Xinjiang border permits: Karakul and Tashkurgan planning

For a Karakul Lake or Tashkurgan trip, check border-area access separately from permission to enter China. The NIA’s electronic border-pass guide requires foreign applicants to apply in person at a designated office. Before booking, ask the local operator to verify every stop, your nationality, dates and documents. Permit assistance is not yet a confirmed service on this website.

Editorial review: 2026-11-06

Documents for an in-person application

The NIA guide lists a completed application form, a qualifying photo and valid identity or travel documents. For foreign applicants, check which of your documents the receiving office accepts; do not assume the mainland-resident online process applies to you.

Ask for the receiving office’s full name, address, opening hours and document checklist before your application day.
List every planned stop and overnight town. Ask the operator to check the whole route, not only the headline destination.
If travelling with children, ask the office which identity and guardianship documents are needed for your family.

Sources: NIA: electronic border-pass application guide (Chinese)

Who does what before departure

You provide accurate travel details and attend any required application. Ask the proposed operator to confirm the office visit, transport, language assistance and any charge for those services in writing. The issuing authority makes the permit decision.

Xinjiang Trail publishes planning information and accepts email questions. Permit handling is not a confirmed service here. A driver booking, a hotel reservation or a reply from this website is not evidence that border access has been approved.

A Kashgar fallback if the mountain leg cannot go ahead

Keep the mountain leg conditional until access, roads and accommodation are separately confirmed. An editorial fallback is extra time in Kashgar for an old-town walk and a food visit, with opening arrangements checked locally. It is a proposed use of time, not a confirmed replacement package.

Before paying, agree who contacts you if access changes and when the final decision will be made.
Ask how unused driving, hotel and activity charges would be handled; do not assume a refund or a free replacement.

Questions before booking

Can foreign visitors apply online?

The NIA guide directs foreign applicants to an in-person application at an authorised office. Ask the receiving office about your case before relying on an app-based process.

Is a permit the same as a guaranteed road opening?

No. Confirm permission, current road access and overnight arrangements separately. Include a fallback in the quote before you commit to the mountain leg.

Should I send a passport scan with my first question?

No scan is needed for an initial route question. Start with nationality, dates and planned stops. If documents are later needed, ask the named operator why, who receives them and how to submit them.