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Tibet Travel Permit

QUESTION: Do you know how many official documents will the foreign visitors need to apply for before the travel in Tibet?
ANSWER: For the foreign visitors, they need to apply for FOUR official documents in total if they want to travel in Tibet without any restriction.
(A) Passport and Visa
For the guests who want to visit Tibet, you need to hold a passport valid for at least 6 months. Also, you need to apply for a valid visa issued by the Chinese Embassy. If the guest enters into Tibet from Nepal, you need to require a separate visa issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
(B) Tibet Tourism Bureau (T.T.B.) Permit
Tibet Tourism Bureau (T.T.B.) Permit, known as the Tibet Travel Permit by the local people, is an official document for the foreign visitors comes to visit Lhasa and other cities in Tibetan Autonomous Region. Due to the restriction of the numbers of foreign visitors, Tibet Tourism Bureau officially issued the permit to the foreign guests who will travel in Tibet. Today, virtually, no foreign visitor can visit Tibet without holding the Tibet Travel Permit in their hands.

(1) For the foreign visitors, if you want to have a tour of the mysterious Tibet area from other cities of China, we can help you to obtain the Tibet Travel Permit after you confirm to take the tour with us. Also, you need to provide us all the detailed and exact information and documents to us as we listed below at least one month before the tour starts.
1/ Full Name (all exactly the same with your passport), 2/ Gender, 3/ Date of Birth, 4/ Nationality, 5/ Passport Number. Besides these, you also need to let us know your Profession or Occupation, since journalists and people who involve in the political matters need more complicated procedures to apply for the permit.
(2) For the guests who want to enter into Tibet from Nepal, they can get a copy of the Tibet Travel Permit at least 2 days after you apply for it at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
When the guests arrive in Lhasa, the local tour guide will give you the original version of the Tibet Travel Permit and guests need to collect it and keep it in safety.
(C) Public Security Bureau (P.S.B.) Permit
Public Security Bureau (P.S.B.) Permit or Travel Permit, officially issued by the Foreign Affairs Section of Public Security Bureau in Tibet, is an important document for the foreign visitors who want to visit the restrict areas in Tibet. To get the permit, guests need to book the Tibet tour includes a local guide and a transfer service with a licensed travel agency, because no agency can be allowed to provide the "Permit-Only" service there. Your local guide in Lhasa can help you to obtain the permit when you arrive in the city.

Guests need to provide the valid passports and Tibet Travel Permit to the Foreign Affairs Section of Public Security Bureau and wait there for a few hours to get the permit.
Here is the list of the areas that you need to apply for the P.S.B. Permit when you plan to visit the restrict places in Tibet:
(1) Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen
(2) Gyangtse: Palkor Chode Monastery & Kubum Stupa
(3) Lhokha: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trandruk Monastery, Yumbu Lhakang
(4) Ngari Region: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang
(5) Nyingchi Region: Basumtso Lake, Pomi, Rawo-tso
(6) Shigatse: Sagya Monastery, the Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery
(D) Military Permit
For the foreign guests who want to visit military sensitive areas in Tibet, such as: Nagqu, Ngari and Nyingchi, they need to apply for the Military Permit, which is officially issued by the Military Office in Lhasa. You need to provide the original passport to the office and wait for around 1-2 week days to get the official permit.

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