Urgent Chinese Visa assistance required with Tibetan travel permit application

Snatchy

Hi guys - if anybody is in the mood for a good deed, my travel companions and I would be very grateful if you could pm me in respect of the below:

There are three of us hoping to travel to Lhasa from Beijing on 20 July this summer.

Current regulations require a minimum of 5 passports of the same nationality to be submitted to the relevant bereau before Tibetan travel permits can be issued.

Prior to applying for the Tibetan travel permit, all 5 passports must have valid Chinese visas.

In short we require two Irish passports with Chinese visas.

If you are planning to travel to China this month or in July and have obtained or are planning to obtain a Chinese visa, all that we would require are scans of your photo and visa pages from your passport. We would obviously cover the cost of the permits which are issued by way of letter and do not attach to passports.

Whether you choose to travel to Tibet will then be up to you!

I realise that passports are sensitive documents and will of course verify my identity etc. to you if you are willing to assist!

Many thanks for reading and considering.

Snatchy

Anyone?

caff

Why do you need 5 people? From the embassy site it seems you have to travel with a tour group to obtain the entry permit.

For travel to Tibet, an entry permit issued by the Tibetan Tourist Bureau is required. (Fax number of Tibetan Tourist Bureau: 0086-891-6834632; Telephone number:0086-891-6834313). The applicant is supposed to contact an authorized Chinese Tour Operator to organize an entry permit before applying for a Chinese visa.

http://ie.china-embassy.org/eng/Consular/AboutVisa/t112836.htm

From lonely planet forums it seems the ease if getting a permit depends hugely on the travel agent/tour operator that you process the permit through.

List of approved agents on this site.
http://www.xzta.gov.cn/yww/Applied_Info/Travel_Agency/default.shtml

dilallio

caff wrote: »

Why do you need 5 people? From the embassy site it seems you have to travel with a tour group to obtain the entry permit.

That document is out of date.
I think they changed the rules last month.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/tibet-travel-permit/prweb9561962.htm

The Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) is a document that consists of a traveler’s passport number, nationality, name, date of birth, and the name of the places they are visiting in Tibet. The TTP is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau, and it is necessary for all the foreign visitors traveling in Tibet to obtain this permit. It is necessary to show the TTP before boarding a flight or train from China to the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The Tibet Travel Permit is obtained from the Tibet Tourism Bureau, and all travelers should deal with local registered agencies in advance to get the permit, as there are several different types of permit depending on where in Tibet the traveler plans to go. To apply for the permit, travelers should submit their valid passports and a copy of their China visa to an authorized travel agency. For travel to a restricted region like Mt.Kailash, the permit must be applied for at least 20 days in advance. For travel to open areas like Lhasa and Mt. Everest, the permit should be applied for at least 10 days in advance.
A new regulation this year by the Tibet Tourism Bureau puts a limitation on the number of people in a group, making 5 people the minimum requirement to form a group with same nationalities. This is a major problem for those who prefer to travel solo in Tibet. This is an also a challenge for the local agencies in Tibet, who are facing huge losses for their business. In addition, agencies have tried many different ways to get the permits for solo travelers, they are sometimes effective but over time they face new challenges and can no longer procure the permits. There is no certainty about how long this new system will last, but most people think it will last for awhile.

Snatchy

Thanks for replies guys. Yep it's definitely five people. We've been in touch with tour guides in Lhasa and have been told to find two more people.