For visitors from abroad

India travel permits for foreign nationals

Most of India needs nothing beyond your visa. A handful of border and island regions need a permit, and the rules for non-Indian citizens are not the ones Indian travellers follow. Here they are, region by region, with the office that issues each and the official page to reconfirm on.

September 2026 edition

First, the visa

Most nationalities can apply online for an e-Tourist Visa (30-day, 1-year or 5-year) instead of visiting an embassy. Apply at least 4 days before you fly; the 30-day visa can be applied for up to 30 days ahead, the longer ones up to 120 days ahead. Nationals of Nepal and Bhutan need no visa.

An e-Visa is valid for entry only at the designated international airports and seaports listed on the portal. Land borders are not on that list, so an overland arrival from Nepal or Bangladesh needs a regular visa.

Indian e-Visa portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in)

Regions where foreign nationals need a permit or registration

Arunachal Pradesh

Foreign nationalsPlan 2-4 weeks ahead

Protected Area Permit (PAP)

Arranged through a registered tour operator; group and route conditions apply.

Arunachal Tourism

Permit rules get revised - reconfirm on the official portal before booking non-refundable travel.

Nagaland

Foreign nationalsOn arrival

Registration on arrival

No pre-permit, but register at the district Foreigners Registration Office within 24 hours of arrival.

Nagaland Tourism

Permit rules get revised - reconfirm on the official portal before booking non-refundable travel.

Sikkim (protected areas)

Foreign nationalsOn arrival at the checkpost

Restricted Area Permit (RAP)

Free RAP at the Rangpo/Melli checkpost or via Indian missions; some high-border zones stay off-limits or operator-only.

Sikkim Tourism

Permit rules get revised - reconfirm on the official portal before booking non-refundable travel.

Lakshadweep

All visitorsStart 3-4 weeks before travel

Entry Permit

All non-residents need an entry permit via the ePermit portal (police clearance certificate required) or bundled with a SPORTS/package booking.

Lakshadweep ePermit

Ferry and flight capacity is the real constraint - permits are tied to confirmed onward bookings.

Andaman Islands

Foreign nationalsOn arrival

Registration on arrival

RAP requirements were relaxed for the main islands - immigration stamps your entry at Port Blair. Nicobar and tribal areas stay closed.

A&N Administration

Permit rules get revised - reconfirm on the official portal before booking non-refundable travel.

Ladakh (inner-line areas)

Foreign nationals1-2 days via an agency in Leh

Protected Area Permit (PAP)

Through a registered Leh travel agency; some areas require a minimum group size, and a few (parts of Hanle/Chushul belt) stay restricted.

Leh district portal

Border-area rules shift with the security situation - always reconfirm in Leh before driving east.

Spiti (foreigner corridor)

Foreign nationalsUsually same day at the SDM office

Inner Line Permit for the Kinnaur-Spiti stretch

Foreign nationals need an ILP for the Sumdo-Tabo-Kaza corridor along the Tibet border - issued at Reckong Peo (SDM) or Kaza (ADC).

Lahaul-Spiti district

Carry passport photos and copies - offices are offline-first here.

Everywhere else

Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh outside the Kinnaur-Spiti border belt, and the rest of the country need no permit for foreign visitors. Carry your passport and a printed copy of the visa: hotels register foreign guests, and districts along an international border can run checks. Every destination page on Travelmetry carries a "Visiting from abroad" panel with the rule for that exact place.

International gateways

Airports with meaningful scheduled international service, where an e-Visa can be used on arrival. Each destination page names the nearest one to that place.

Delhi (DEL)
Mumbai (BOM)
Bengaluru (BLR)
Chennai (MAA)
Kolkata (CCU)
Hyderabad (HYD)
Kochi (COK)
Ahmedabad (AMD)
Goa (GOI)
Thiruvananthapuram (TRV)
Amritsar (ATQ)
Jaipur (JAI)
Lucknow (LKO)
Guwahati (GAU)
Kozhikode (CCJ)
Mangaluru (IXE)
Tiruchirappalli (TRZ)
Bhubaneswar (BBI)
Visakhapatnam (VTZ)
Pune (PNQ)
Chandigarh (IXC)
Coimbatore (CJB)
Bagdogra (IXB)
Nagpur (NAG)
Varanasi (VNS)

Questions first-time visitors ask

Do foreign tourists need a permit to visit India?

No general permit beyond your visa. A permit is only required in specific border and island regions: parts of Ladakh, North Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, the Kinnaur-Spiti corridor, Lakshadweep, and parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Everywhere else, including Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa, Himachal outside the border belt and Uttarakhand, your visa is enough.

What is the difference between a PAP, a RAP and an ILP?

An Inner Line Permit (ILP) is what Indian citizens need in certain north-eastern states and Ladakh. Foreign nationals in the same places typically need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) or, in Sikkim, a Restricted Area Permit (RAP), usually arranged through a registered tour operator or issued at a checkpost. The names differ because the legal instruments differ; the practical question is the same: which office, how many days, and whether a group is required.

Can I get an Indian e-Visa and still visit these regions?

Yes. The e-Visa governs entry into India; the permits above are issued inside India by the state or district administration and sit alongside any visa type. Apply for the visa first, then the permit closer to travel.

How far ahead should I apply?

Ladakh and Sikkim permits are usually same-day to two days through an agency or at the checkpost. Arunachal PAPs need two to four weeks and a registered operator. Lakshadweep permits are tied to confirmed onward bookings and need three to four weeks. Nagaland and the Andamans require only registration on arrival.

Planning where to go? The Offbeat 20 is the atlas's own pick of India away from the tourist trail, and the directory lists every destination by state.