Military Permit

For traveling to Tibet, the government requires you to apply for a slew of permits - sometimes, even ten. The basic of them all is the Tibet Travel Permit, which is issued by the Tibet Travel Bureau (TTB). TTP is the first and foremost permit that you would need to travel to Tibet. You will have to apply for it with a Tibet Travel Agency. Once provided, you will have access to most tourist destinations in Tibet.

But if you are feeling a little inquisitive and want to discover more about Tibet, the TTB permit is not enough. The military-sensitive areas of Tibet require you to apply for a military permit, which is issued by the Military office in Lhasa. Only then can you explore the backend and unopen areas such as Ngari (Lake Mansarovar, Mt. Kailash, etc.). Please note that in addition to a Military Permit and Tibet travel permit, you also need an Alien's Entry Permit. But you don’t have to worry about it. All you need to do is submit your scanned documents(your Passport and Chinese Visa) to your travel agency then your agency will handle all the related documents for you.

Areas Require Military Permit

1. Ngari: all the places you will visit such as Mt. Kailash, Lake Mansarovar, etc.
2. Nyingchi: some places you will visit such as Pomi, etc.
3. Chamdo: all the places you will visit such as Chamdo, Riwoche, etc.

You are also expected to apply for a Military Permit if you are planning to make any overlanding trips from Chinese provinces such as Yunnan, Xinjiang, Sichuan, or Qinghai to Tibet, during which you need to get through the unopened areas. The same condition also applies if you take a flight from Lhasa, Urumqi or Kashgar to Ngari.

Applying for a Military Permit is not that difficult, but it sure is a lengthy process. So we would advise you to submit the necessary documents about a month before setting off the journey. Scanned copies of documents that you are required to submit are your passport as well as your China visa. You can relax as much as you want. Your travel agency will take care of the rest.