Living There
The Chinese government regulations for visitors to Tibet Travel are specific and no exceptions are made. Whether you are traveling by air, road or train you will need these documents. In addition there may be other documents required if you are a diplomat, political activist, journalist, Chinese national or foreign government representative. If you are arriving in TTB via Nepal there are different rules and regulations. It is illegal to obtain a Tibet permit through a tour company that you will not be accompanying to TTB. All foreign travelers to Tibet must be part of an organized tour with a TTB tour company and that company will arrange their Tibet permits. In other words no TTB tour company will “sell” you a TTB permit, you have to be part of one of their tours.
All Tibet permits have to be obtained through the TTB tour company you will be traveling with and require that you hold a valid passport. You need to first book your Tibet tour including a full itinerary. You should make your travel plans, book your TTB tour and have your tour company apply for your permits at least 20 days before your planned departure.
Chinese Visa
All non-Chinese passport holding visitors to China and TTB require a Chinese Visa.
As TTB is a part of China and you will be entering Tibet through China you will need a Chinese visa. Tourists obtain this in their home country before traveling to China. Contact your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate. The application process takes about a week and entails a fee.
Tibet Entry Permit (Tibet Travel Permit or TTB)
All foreign citizens, overseas Chinese with non-Chinese passport and Taiwan passport holders require this permit to enter TTB. Hong Kong and Macau citizens do not need this permit.
You must first book your Tibet tour and only then will the TTB tour company apply to the TTB Tourism Bureau and obtain your TTB Travel Permit for you. You will need to send copies of your passport, Chinese visa and details of your profession, sex, age etc to the tour company, they will then do the rest. Authorities will check this permit before you board the train or plane to Tibet and upon arrival in TTB, as well as by your TTB hotel.
Aliens’ Tibet Permit (PSB)
All travelers entering specific areas of the TTB travel documents Autonomous Area require this permit in addition to the Tibet Travel Permit as outlined above.
If you are traveling to restricted areas including Mt. Everest, Nyingchi, Tsetang and Shigate region you will need this permit in addition to your Chinese visa and TTB. The TTB tour company you are traveling with will arrange this permit for you from the local police or Public Security Bureau.
Military Permit
Required by all travelers entering military sensitive areas in the TTB Autonomous Area in addition to the above mentioned permits.
This permit is necessary if you will be entering military sensitive areas like some areas of Ngari (Mt. Kailash, Tsaparang, Lake Manasarovar etc). The tour company will arrange the permit for you through the Military Office in Lhasa before you enter Tibet.
