Skip to main content
WindhorseTour
Shortlist (0) China travel guide Blog FAQ About us Contact us
info@windhorsetour.com +86-28-85593923
  • Home
  • Tailor-made tour Tailor-made
  • Tibet tours Tibet tours
    All Tibet group tours
    All Tibet private tours

    Destination

    • Lhasa
    • Central Tibet
    • Mount Everest Base Camp
    • Mount Kailash & Far Western Tibet
    • Eastern Tibet Nyingchi
    • Sichuan/Yunnan to Tibet overland
    • Nepal Extention
    • Sichuan Tibetan Kham
    • Train Journey to Tibet

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Train travel
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Winter getaways
  • China tours China tours
    All China private tours

    Destination

    • Beijing
    • Xi’an
    • Shanghai
    • Guilin & Yangshuo
    • Datong & Pingyao
    • Yunnan
    • Xiamen
    • Yangtze River Cruises
    • Chengdu
    • Tibet
    • China Multi-city tours
    • Mount Huangshan
    • Zhangjiajie
    • Jiuzhaigou National Park
    • Guizhou
    • Qinghai
    • Hangzhou
    • Luoyang
    • Nanjing
    • Hong Kong

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Train travel
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Winter getaways
    • 1st Time travel to China
    • Panda
    • Yangtze cruise
  • Sichuan tours Sichuan
    All Sichuan private tours

    Destination

    • Mount Emei & Leshan
    • Jiuzhaigou & Huanglong
    • Daocheng Yading
    • Sichuan Tibetan Kham
    • Panda Breeding Centers
    • Chengdu
    • South Sichuan

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Family focused
    • Festival
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Panda
  • Silk Road tours Silk Road
    All Silk Road private tours

    Destination

    • Zhangye Rainbow Mountain
    • Dunhuang
    • Turpan
    • Kashgar
    • Badain Jaran Desert
    • Kanas Lake
    • Silk Road Tibet
    • Silk Road China
    • Kuqa
    • Hotan
    • Yining Grassland
    • Jiayuguan
    • Tianshui

    Theme

    • Culture and Heritage
    • Natural scenery
    • Overland
    • Photography
    • Trekking & Biking
    • Panda
  • Travel guide Travel guide
    All travel advice

    Tibet travel advice

    • The Ultimate Guide on How to Visit Tibet in 2020
    • Best time to visit Tibet
    • 50 Things To Do in Tibet, Top Tibet Tourist Attractions
    • A Complete Travel Guide to Mount Kailash and Kora Trekking
    • How to avoid high-altitude sickness in Tibet

    China travel advice

    • Guide on How to Travel China, Tips, Popular Destinations [Updated 2020]
    • The Best Times to visit China: By season and by month
    • Planning a Trip to China with 10-Step Guide
    • Top 20 photography destinations in China
    • Top 30 Attractions in China
More
Latest Corona Virus travel information
Home > China travel guide > Tibet travel tips > Tibet Permit and how to get the Tibet permit

Tibet Permit and how to get the Tibet permit

header line

Brief information about Tibet permit

Tibet, here referring to Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), as one of the hottest travel destinations in China, attracts thousands of tourists home and abroad every year. However, there are some strict rules and regulations for foreign travelers visiting Tibet, unlike the other parts of China. To get to Tibet, the overseas travelers are required to hold a valid Chinese visa, as well as the special Tibet permits including the Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB), Alien Travel Permit/Public Security Bureau Permit (ATP/PSB) and Military Permit. 

In addition, according to the current policy, apart from the Tibet permits, the overseas travelers and Taiwanese are also required to pre-arrange a tour with a licensed guide, a private vehicle with driver, through one of the local travel agencies. As a yearly experienced local travel agency, we, WindhorseTour, would certainly assist to design a unique Tibet trip, to obtain the necessary Tibet permits and arrange a memorable Tibet trip. For the latest information, please check Tibet Permit and Tibet travel updates. 

Tibet Tourist Map with Attractions locations for new Travelers

Important notes: 

  • Only the guide could hold your Tibet permit after you step on Tibet land according to the travel policy. When the tour ends, your Tibet permits are required to return to the Tibet Tourism Bureau office. 
  • For those only traveling to the Tibetan areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, and Gansu Provinces, there’s no need to apply for the Tibet permit, you only need to have a valid passport and Chinese visa.
  • If the travelers intend to climb Mount Everest, the additional mountaineering license/permit is required, which can be only arranged by the designated travel agencies.

 

Table of contents for Tibet permits:

  • What is the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit
  • Who needs the TTB permit to travel to Tibet
  • How to apply for the TTB permit
  • How long does it take to get the TTB permit
  • How much does TTB permit cost
  • How to pick up my TTB permit in order to board the flight/train to Lhasa
  • What is the Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB)
  • How to apply for Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB)
  • How long and how much does it take to get the Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB)
  • What is the Military Permit
  • How to apply for Military permit and how long does it take
header line

Details for the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit

What is the Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit

Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit, approved by the Tibet Tourism Bureau office, is an essential entry permit for foreigners/Taiwan citizens/overseas Chinese without Chinese passport to travel into Tibet, and it is also the utmost important permit of all, required to be presented when booking and boarding the flight or train to Tibet. In addition, it will be checked at any time whilst in Tibet.

 

Who needs the TTB permit to travel to Tibet

For those who are international tourists, overseas Chinese without Chinese passport/id card, and Taiwan citizens, it is an essential document when they travel in Tibet. 

Please kindly note that people with tourist (L), business (F), employment/work (Z) visa, and student (X) visa have no issues getting the permit. Diplomats, journalists, and government officials require arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Government.

Tibet Permit

How to apply for the TTB permit

The TTB permit can be ONLY applied by one of the local travel agencies on travelers’ behalf. WindhorseTour is one of the best local travel agencies offering Tibet tours with Tibet permits application, with over 13 years of professional experience, we are very confident to design a unique and unforgettable trip in Tibet. 

If the travelers enter Tibet from one of the cities of mainland China, the travelers' clear photocopies/scanned copies of the valid passport and individual China visa are required to submit together with the TTB permit application form. For those holding a business (F), employment/work (Z) visa, and student (X) visa, the support documents for those special visas are also required: invitation letter for the F visa, alien employment permit for the Z visa, student card for the X visa. If the travelers enter Tibet from Kathmandu, then we only need the copies of the valid passports. Those documents are required to send to us via email at least 20 days to 1 month in advance. 

 

How long does it take to get the TTB permit

The TTB permit’s processing time takes around 14-30 days, which depends on the destinations that you will travel in Tibet. In this case, it is highly recommended to make your booking as early as possible, to leave enough time to obtain this permit.

 

How much does the TTB permit cost

Even though much labor cost is involved to obtain the TTB permit, however, we offer a 100% guarantee and free service for our clients’ Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit application.

sunrise over mount Everest in Tibet

How to pick up my TTB permit in order to board the flight/train to Lhasa

For travelers who take the flights to Lhasa from any city of China, AND trains departing Lanzhou/Chongqing/Xi’an, it is required to present the original TTB permit to board the flights/trains. In this case, we will deliver the original permits to your hotel in advance.

For travelers who take the trains to Lhasa except for the above 3 cities, you only present the color-printed TTB permits to board the trains. We will send the scanned copies of the TTB permit via email in advance.

For those who take the flight from Kathmandu, you only need to present the Chinese group visa to check-in, your Tibetan guide will hold your TTB permit and pick-up the group from Lhasa airport.

header line

Details for the Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB)

What is the Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB)

Alien Travel Permit (ATP) is needed at the time if you want to go beyond the Lhasa region, as well the 'unopened' areas in Tibet, including Mount Everest and Mount Kailash. It is issued by the Foreign Affairs Section of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) office, sometimes, we also call it as PSB permit. Compared with TTB permit, it is not a must for entering Tibet and the visit to Lhasa and Namtso Lake, but a must for Shigatse, Shannan, Nyingchi, etc. At the time of missing this essential permit, you will be stopped by the local police in Tibet. Below is the list of unopened areas requiring Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB):

  1. Gyantse County: Palcho Monastery and Kubum Stupa, etc.
  2. Shigatse Area: Sakya Monastery, Mount Everest Base Camp, Rongbuk Monastery, Shalu Monastery, etc.
  3. Shannan Region: Samye Monastery, Trandruk Monastery, Yungbulakang Palace, the Tomb of Tibetan Kings, etc.
  4. Nyingchi Region: Basum Tso Lake, Pomi, Rawok Tso Lake, etc.
  5. Ngari Region: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang and Guge Kingdom, Ali, etc.
  6. Chamdo Region
Aliens' Travel permit

How to apply for Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB)

The application for Alien Travel Permit can be made in Lhasa/Shigatse/Tsedang upon your arrival, through your local travel agency, and cannot be done in person. Please note that the ATP/PSB permit application can be only submitted upon your arrival in Tibet as we also need to submit your passports, TTB permit, and Chinese visa.

 

How long and how much does it take to get the Alien Travel Permit (ATP/PSB)

Generally, it will not take much time to generate this permit, the processing time takes about 30 minutes to 2 hours. Once it is ready, it will be collected by your guide on your behalf and you don’t need to show up. The cost is 100 CNY per person which is already included in your overall tour cost.

header line

Details for the Military Permit

What is the Military Permit

The military permit is another permit issued by the Military office in Lhasa. These are specially issued by the government giving permission to the tourists to enter many restricted areas politically sensitive and border regions where territory is disputed between China and neighboring countries. Here, we have come up with the list of areas, where you would need such permit to visit:

  1. Ngari Region: Mount Kailash, Lake Mansarovar, and all other areas too.
  2. Nyingchi Region: Basum Tso, Pomi, Ranwu, and other remote Shannan areas.
  3. Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, and all other areas too.
  4. An overland tour between Tibet and Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, as well as Qinghai provinces.
Tibet military permit

How to apply for Military permit and how long does it take

The military permit takes around 20 days to be prepared. We have to apply for and obtain this permit prior to your departure for Tibet. Normally, this permit application will be submitted right after your TTB permit application, also with the scanned copies of the valid passport and Chinese visa. It is advisable to confirm your booking at least 1 month in advance to secure the application time.

header line

Details for the Chinese visa

Tibet is a province of China, hence, it is essential for every traveler to have a valid passport and Chinese visa to enter Tibet. 

If the travelers enter Tibet from mainland China, you must obtain your Chinese Visa from the Chinese Embassies/Consulates of your country in advance. When applying for a Chinese visa, your visa may be refused if your application listed Tibet as a travel destination, hence, it is highly advisable to replace Tibet with other cities like Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, etc. as your destination. WindhorseTour will provide our clients with a China visa invitation letter to assist to obtain the Chinese visa.

china group visa

If the travelers enter Tibet from the Nepal side, the individual Chinese visa is invalid, you must have the Chinese Group Visa issued by the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu, applied by your Tibet trip operator (like WindhorseTour) upon your arrival. It takes 3-4 working days to get the Chinese Group Visa, you are required to have some days in Kathmandu/Nepal before you travel to Tibet. The application fee of the Chinese Group visa varies based on nationality.

  1. It would be an A4 size sheet piece of paper with the name, sex, nationality, passport number, date of birth, and occupation of each member listed in your group. 
  2. In this group visa, your date of entering and leaving Tibet and China would precisely be recorded. All members of your tour group have to travel together during the whole trip in Tibet and the extended tour in other cities of mainland China.
  3. In order to apply for the Tibet Group Visa, you will need a visa invitation letter from the Tibet Tourism Bureau which will be sent by a local tour agency like us. 
  4. The Group China Visa is normally valid for a maximum of 30 days, with exceptional cases for a maximum of 60 days. And it can not be extended, for travelers who plan to stay in China for more than 30 days, it’s better to obtain an individual Chinese visa in advance.
  5. Your travel in China (including the visit to Tibet from Nepal and a trip from Tibet to other cities in China) should strictly follow the scheduled and submitted itinerary.
  6. Important note: for travelers already obtained the Chinese Tourist Visa or any other type of individual visa, the individual visa will be canceled when applying for the Group China Visa in Kathmandu.
header line

Contact us about Tibet permit

If you have any other queries in your mind regarding the Tibet permits, please feel free to contact us anytime via email (info@windhorsetour.com) or call (+86-28-85593923). We are always open to provide you our valuable assistance. In addition, you can always use the Tibet FAQ to check other more questions about traveling to Tibet.

Related tours

Tibetan plateau in Tibet Tour
Beijing to Everest Base Camp Tibet Group Tour Map
Beijing Forbidden City
Qinghai to Tibet railway from Beijing to Lhasa
Lhasa potala palace and bird
People on the Tibetan Plateau

12 days Beijing to Lhasa train group tour

Beijing
⇀ Lhasa
...
Beijing ⇀ Lhasa ⇀ Gyantse ⇀ Shigatse ⇀ Mount Everest ⇀ Lhasa
12 days
∙
Group, maximum of 12 person(s)
∙
Natural scenery
So popular Beijing and Tibet! Enjoy 2 days in Beijing to see all the top attractions before boarding the most famous railway in Asia. Once in Tibet see all the top attractions from Potala Palace to Mount Everest as you head towards Nepal.
Add to shortlist
From ¥ 8,650
View tour >
Mount Kailash Overland Tour Map
kailash-tours
Kailash kora snow
Tashilunpo monastery exterior

14 days Mt. Kailash Kora and Lake Manasarovar overland tour

Lhasa
⇀ Lhasa
...
Lhasa ⇀ Shigatse ⇀ Saga ⇀ Manasarovar Lake ⇀ Mount Kailash Kora ⇀ Saga ⇀ Shigatse ⇀ Lhasa
14 days
∙ Private ∙
Overland
Travel the same route as pilgrim departing from Lhasa to Mount Kailash. Upon arrival trek from Darchen to see the extraordinary peak of Mount Kailash, on the way enjoy a spectacular picture formed view with Manasarovar Lake.
Add to shortlist
From ¥ 11,660
¥ 10,600
View tour >
Riwoche monastery lamas
Sichuan Tibet Tour Route
yala-holy-mountain-views-Tagong-grassland
Dege County
Jampaling monastery
Zizhu monastery

15 days Sichuan-Tibet Hwy northern route tour

Chengdu
⇀ Lhasa
...
Chengdu ⇀ Kangding ⇀ Ganzi ⇀ Dege ⇀ Chamdo ⇀ Tengchen ⇀ Nagqu ⇀ Namtso ⇀ Lhasa
15 days
∙ Private ∙
Overland
The longest and most diverse overland tour we offer, travel along the Sichuan Tibet northern highway on an adventure that takes you closer to the people, and their lifestyle than anything else.
Add to shortlist
From ¥ 14,600
View tour >
Sok Tsanden Gompa
Eastern Tibet Overland Tour Route
beautiful niyang river in Nyingchi
Nyingchi Midui Glacier
Jampaling monastery
Zizhu monastery
Tengchen

14 days Eastern Tibet loop overland tour

Lhasa
⇀ Lhasa
...
Lhasa ⇀ Bayi ⇀ Pomi ⇀ Chamdo ⇀ Riwoche ⇀ Tengchen ⇀ Nagqu ⇀ Namtso ⇀ Lhasa
14 days
∙ Private ∙
Culture and Heritage
Travel to the eastern Tibet for the best view of the high plateau. Starting from Lhasa pass by gorgeous alpine lakes and yak pastures. Arrive in remote eastern Tibet to see the spectacular Riwoche Tsuglhakhang grassland and local nomadic life.
Add to shortlist
From £ 1,054
View tour >
Admin data
 

Related tips

Passport and China visa
High altitude sickness
Tibet Permit and Tibet travel updates
How to get China Visa when traveling from Nepal to Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region vs. the Tibetan Area
Ultimate travel guide to Sichuan Tibetan Region
Lhasa Train Schedule and price
Souvenirs worth buying during your Tibet tour

Contact us

  • +86-28-85593923
  • info@windhorsetour.com

Discover

    • Tibet group tours
    • Tibet tours
    • China tours
    • Sichuan tours
    • Silk Road tours
    • Create your tailor-made tour

Company

  • About us
  • Blog
  • China travel guide
  • FAQ
  • Terms of use and Privacy statement

Customer Reviews

© 2006 - 2022 WindhorseTour.com - All rights reserved