Tibet Travel Permit and how to get it

Independent Travel is not allowed in Tibet

According to the policy of Tibet travel regulation of the regional Tibet Autonomous Region. All the international visitor are not allowed to travel independently in Tibet. You will have to book the tour service with a local Travel agency in Tibet with the tour guide and the private Vehicles. During your visit to any attractions in Tibet, you will have to accompanied by a licensed tour guide. You can choose to book the hotel by your own self or book it with the agency.
You can either join the group tour or book a private tour as per your interest. When you are in towns like Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingtri, you can have free time after visiting the sites.


To travel into Tibet Autonomous Region, all the international travelers are required to have Tibet travel permit. 

Tibet Entry Permit (also called Tibet Travel Permit, Tibet Visa, TTB permit), this permit is required for foreign tourists entering Tibet safely and legally. It is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau in Lhasa.
Firstly, a Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) is NOT a visa or any other kind of stamp that goes in your passport. It is a completely separate document that is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau. It has two pages: the first page is the “permit” page and lists the name of the registered travel agency that is responsible for the organized tour as well as the dates and planned itinerary (place names within the TAR); the second page lists the names, passport numbers, nationality, age, and profession of each group member.
Without a Tibet Travel Permit, you cannot enter Tibet. You will not even be permitted to board a flight or a train to Lhasa. Foreign travelers must have the original permit in their possession; a copy is not permitted. Furthermore, it is highly likely that the smallest mistake on the permit will result in being prohibited to board your flight/train or to enter Tibet. This document and it’s accuracy are very important.


Foreigners are not allowed to apply for Tibet permits independently. 

You have to find a China-based travel agency to help you do it. What's more, foreign citizens are not allowed to travel in Tibet independently, you have to be accompanied by a tour guide.
The first requirement for a Tibet Entry Permit is a China visa.
To apply for a Tibet Entry Permit, all you need to do is:
Find an approved Chinese travel agency to help arrange your Tibet tour (your tour itinerary must be shown on the permit).
Send your passport and China visa copies  as well as your occupation information to your travel agency, and they will help apply for Tibet entry.


Some additional Permits are required if you are visiting beyond Lhasa.

Border Permit– It is an additional permit your travel agency need to apply before your arrival in Tibet. If your journey is reaching at the destination in border areas like Mount Everest, Mount Kailash or if you are coming to Tibet from Nepal. This is an additional permit along with the Tibet travel permit. For this permit, it will take only one visit and a few hours to get it.
Military permit – This permit is also applied by your travel agency in Lhasa before your arrival in Lhasa. This permit is required if you are traveling into the military sensitive region of Tibet, Like Ngari Prefecture , Nyinchi Prefecture, Overland journey from/ to Yunan and Qinghai province. This permit will take more than seven days and in total if your journey requires this permit, it will take about a month for all the permit work to be done.