Tibet Permit, Tibet Travel Permit, Tibet Entry Permit, Alien's Travel Permit, Military Permission

1. What is Tibet Permit?
All foreigners travel to Tibet including Lhasa and the surrounding area must have a Tibet Travel Permit. Without this permit, you can not board the plane or train to Lhasa.

2. Tibet Entry Permit, Alien's Travel Permit and Military Permission
In addition to your Tibet Travel Permit, there are other permits that are needed for traveling to certain regions of Tibet. If you only plan on being in the Lhasa area or to Yamdrok Lake, Gyantse or Shigatse no additional permits are needed. However, if you plan on traveling west of Shigatse or east of Lhasa to Lhoka, Nyingtri or Chamdo Prefectures, you will also need an Alien Travel Permit. An Alien Travel Permit is usually arranged when you arrived in Lhasa or Shigatse. You cannot get this on your own. If you plan on going west of Lhatse into Ngari or to Mt. Kailash (West Tibet), you will also need a Military Permit in addition to your Tibet Travel Permit and Alien Travel Permit. Military permits usually take several days to arrange and again, can only be arranged by a travel agency. If you plan on traveling to sensitive border areas near India, you will further need a Foreign Affairs Permit in addition to the 3 other permits mentioned above. Again, there are numerous police checkpoints throughout Tibet. It will be nearly impossible to travel without having these permits, a tour guide or a private vehicle with driver. If you are caught without having these permits, you can expect a fine between Y300 and Y500 and to be escorted out of Tibet immediately. In certain areas such as near the India border, you can expect the consequences to be even stiffer with the possibility of being detained by the police for a few days.

3. How to Get the Tibet Permit or Tibet Travel Permit?
Simply send the copies of passports and Chinese visa to the local travel agency based in Lhasa of Tibet to apply and get the Tibet permit or Tibet Travel Permit easily. Generally, it will cost 3 days to get the permits, or 1 day as urgent case.

4. Special Policy for Singaporean to Get the Tibet Travel Permit
People from Singapore only need passport, as they don't need apply for visa if their travel period in China is within 15 days.

5. "L" Chinese Visa and Tibet Permit
"L" visa holder just requires passport and Chinese visa.

6. "F", "RESIDENCE" China Visa and Tibet permit
"F" or "Z" visa holder are required to provide additional information, i.e. a certification with your full names, nationality, passport number, dates of entry and exit China, and the stamps of your company in China.

7. "Z", "WORKING PERMIT" Chinese Visa and Tibet Permit
If you are invited to China for business, research, lecture, scientific-technological and culture exchanges, short-term advanced studies or inter practice for a period of no more than six months, a certification by your Chinese travel agency is required.