Technically, a Tibet Travel Permit is sufficient if you are only visiting the Lhasa Prefecture. However, you will need an additional Tibet permit depending on the region you visit.
The following are the three additional Tibet permits and requirements.
- If you are visiting Tsamda County, which is home to the Guge Kingdom and Dungkar Piyang Cave and Tholing Monastery, you will need a military permit from the Xinjiang Military District. If you are traveling to Nagqu, the northern route from Kailash to Namtso Lake, or overland from Chengdu to Lhasa via the Riwaoche (northern) route, you will need a military permit from Tibet. Also, from September 2026 onward, Mount Kailash and Manasarovar Lake no longer require a military permit.
- An aliens permit is only needed if you are traveling to Tsamda Country, home to the Guge Kingdom, Dungkar Piyang Cave, and Tholing Monastery. You will also need an aliens permit if your tour route covers Chamdo prefecture and Nagqu prefecture, especially if you are travel overland from Kailash to Lhasa via the Northern route (Great Northern Circle Tour) and Yunnan to Tibet, Sichuan to Tibet, or Qinghai to Tibet overland. This permit is no longer required if you are visiting normal tourist areas like Lhasa, Lhoka, Shigatse, Ngari, and Kongpo.
- Additionally, a Tibet Borders Permit is an additional Tibet permit. You will need it if you travel to any border region and arrive in Tibet from Nepal by flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa. You will also need it if you travel overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Once you book your tour with any local travel agency in Tibet. they will automatically arrange these additional Tibet permits, as required. But you need to know which ones are required for your Tibet travel. If you would like to learn more, let me know your Tibet tour package. We can tell you what permits you will require. Please write to us at info@itibettravel.com.