Permits and visas: a land-by-land guide

Four of our seven lands need no special permit at all: Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa and UP & Bihar are open to anyone with the right visa, with tickets only for parks and monuments. Ladakh and much of the North East have border permits, which differ for Indian and foreign nationals. Nepal is a separate country with its own visa, not needed by Indian citizens, plus park and trekking fees. None of it is difficult when a registered operator handles it, but the rules change often, sometimes within a single season.

Everything in this article is our understanding as of late summer 2026. Fees, portals, eligible nationalities and closed areas are revised by the authorities at short notice, and the same checkpost can apply rules differently from one month to the next. Treat every figure below as indicative and check current status before you travel. When you travel with us, we confirm the rules for your exact route and nationality before you book flights, and again a few weeks before departure.

Foreign nationals need a visa for India. Citizens of many countries can apply online for an e-Visa, in tourist versions valid for 30 days, one year or five years; the 30-day version has allowed two entries and the longer ones multiple entries. Apply at least four days before arrival, and only through the official government portal, as look-alike sites charge extra fees. E-Visa holders have generally been able to enter India only at designated airports and seaports, not land borders. Check current status before you travel.

Nepal issues a tourist visa on arrival to most nationalities at Kathmandu airport and the main land borders: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days, all multiple entry, paid preferably in clean US dollar notes. Indian nationals need no visa, only a passport or voter ID card. If you travel India, then Nepal, then India again, make sure your Indian visa allows re-entry. Passports should have at least six months' validity and blank pages for stamps in both countries.

The table lists what each land needs beyond a visa. ILP means Inner Line Permit, PAP Protected Area Permit and RAP Restricted Area Permit. Fees are approximate and change; check current status before you travel.

Separate rules cover drones, satellite phones and photography near military areas in every border region. Drones need permission in much of Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal, satellite phones should not be brought into India without approval, and checkposts, bridges and army camps must never be photographed.

Leh, the Indus valley monasteries, Alchi, Lamayuru and Zanskar have generally needed no permit. The protected areas begin where the roads approach the borders: Nubra and Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Hanle. Indian nationals have registered online through the Leh permit portal since the old Inner Line Permit was relaxed in 2021, paying an environmental fee and a Red Cross contribution. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit, applied for by a registered travel agency in Leh with copies of the passport and Indian visa.

Permits are usually ready within a day, so we apply on your first or second day in Leh while you acclimatise. Checkposts at South Pullu and North Pullu on the Khardung La road, and around Tangtse and Nyoma on the eastern routes, inspect them, and your driver handles each stop. Foreigners' access to Hanle and to the Chushul road has opened and closed at different times, so we confirm those routes before finalising any itinerary. Hemis National Park adds its own entry and camping fees. Check current status before you travel.

Arunachal Pradesh needs the most planning. Indian citizens apply online for a tourist eILP, which under guidelines published in March 2026 covers the whole state for 15 days at about ₹300. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit through an approved operator, usually for two or more people on a fixed itinerary, with a royalty of about USD 30 to 50; allow four to six weeks. Gates at Bhalukpong, on the Tawang road, and Banderdewa, near Itanagar, check permits, and Bum La pass is closed to foreigners.

Since December 2024, foreign visitors to Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur have again needed a PAP, though the rule was relaxed for the 2025 Hornbill Festival. In Sikkim, Indians travel freely to Gangtok and Pelling, while foreigners need a free Restricted Area Permit, issued at Rangpo or Bagdogra. Everyone needs extra permits for Tsomgo Lake and North Sikkim, arranged a day ahead in Gangtok, and Nathu La is open to Indian citizens only. Assam and Meghalaya need no permits. Check current status before you travel.

National parks and conservation areas charge their own fees, separate from border permits. In Nepal, foreigners pay NPR 3,000 for the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, which covers walks from Pokhara and the flight to Jomsom, and NPR 3,000 for Sagarmatha National Park plus NPR 2,000 for the Khumbu municipality on Everest walks. Chitwan entry is about NPR 2,000 per day, arranged by your lodge. SAARC nationals, including Indians, pay lower rates. Since 2023, most foreign trekkers in Nepal must walk with a licensed guide.

In India, Ranthambore safaris are booked online by zone and time, tied to each passenger's ID, and the best slots for winter weekends go quickly. Kaziranga sells safari places by range and closes from about May or June until October. Periyar and other Kerala forest areas sell limited activity slots through the forest department. Upper Mustang, north of Kagbeni, needs a restricted area permit of USD 500 for the first 10 days, for at least two travellers with a licensed guide. All these fees change, sometimes yearly; check current status before you travel.

Permits are part of every journey we plan, and the fees are included in the price. What we need from you is short:

We prepare the applications, pay the fees, carry printed copies for every checkpost and brief your driver and guide on each stop. If a rule changes between booking and travel, or a road closes and the route needs a new permit, we tell you straight away and adjust the plan. Journeys with the most paperwork, such as ten nights in Mustang from ₹8,50,000 per person or eleven nights in Ziro and Tawang from ₹3,20,000, are the ones where an early start helps most.

• A clear scan of your passport photo page, and your Indian visa once issued.
• For Indian guests, a passport, Aadhaar card or voter ID matching your booking.
• Passport-style photographs for Sikkim and Upper Mustang permits.
• Fixed dates for Arunachal, Nagaland and Upper Mustang at least six weeks ahead.
• A note of any drone, professional camera or satellite equipment you plan to bring.