How to get Tibet Travel Permit in Nepal & China

Many foreign travelers asked their travel agency in Tibet to mail their Tibet Travel Permit to their home before they depart from their country. But it is almost impossible, because there are only several days after your travel agency get customers’ Tibet Travel Permit from Tibet Tourism Bureau. Therefore, travel agency in Lhasa can only mail the original permit to one of cities in China.

There is three situations:

1. Travel from Kathmandu to Lhasa

Foreign travelers needn’t get their Tibet Travel Permit in advance. They just need ask travel agency in Lhasa to help them apply for Group Visa Invitation Letter and ask travel agency in Kathmandu to help them apply for Tibet Group Visa from Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. Finally, they can board the flight with holding their passport, Group Visa and flight ticket.

2. Travel from one of cities in China by train

Nowadays, there are trains to Lhasa from Beijing, Chengdu, Xining, Xian, Lanzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, etc. If you board the train from Xian, Chongqing and Lanzhou, you need hold the original permit, so travel agency in Lhasa need mail it to you. If from other cities, you just need the copy of your Tibet Travel Permit, so you can ask Lhasa travel agency to send you the scanned copy of your Tibet Travel Permit, and you print it in color and then hold it to board the train to Lhasa.

3. Travel from one of cities in China by flight

No matter which city you will fly to Lhasa from, you need hold the original permit to board the flight. So Lhasa travel agency need mail the original permit to you.

The best way is that you arrange one night hotel in one of cities in China, and then ask Lhasa Travel Agency to mail your Tibet Travel Permit to your hotel. When you arrive at your hotel, you can pick it up at the hotel reception.

If you do not plan to arrange one night hotel, you need arrange enough time of flight layover. And your travel agency in Lhasa need find a man to transfer your Tibet Travel Permit to you. The method has a certain risk. If Lhasa travel agency can not find a man to deliver the permit or he can not deliver the permit to you on time, you can not board the flight and may miss the flight. So, many travel agencies in Lhasa ask clients to book one night hotel in China and then fly to Lhasa, Tibet. 

How to apply for your Tibet Travel Permit?

As is known to all, all International travellers must apply for Tibet Travel Permit and then travel to Tibet. Otherwise, you can not board the flight or train to Lhasa, Tibet. 

How to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit? 

This is a great problem. There are many good permit application guides online. I am here making a conclusion.

To apply for Tibet Travel Permit, there are two situations:

1. Enter into Tibet from Kathmandu, Nepal

If you plan to travel to Tibet from Nepal, you needn’t apply for your China Visa in advance because you need apply for Tibet Tour Visa in Kathmandu and your China Visa will be expired automatically.

Firstly, travellers need find a travel agency in Lhasa and book Tibet trip with them. It takes several days to discuss about the itinerary. But contact with Tibet Vista, and you will get prompt response and it shorts the time.

Secondly, travellers need ask your Lhasa travel agency to help you apply Group Visa Invitation Letter from Tibet Tourism Bureau. It takes about 6 working days. At the meantime, Lhasa travel agency start to apply for Tibet Travel Permit.

Thirdly, after travellers arrive at Kathmandu, they need find a travel agency in Kathmandu to help them apply for Group Visa from Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. It takes about 1-3 working days according to travellers’ needs.

When travellers are boarding the flight, they just need hold Group Visa, passport and flight ticket. After they get off the flight, the tour guide in Lhasa will hold their Tibet Travel Permit to pick them up at Lhasa airport.

2. Enter into Tibet from cities of China

Most of International travellers plan to travel to China and then to Tibet. Nowadays, they can choose to fly or take a train to Lhasa from one of cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xining, etc.

Firstly, travellers need find a travel agency in Lhasa and book Tibet trip with them. It takes several days to discuss about the itinerary. But contact with Tibet Vista, and you will get prompt response and it shorts the time.

Secondly, travellers need send their passports and China Visa (L Visa is good) to Lhasa travel agency, and ask them to apply for Tibet Travel Permit. Usually, the application needs 14 days in advance.

If they do not have China Visa and the time is urgent, travelers can send their passports to Lhasa travel agency and then passport. China Visa can be received within 3-4 working days. Especially notice, when you are applying for your China Visa, do not mention Tibet as one of your trip destination. If mentioned, your China Visa might be rejected.

Thirdly, when travellers arrive at China, Lhasa travel agency will mail their permit to their hotel if they fly to Lhasa or email the permit copy to them if they take a train to Lhasa. The mailing process needs about 3 days.

After they arrive at Lhasa, they need give the original Tibet Travel Permit to their tour guide. It is illegal for them to take their permit privately.

In next blog, I will introduce how to get Tibet Travel Permit in China.