Foreigners are required to have a Tibet Travel Permit (TTB) to travel to Tibet. These are supposedly only available from travel agents operating in Chengdu and Beijing. If you are a foreigner buying a plane ticket to Lhasa, you will invariably be asked to pay for such a permit. However with the railway going to Lhasa and the increased tourism in Tibet (including the many foreigners who are attracted by the “mysteries” of Tibet), the situation with the TTB is a little unclear now. In my recent visit, I was told by some foreigners who flew in from Chengdu and Beijing that they are still required to pay for a TTB. I also met some foreigners who have traveled on the train and/or independently overland from other provinces who did not have a TTB and was never asked to produce one by anyone.

However there is a still a requirement for foreigners to obtain an Alien Permit (AP) to travel to different parts of Tibet (such as Shigatse, Everest Base Camp and so on). These AP’s can be obtained at a fee from the major Public Security Bureau (PSB), basically police stations of the regions.

An AP is a MUST for a foreigner in the Ngari region. Ngari is bordering India and is a sensitive military area (being close to Aksai Chin, the part of former Kashmir that is disputed and occupied by China). Even Chinese nationals are required to have a Border Permit (边防证) to visit Ngari. There are regular military and police checkpoints on Ngari roads (one from Yechen and six from Lhasa/Shigatse) and one is required to produce the necessary permit to continue (please see “Getting There” section on permits as well).

The common practice for foreigners (and the one I used recently) visiting Ngari is to arrive at Shiquanhe, then surrender oneself to the PSB and ask to be issued an AP. There will be a fine (currently) of 300 RMB for entering Ngari without a permit and a charge of 50 RMB to get an AP. It is a totally painless process- the staff at the PSB is very friendly. It is important to note that one has to be specific with the places to be included in the AP to be issued- all the potential places to visit should be included. It is also recommended to request the inclusion of the exit routes in the AP.