Obtaining a Tibet Travel Permit
If you are a non-Chinese passport holder or a Taiwanese, you must obtain a Tibet Travel Permit before you enter into Tibet. The Tibet Travel Permit is also referred to as the Tibet Entry permit, the TTB or even the Tibet Visa. The Tibet Travel permit can only be issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau. With the Tibet Travel Permit you can travel as an individual by joining an organized private party or you can join a tour that has been organized by a travel agency in which case the travel agency will take care of the Tibet Travel permit for the group. A recent new policy requirement is that the Tibet Travel Permit shall be applied for by a group of at least four people from the same nationality.
Important Facts to Include On the Tibet Travel Permit
The Tibet Travel Permit usually has two pages with the first being the letter of approval given to you by the Tibet Tourism Board that has a specific number that’s unique. On the Tibet Travel Permit there is also an anti-fraudulence seal label on top right side. The second page of the Tibet Travel Permit contains the list of names of people in the group. Both pages must have stamp from the Tibet Travel Permit bureau. In your application for the Tibet Travel Permit, you must state your daily itinerary as well as dates of travel, hotel bookings, your personal information including your name, your nationality, your age, your gender, your passport number and your occupation.
What the Tibet Travel Permit Is For
The Tibet Travel Permit can only be used for entry into Tibet and for touring in the Lhasa region. You must exhibit the Tibet Travel Permit when you check into train stations and airports. The Tibet Travel Permit must be shown to the appropriate authorities. Because the Tibet Travel Permit is not for travel else where except from Lhasa, you will have to obtain other permits different from the Tibet Travel Permit such as the military permit and the Aliens Travel Permit.
It is much better to let a travel agency help you with the Tibet Travel Permit as this makes things much easier. It is also good to find out more about the recent rules and regulations for obtaining a Tibet Travel Permit changes occur very often.