Indian citizens do not need an Inner Line Permit for Kinnaur or Spiti. The permit applies to foreign nationals travelling through the protected belt near the international border — broadly the villages beyond Pooh in Kinnaur and the Tabo–Sumdo side of Spiti. Foreign travellers apply in person at an authorised DM, ADC or SDM office, typically at Reckong Peo, Pooh or Kaza.
Quick facts
- Who needs it: foreign nationals only. Indian passport holders travel freely on this route.
- What it is called: Inner Line Permit (ILP) locally; Protected Area Permit (PAP) in central government language.
- Fee: ₹200 per person at the Kinnaur e-Governance Centre, per the District Kinnaur tourist guidelines. Travel agency service charges are extra.
- Where to apply: SDM offices at Kalpa (Reckong Peo), Pooh, Kaza, Rampur, Keylong and Shimla; DM/ADM offices at Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul & Spiti.
- Best season for the circuit: roughly late May to mid-October, with September and early October usually the most settled.
Do Indian citizens need an Inner Line Permit for Kinnaur or Spiti?
No. The permit exists because the strip of Himachal Pradesh between the Inner Line and the international border is a notified protected area under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958. The restriction is written for foreigners, not for Indian nationals.
This causes real confusion, because Himachal does have permits Indian travellers need — just different ones. If your plan touches Rohtang Pass or the Lahaul side, read our guide to Rohtang Pass permits and the Atal Tunnel in 2026; that is a separate district-level system with its own online portal and fees, and it applies to everyone.
So the short version for an Indian family driving Shimla–Reckong Peo–Kaza: carry photo ID, expect police checks at Jangi and Sumdo, but do not go hunting for an ILP office.
Which parts of Kinnaur and Spiti are protected areas?
The district administration publishes the list, and it is narrower than most people assume.
In Kinnaur, the notified villages sit almost entirely in Pooh block: Nako, Chango, Sumra, Shalkhar, Maling, Leo, Hango, Namgia, Khab, Dabling, Pooh, Spillow, Moorang, Thangi, Charang, Lippa, Asarang and neighbouring settlements. Shimla, Rampur, Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa and Reckong Peo are not on that list.
In Spiti sub-division, the notified places include Dhankar, Shichling, Poh, Tabo, Hurling, Lari, Gue, Samdo and Korik.
Two practical consequences follow. First, a foreign national can reach Kalpa or Chitkul without a permit but cannot legally continue past the Pooh belt towards Spiti without one. Second, roads leading to Shipki La and the Kaurik area off NH-5 stay closed to tourists regardless of paperwork, and photography of military installations and field defences is prohibited throughout the belt.
If Kinnaur itself is the trip rather than the corridor, our Kalpa, Sangla and Chitkul planning guide covers the valley at a sensible pace, and the Kinnaur destination page has the seasonal basics.
Where do foreign nationals get the Inner Line Permit?
Powers to issue the permit are delegated widely. The authorised list includes the Ministry of Home Affairs, Indian missions abroad, the Himachal Pradesh government, DM/ADM offices at Shimla, Kullu, Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur, and SDM offices at Shimla, Rampur, Kullu, Keylong, Kaza, Pooh, Kalpa and Bhavnagar, along with ITBP officers of appropriate rank.
In practice, most travellers apply at SDM Kalpa, located at Reckong Peo, if they are driving up from Shimla, or at SDM Spiti at Kaza if they are coming down from Manali. The Reckong Peo office is the conventional choice on the Shimla side because it sits directly on the route and processing is usually same-day.
The Bureau of Immigration's guidance on restricted and protected areas also sets out the formal route: apply through an Indian mission at least 30 days ahead if you are still abroad, or to the jurisdictional FRRO at least 15 days ahead if you are already in India. It also notes that travelling into a protected area without a permit invites action under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Because offices keep government hours and close on holidays, treat the permit as a half-day of your itinerary rather than an errand.
What documents and conditions apply?
Expect to be asked for a passport and valid visa, photocopies, passport photographs and a written itinerary. Form A under the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1939, is typically filled in triplicate.
Two conditions deserve attention because the published wording differs between districts. The District Kinnaur guidelines refer to foreign tourists in groups of two or more sponsored by a recognised travel agency with a pre-drawn itinerary, permitted for up to 30 days. The Lahaul & Spiti foreigner section refers to groups of four or more. Officers do exercise discretion, and solo travellers are often accommodated, but this is exactly the kind of rule that varies by office and by year. Confirm with the issuing office before you build a plan around it.
Separately, the Kinnaur page notes that a foreign tourist may visit Kaza, and the Kaza–Kibber–Parang La–Baralacha–Keylong–Manali trekking line, without a PAP. That does not remove the requirement for the Tabo–Sumdo villages in between, which is why the direction you travel matters.
What else changes on this route in September and October?
Permits are only half the planning. The Shimla–Kinnaur approach on NH-5 is open through the year in principle, but the monsoon tail brings short closures at known choke points such as Nigulsari and Maling Nala — sometimes hours, occasionally days. September usually improves week by week; by early October the road is typically at its most reliable before cold sets in.
The Manali side is different. The Gramphu–Batal–Kunzum stretch has a seasonal window and closes with early snow, which is covered in our Manali to Kaza via Kunzum Pass guide. If you want the circuit rather than an out-and-back, the safer order in late season is usually up via Shimla and out via Manali, while Kunzum is still open — the reasoning behind our Shimla to Kaza route guide.
For transport itself, this corridor rewards keeping one vehicle and one driver for several days rather than stitching together drops, which is what day and multi-day rentals are designed for. Himsafar is currently in waitlist mode, so treat fare estimates on the site as indicative and confirm locally.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the Kinnaur or Spiti Inner Line Permit online? There is no dedicated online application for this permit at present. Applications are made in person at the authorised DM, ADC or SDM offices, or in advance through an Indian mission or the FRRO.
How much does the Inner Line Permit cost? District Kinnaur publishes a fee of ₹200 per person at the e-Governance Centre, with travel agency service charges on top. Amounts quoted at other offices vary, so check before you queue.
How long is the permit valid? Validity is decided case by case and is commonly issued for a week or two. The Kinnaur guidelines refer to visits of up to 30 days for sponsored groups. Ask for dates that cover your full transit window, including buffer days.
Do OCI cardholders need the permit? OCI and PIO cardholders are treated under foreign-national rules for protected areas. Check with the issuing office or FRRO rather than assuming Indian-citizen treatment.
What if the road closes while my permit is running? Landslide closures on NH-5 are common enough that permits with only a day of slack are risky. Build two spare days into both the permit dates and your onward bookings.
A practical recommendation
If you hold an Indian passport, stop worrying about the ILP and spend the planning time on road conditions, altitude acclimatisation at Nako or Tabo, and fuel stops. If you are a foreign national, get the permit at Reckong Peo on the way up, keep several photocopies for the Jangi, Dubling and Sumdo checkposts, and carry dates with slack in them.
Either way, verify current conditions close to departure — rules and roads in this belt both change faster than guidebooks do. Our hill-travel safety notes cover the general checks worth running before any Kinnaur or Spiti trip.
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