How to Apply Tibet Permit with a "Q2" Visa
The Q2 visa is mainly for the relatives of Chinese citizens living in China and relatives of foreigners with permanent residency in China who are visiting relatives in China for a short period of time (not more than 180 days). It is no problem for tourists with Q2 visas to travel to Tibet. When applying for Tibet Permit, in addition to providing a passport or a scanned copy of the visa, an invitation letter must be provided. This invitation letter should be signed by the relevant people with the invitee’s passport, name and other information to prove the person is invited by the relevant people to visit relatives in China
Tips for Q2 visa application:
I. Required documents:
Passport: Original passport valid for more than 6 months with a blank visa page and a copy of the information page.
A visa application form and a passport photo: People's Republic of China Visa Application Form with a recent white-background passport-sized photo glued to it.
i. An invitation letter from a family member residing in China who is either a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with a Chinese permanent residence permit. The invitation letter should contain:
a. Information about the invitee (full name, gender, date of birth, etc.)
b. Information about the visit ( purpose of visit, intended arrival date, places of intended residence, intended duration of residence, relationship with the inviting entity or individual, and financial source for expenditures)
c. Information about the inviting individual (full name, contact number, address, official stamp, signature, etc.)
ii. Photocopy of the Chinese ID of the inviting individual or foreign passport and permanent residence permit.
II. Tibet Permit application procedure with Q1 Visa
Foreign travelers entering Tibet must be organized tours with a reception unit and a confirmed travel itinerary. Tibet Permit is also required as a must entry pass issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) to board the flight or Tibet train. Overseas Chinese and Taiwan residents need to get the Tibet Permit in the same way as for the international tourists. For residents of Hong Kong and Macau, there is no need to apply for the Tibet Permit. All you need to take is your HK/Macau SAR passport and Home Return Permit.
Step 1: Confirm with us about your travel time, travel itinerary, hotel reservation and other related details.
Step 2: Email us a scanned copy of your passport, your visa, and the invitation letter 25-30 days in advance.
Step 3: After confirming the tour group information, we will submit the documents to the Tourism Bureau to apply for your Tibet Permit. Usually the Tibet Permit will be issued 7 days before your Tibet trip starts. If you are taking a domestic flight in mainland China to Tibet, we will deliver the original Permit to the you. If you are going to take a train, we will send the scanned copy to you and you can just print it out. (the train passengers only need to take a copy of Tibet permit to board the train).
III. Who needs to apply for Tibet Permit?
1. Non-Chinese citizen ID card holder/Taiwan residents
2. Non-Chinese Passport Holder - Foreign Passport Holder
3. Overseas Chinese (Chinese with foreign passports) also need to apply for Tibet Permit
Note: Government officials, diplomats and journalists have to apply for the Tibet Permit through the Tibet Foreign Affairs Office and arrange receptions.
a. Frontier Pass
The frontier pass is the abbreviation of the “Border Security Pass”. If your itinerary includes border areas such as Medog, Zhangmu, Yadong, Dingri (Everest), Shiquan River in Ngari, Pulan, etc. you need to apply for a Frontier Pass in accordance with the Chinese law.
Domestic tourists are recommended to apply for a Frontier Pass at the police station where your household registration is located. Unless you prefer a Frontier Pass with Tibetan language on it for commemoration, you will have to apply for it in Lhasa. Other places such as Shigatse and Nyingchi can also be done, but they are more troublesome.
If you want to apply for a Frontier Pass in Lhasa, an easy way is to have a travel agency to handle it. Otherwise, you will start a complicated set of procedures.
For foreign tourists: Frontier Pass is generally arranged by the travel agency.
b. Alien’s Travel Permit
A Tibet Permit is good enough to visit Lhasa, Namtso, and Shigatse. But if you want to visit Nyingchi, Shannan, Changdu and other areas, you will need to apply for a Alien's Travel Permit. This permit can be applied by a travel agency with the application for your Tibet Permit. Note: Only foreign travelers and Taiwan residents need to apply for an Alien’s Travel Permit. Mainland and HK/Macau tourists do not need to apply for it.
c. If you are going to Pomi, Ranwu, Ngari and other unopened areas on the border, you also need to apply for a Military Entry Permit.
