Country guide

Tibet

Visa

Visa required

Vaccinations

Conditional

Currency

Renminbi Yuan (CNY)

Time zones

UTC/GMT +8 hours (6 hours ahead of South Africa)

Dialing code

+ 86

Best time to go

April – October

Drinking water

All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Milk is unpasteurised.

Travel tips

Note: Mar 5, Mar 10, May 23, Sep 1, Sep 27, Oct 1 and Dec 10 are politically sensitive dates, which have marked past protests. Travel is not recommended around these dates.
Tibet generally closes to foreign travellers for the entire month of March.

Visa guide

Visa requirements

Travel Permits are required. These are only obtainable through a certified tour agency.

China's cities (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) and Nepal are the only entry points for Tibet.

If you are arriving from China, you will need to apply for a China Tourist Visa first. Your tour agency may recommend not mentioning that you are travelling to Tibet on your application.

-If you are arriving from Nepal, you will need to apply for the Tibet Group Visa through your certified tour agency - even if you have a visa for China.

NOTE: If you are travelling outside of Lhasa, you will need additional permits.

Health / vaccinations

Compulsory: Yellow Fever (Dependant on Country of Origin/Stopover)
Recommended Travel Vaccines: Hepatitis A & B, Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis (Not available in SA), Tick-Borne Encephalitis (Not available in SA), Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio
Malaria Risk