Can I get my Tibet permit in New York (London, Pairs, Hong Kong)?

For tours from April to October, the Tibet permit will generally be issued to your tour company only about 5 or 6 days before the trip starts. There is no DHL or UPS courier service in Lhasa, so firstly, there is no enough time to courier the permit to New York. Considering your permit will not be checked out of China, so secondly, it's pointless to courier the permit to New York. There is no direct international flight (except from Kathmandu) to Lhasa, so anyway, you have to connect another domestic flight from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Chengdu to Lhasa, and your permit will only be checked at airport in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Chengdu. Based on the above reasons, your tour company will just courier the permit to your hotel in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Chengdu where you connect another flight to Lhasa. You can get your Tibet permit upon check-in at your hotel. Normally, a 3 days' courier from Lhasa can reach any big city in China; so, you can receive your permit from the hotel about 2 or 3 days before the trip.

The above situation only applies to those who take flight into Lhasa from a certain Chinese city, if you take train into Lhasa. The permit scan copy can be sent to you immediately by email when your tour company gets the permit for you 5 or 6 day before the trip. You just need print out the permit and bring along on the train for the possible checking.