2023 Tibet Travel Permit (TTB)
The Tibet Permit, which is also known as the Tibet Travel Permit, short for TTP. It is a travel permit for foreigners and Taiwan compatriots to enter Tibet. According to the relevant regulations, the official does not accept applications submitted by individual tourist. So they must be submitted through qualified local travel agencies in Tibet.
Who needs to apply for Tibet Permit?
1.
Non-Chinese citizen ID card holder/Taiwan residents
2. Non-Chinese Passport Holder - Foreign Passport Holder
Notes:
Overseas Chinese (Chinese with foreign passports) also need to apply for Tibet Permit
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. Government officials, diplomats and journalists cannot visit Tibet as tourists.
All organized overseas travel groups must apply to the Tibet Tourism Bureau for permission to enter Tibet. From July 1, 2007, the local offices of the Tibet Tourism Bureau stopped processing foreigners’ letters of entry and it can only be processed by the Tourism Bureau’s Management Office in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The anti-counterfeiting marks added to the Tibet Permit. Visitors can commission any international travel agency in Tibet to apply for the Tibet Permit.
How to apply for a Tibet Permit?
Please send
your personal information (including name, nationality, age, gender, occupation, passport number),
ways you enter Tibet, your approximate travel time, travel purpose, contact number, etc. to the Tibet Tourism Bureau through the local travel agency in Tibet. At the same time, please also fax or email a copy of your passport photo page and your visa. You will receive the confirmation letter for the Tibet Permit aplication within 7 working days.
After receiving the copy of the guest’s passport and visa, the application for the Tibet Permit will be submitted immediately. Although it only takes 7 working days to review and issue the approval letter for approval, considering the arrangements for the travel schedule related to the passengers, such as hotels, guides and vehicles, it is recommended to apply as soon as possible to have your travel routes, time, and location be confirmed sooner.
In addition, foreigners who go to the border areas of Tibet can apply for a Frontier Pass in the border area with the Tibet Permit, which is generally also handled by the Tibet Travel Agency. Foreign guests first need to apply for a tourist visa to enter China (except for visa-free countries), which is the L visa. If it is a business visa, you can also enter Tibet, but you need to submit a copy of your work certificate.
Although it is marked on the paper of the Tibet Permit as “free of charge”, you need to pay the service fee to the travel agency for the application.
Notes on Tibet routes and attractions restrictions for foreign tourists Visitors to Lhasa, Shigatse and Namtso only need a Tibet Permit to travel.
If you are going to Samye Temple, Mount Everest and other scenic spots, in addition to the Tibet Permit, Nyingchi (Basongtso), you also need to apply for an Alien's Travel Permit. The official fee is 50 yuan / person.
In the non-open areas of borders such as Bomi, Ranwu and Ali, the Military Area Entry Permit is also required. The processing time takes about half a month, so if you are planning to go to these places, please inform the travel agency more than 25 days in advance.
To the Alitolin Temple, the Guge Dynasty ruins, etc., you also need to obtain a permit from the local Cultural Antiquities Department.
Forbidden Areas: Shannan (Lamlatso, No. 40 Glacier), Nyingchi (Yaluzangbu Grand Canyon, Nanyi Valley), Yadong, Caina, Changdu, etc. are not open to the foreign tourists (No Entry).
