How many “permits” do i need for a Tibet trip?
In our previous post, we mentioned that Chinese Travel Visa and Tibet Travel Permit are the 2 necessary documents for you to make a trip in Tibet. This is correct, however, this is also not sufficient for some other tours, because few other documents are also required to apply in advance for the tours to the remote area or counties that are bordered with foreign country. What are those documents? please go ahead to read through this post…,
Tibet is not like the other central located provinces of China, Tibet is bordered with some other countries, such as: Bhutan, India, Nepal; Obviously there is other law to administrate provinces or prefecture bordering with foreign countries like Tibet, This law is similar as other countries around this globe, It is called “border control” that requires all visitor including both foreign and chinese visitor to travel with one document that generally named: “Pass”, of which is also called “Alien’s Travel Pass” when foreign visitors travel with; and the same “Pass” is also called “Chinese Border Pass”, when chinese visitors travel with it; It is also confirmed that this pass is Not required for all Tibet tours, it is for the tour that goes to the region or district with bordering of foreign countries; For example, when you travel to Kathmandu from Lhasa, you will need this “Pass”, because you will travel through the border area of Tibet. This document is administrated by Public Security Bureau – short for ‘PSB’, so quite a lot of people call this “Alien’s Travel Pass” as “PSB pass” or “PSB permit”;
It is also clear that Army is an organization that a nation use to protect for its safe; The districts of Border is also administrated by Army, which requires all foreign visitors need to have an “Army Travel Pass” to travel through the bordering area; most of people call this document as “Army Permit”
In Tibet, there is another Government agency that is named: “Foreign Affairs Department”; this government agency also requires foreign visitors to travel with registration of this agency; Not for all area, but the area with bordering foreign countries;
What we need to pay attention is: A huge area of Tibet from east of Bangda to the West of Ali, and South to Zhangmu is bordered with over 3 different countries or territory, which results many tours that requiring the foreign visitors to travel with not only Chinese Travel Visa and Tibet Travel Permit, but also Alien’s Travel Pass, Army Travel Pass, Registration of Foreign Affairs Department; This sounds a lot, however, there is still one missed; when you make a trip to West Tibet for the ruin of Guge Kingdom, all visitors are required to have a registration at Department of Culture of Tibet; Now, it is all!
Complicated…? Yes, But NO!!! Why…? Check out our previous post, and Note: Tourists or Visitors do not need to apply for any permit or document in person. It is your travel agent, which you choose for the ground services of Tibet, shall be responsible for the whole papers application; What the tourist or visitors to do is to provide truthful personal information of Passport copy and Chinese visa, or even without Chinese visa if you enter Tibet from Nepal; all applications shall be accomplished before your arrival of Tibet by your travel agent!
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