Tibet Permits

Tibet Permits and Chinese Visa

Please be noticed that Chinese Visa and Tibet Permit are two things totally different.

To enter Tibet, or any part of China excepting Hong Kong and Macao (Visitors to Hong Kong, holding passports from some countries do not need a visa when staying for a specified free period), a Chinese visa is necessary. You’d better obtain it before leaving your home country unless you are taking a package tour to enter Tibet from Nepal by overland or flight (see below in detail).

When applying for a visa as an independent traveler, your application might be rejected if you mention plans to visit Tibet. There is a trick that when you apply for the Chinese visa, you don’t need to tell the officer that you have the plan for traveling to Tibet; you could only inform them you want to travel to somewhere else of China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu etc. or else the application would become complicated and arduous.

Please Be Noticed

When entering China you'd better to have a visa covering the expected duration of stay. Getting extensions inside China can involve delays and other difficulties.
You need to apply for a Two times or Multiple-entry visa when you need to leave and re-enter mainland China. Please be noticed that, even when you leave for Hong Kong or Macau from mainland China, you still need to have a Two times or Multiple-entry visa.

Exceptional Case (Enter Tibet from Nepal or Kathmandu to Lhasa)

If you entry Tibet from Kathmandu, Nepal, you are required to obtain a Chinese visa in the consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu, the opening time for the Consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu is only available between 9:30 A.M and 11:00 A.M on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please note this visa application is compulsory despite you have already had a Chinese visa in your country or not since this is regulated by the border treaty signed between Nepal and China.

The Chinese visa you get in Kathmandu is a "group visa". A "group visa" is not entered in travelers' passports but is a separate sheet of paper issued in duplicate by the Chinese consulate in Katmandu, listing all members of the group. It usually allows a stay of 15 or 20 days. A "group" may be any number of travelers, and may be just one traveler. One or more travelers entering Tibet together with others may wish to have their own separate group visa so they are able to separate from the others. Obtaining a group visa requires at least two clear days in Katmandu.

With the assistance of our long-standing cooperative and reliable agency in Kathmandu, you can get your Chinese visa easily and quickly.

Tibet Permits (Tibet Visa) Categories

There are three levels of bureaucracy you need to jump through to travel in Tibet: a Chinese visa to enter China, a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permits to get into Tibet and Alien Travel Permits to travel to certain regions of Tibet. Beware that the permit situation is subject to rapid and unpredictable change. Contact us directly to get the current situation within 12hours.

Please Be Noticed

You have to tell us your real occupation as journalists and people who involved in political matters could be revoked (diplomats, journalists, and government officials who should travel to Tibet under the arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office).
Please note that if you do not book any tour from us, we can not help you get the permits. No travel agency could provide "permit-only" service. A must service includes vehicle and guide.
After having a permit, we could buy you the air tickets, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and board the plane.
Only the guide could hold the permit after you establish yourself on Tibet land. You are not allowed to bring with it and travel to anywhere you want.
Generally speaking, it will cost us 3-5 working days to get the Tibet permit if you could supply the full necessary documents in time.