Foreign tourists do sightseeing in Norbu Lingka, Tibet's capital of Lhasa during the National Holiday in 2009. [Photo: Tibet Daily/Jiang Gai]

Foreigners need to get the following ready before you start your trip to Tibet, according to Tibet Daily.

Applying for the travel permission:

A foreigner needs to submit his/her travel period, route(s) to Tibet, travel purpose, name, passport number, occupation, work place, address and contact information to the Tibet Autonomous Regional Tourist Reception Agency via a local travel agency. He/she will go through the confirmation procedures in a short period. Usually, the confirmation letter will be delivered by express to a domestic location in seven days.

Certificates: Passport and Visa:

A foreign tourist or mountaineer should bear a native passport and a visa issued by the Chinese Embassy stationed in his/her country, except that tourists from the countries that have signed visa-free agreements with China.

Confirmation Letter:

Organized oversea travel groups should apply for the letter through the Tibet Autonomous Regional Tourist Reception Agency. Tourists can consult the tour offices of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Tourism Bureau in the places such as Beijing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Shanghai, Xining, Hong Kong SAR, and oversea offices in the countries like Nepal, the U.S. and Japan.