For Tibet tours, foreign travelers must have not only a standard Chinese visa but also special travel permits and in some cases a military permit. Chinese visa are generally obtained from most Chinese embassies and consulates.

    Tibet Permit

    It's necessary to have a special travel permit which must be issued in either Lhasa,Chengdu, Kunming, Beijing, Xi'an or Xining.

    Tibet Permit, also known as Tibet Tourism Bureau (T.T.B.) Permits, is necessary to enter Lhasa or any other part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and is obtained as part of tour arrangements for travel to Tibet.

    To obtain such permits, it is necessary to make your travel arrangements through a bona fide agency, providing details of full name, sex, nationality, date of birth, occupation, and passport number. Please note that it��s also impossible to obtain flights to Tibet without the Travel Permit.

    The permits themselves specify every destination and town that you wish to visit and can not be changed once you have arrived in Tibet, therefore be certain to detail all possible destinations in your request as well as the route you wish to follow.

    Travel Permit

    Travel Permit, also called Aliens' Travel Permit (A.T.P), is required to visit closed areas. It is issued by Foreign Affairs Section of the Local Public Security Bureau (PSB).The Law on the Control of Entry and Exit of Foreigners (Order of the President of the People's Republic of China (No.31), 22.11.1985, Chapter 4), says:

    Article 20: Foreigners who hold valid visas or residence certificates may travel to places declared open to foreigners by the Chinese Government.

    Article 21: Foreigners who desire to travel to places closed to foreigners shall apply for travel permits from local public security organs [i.e., the police].