibet from 2017 and 2018, Tibet Vista is readily available to help you successfully handle the application of Tibet Travel Permit.
TibetCN dot Com had successfully helped more than 6,400 clients get Tibet Travel Permit in 2016. We promise to nail visa to Tibet for every of our clients with 100% guarantee.
Years of Tibet tour operation experience and outstanding networking within the industry promise hassle-free Tibet Permit Application Service. We will treat your any inquiry responsibly and give timely response. Why not join our fixed-departure Tibet small group tour for your long-awaited vacation at the most competitive price.
Latest Tibet Travel Permit Information Updated on March 19th 2017
After a month long permit closure (Feb 25th - Mar 30th, 2017), the Tibet travel permit application is avaialble again.
Foreign travelers can enter Tibet starting April 1st, 2017, but need to confirm at least 10 days in advance to process the Tibet permit paper works.
Depending on what type of tour you choose, Tibet travel permit may take 7 - 20 days to process.
For solo travelers or the budget conscious, we have Tibet Small Group Tours departing every week.
Sign up one of our Tibet Group Tours departure based on your interest and we will find other like-minded travelers to share the cost.
If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions for your Tibet tour, please contact us at any time. You can reach us by sending an online inquiry form through our Tibet Tour website, by calling us, by ending us an email or we can chat online via Skype. We will reply to you within 24 hours. Thank you for your support.
When you read a Chinese Visa, you should know the type of the visa you applied firstly. There are several kind of Chinese Visas. Generally, the visa for tourists is “L” Visa, which can be a single, double, or multiple entry visa. Then you should pay attention to the validity date which is shown as enter before & duration of each stay. This date shown as “Entry Before” is not the date that you must leave China, but the date you must enter China. The validation period is usually 90 days for single entry visa, 180 days for double entry visa or 6-month multiple entry visa, 1 year or 2-years for 1-year multiple or 2-year multiple entry visa.
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