Tibet Permits,Tibet Travel Permit

Tibet Travel Permits(or Tibet visa) are another documents required for a Tibet tour except China visa. There are three Tibet permits: Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (or Tibet Entry Permit), Travel Permit or Aliens' Travel Permit and Military Permit. Due to Tibet's unique ethnic traditions, cultural heritage, tourist service facilities, reception capacity, ecological environmental protection needs, as well as the traffic situation, the National Tourism Administration prescribed that foreign tourists, Taiwan and overseas Chinese tourists (except Hong Kong, Macao residents holding Chinese passports or return certificates) have to get a Tibet Permit to Tibet, otherwise they may get into great trouble. At the same time, all the people can get Tibet permit through a travel agency except diplomats, journalists, and government officials who have to travel to Tibet under the arrangement of the Tibet Foreign Affairs Office.

Please keep in mind that there are generally four documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel freely in Tibet.
- One is the Chinese Visa, which you can apply in the Chinese Embassy in your country (When you want to go to Tibet via the mainland of China).
- One is Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB), also called Tibet Entry Permit, which you have to obtain in order to enter into Tibet by plane or train.
- One is the Aliens' Travel Permit (PSB), also called Travel Permit,  when you are planning to travel to the 'unopened' areas of Tibet.
- The other is the Military Permit, which you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas in Tibet.

Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit (Tibet Entry Permit)

Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit which is necessary for entering into Lhasa or any other parts of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, is obtained through tour operators. When you take a flight or train to Lhasa, you will be asked to show this permit during the process of check-in. Furthermore, TTB permits are also needed by groups traveling by Land Cruiser but this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.

Important Issues About Tibet Travel Permit
1. After having a permit, a travel agency could buy air tickets for you, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and get on board of your plane.
2. You are not allowed to bring along with the TTB permit to travel to anywhere outside of Lhasa city. If you want to go out of Lhasa area, you have to apply for another permit, Aliens' Permit.
3. Generally it needs three working days to get the TTB permit if you supply all the necessary documents in time.

Aliens' Travel Permits (PSB)
Alliens' Travel Permit is required to visit 'unopened' areas. Which 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 TTB permit and submit it to the Foreign Affairs Section of PSB for the Travel Permit. It normally takes several hours and the cost is 50 CNY/person. If you are an individual traveler, you need to join local tours to 'unopened' areas, and the local travel agencies will arrange the PSB for you as well. Pay attention, there is no travel agency can provide 'PSB 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 closed areas?
At present, you have to apply for a 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, ect.
Nyingchi Region: Basum-tso, Pomi, Rawo-tso, ect.
Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen, ect.

Military Permit, Foreign-affairs permit and other permits

Sensitive border are as such as Mt Kailash and eastern Tibet also require a military permit and 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 Permit is issued by troop while the Foreign-affair’s permit is issued by Foreign affairs office in Lhasa. It normally takes 10-15 working days to get them all.

Tibet Permit Application Procedure
Notice: Any Visa card issued by associations like APEC does not equal to Chinese Visa for Tibet permit application.
(1). If you visit China for travel, and your visa type is "L", Please email us the photo copy of your passport and China Visa 20-30 days before you arrive in China, we will set out to apply for your Tibet Permit upon we receive it. Please be sure that the photos are in large size and clear enough.
(2). If you visit China for business purpose, and your visa type is "F" or "Z", please offer a business visiting certificate paper from the company or association in China, which you pay a visit to and can provide your accurate purpose. This certificate paper should include two parts:
Firstly, your personal information: your full name, passport number, the purpose of visit, the duration of your visit.
Secondly, the company information: the company's full name, address, telephone number, fax number.
Besides, this certificate paper must be stamped by this company.
(3). If you live in China and hold a resident permit, please offer your working permit issued by China government or a certificate from your company to prove you are working there. The certificate should include:
Firstly, your personal information: your full name, passport number, the purpose of visit, how long have you been working there, your position in this company;
Secondly, the company information: the company's full name, address, telephone number, fax number.
Besides, this certificate paper must be stamped by this company.
Sample of Certificate Paper
ConfirmationWe herewith confirm that  your full name , Passport Number, is working at your company name since  the date you join in this company to work as your position .

(for visiting)

Visit our company for your purpose , from the date you star visiting to the date you end visiting.If you have any question concerning with your full name, please feel free to contact the telephone number and fax number of your company

Company Name:

Company Seal:

Date:

4. Your Tibet Permit will be issued 2-5 working days since we pass your documents to Tibet Tourism Bureau. The Original Tibet Permit will be posted to the city from which you depart to Tibet, please let us know the address, telephone number, the hotel name of your accommodation in that city 15 days before you arrive in China. If you are asked to go to our branch office in that city you depart to pick up documents in person, we will mention it in the contract.
5. Travelers need to offer unfeigned, effective and related credential, license or certificate through which CITS Tibet Travel Org will apply for necessary permits. Once any counterfeit credential, license or certificate from travelers is confirmed, CITS Tibet Travel Org 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 CITS Tibet Travel Org .

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 permits during some special periods. Although, the conflicts are defused day by day, it is still a problem out of our control. Therefore, we cannot entirely certain that you will get the Tibet permit in these cases. Moreover, we cannot predict when it will happen. Please make a full understanding of it and take it into consideration when planning your trip to Tibet. However, it is not necessary to worry too much about it 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 rumour. Please do not believe it unless you get an announcement from the government.