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The inner line permit:who needs it for Kinnaur and Spiti, and who does not
The inner line permit is a border-area document, not a tourist one, and it is a different thing entirely from the Rohtang permit — different authority, different reason, different stretch of road. It is required for the belt of Kinnaur and Spiti that runs close to the Tibet border, roughly between Jangi and Sumdo, and it is checked at posts on that stretch. Indian nationals travelling in a group get it readily; foreign nationals face a stricter process and cannot travel alone on it. If your route stops short of that belt — Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa — you do not need one at all.
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- Needed for
- The Jangi–Sumdo border belt
- Not needed for
- Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa
- Not the same as
- The Rohtang permit
- Foreign nationals
- Stricter process, no solo travel
Three things make this permit confusing, and all three are worth clearing up before anything else.
It is confused with the Rohtang permit, which is a completely separate document: Rohtang is an environmental cap on a pass above Manali, issued by the Himachal authorities; the inner line permit is a border-area clearance issued by the district administration. Taking the Manali approach to Spiti over Kunzum La involves the first and may still involve the second further on; taking the Shimla approach through Kinnaur involves the second and not the first.
It is also assumed to cover all of Kinnaur, which it does not. The spectacular and most-visited parts — Sarahan, the Sangla valley, Chitkul and Kalpa — sit outside the restricted belt and need no permit.
And the rules differ substantially between Indian and foreign nationals, which a page that treats "tourists" as one category gets wrong for half its readers.
Where the permit is needed and where it is not
The practical boundary runs roughly from Jangi to Sumdo. Everything before it on the Shimla approach is unrestricted.
| Destination | Permit | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Narkanda | No | Apple country on the Hindustan-Tibet road, Hatu Peak above it |
| Sarahan | No | The Bhimakali temple, one of the finest buildings in the Himalaya |
| Sangla valley | No | The Baspa river valley, Kamru fort |
| Chitkul | No | The last inhabited village on the Baspa, before the restricted belt |
| Kalpa and Reckong Peo | No | Kinnaur Kailash across the valley; the district headquarters |
| Nako | **Yes** | Inside the belt; a high village with a lake |
| Sumdo | **Yes** | The checkpoint where the Spiti valley proper begins |
| Tabo | **Yes** via Kinnaur | The thousand-year-old mud monastery |
| Dhankar, Kaza, Kibber, Key | Varies by approach | Spiti proper; the Manali approach over Kunzum La differs |
| Chandratal | Varies | Reached from the Kunzum La side; conditions change |
The restricted belt and the documents required are set by the district administration and have been revised more than once. Treat the shape of this table as reliable and confirm the current position close to your travel date — which is what the last section is about.
Indian nationals
What Indian citizens need, and where to get it
An inner line permit, applied for with photo identity, at the district administration offices on the route — Reckong Peo for the Kinnaur side and Kaza for the Spiti side are the usual places, and the sub-divisional offices along the way also issue them.
It is granted routinely for a travelling group with valid identity, and it is not an onerous process. What catches people out is timing rather than refusal: the offices keep working hours and government holidays, and arriving at Reckong Peo at four on a Saturday afternoon expecting to continue to Nako that evening does not work.
The practical arrangement is to build the permit stop into the itinerary as a thing that takes a morning, not an errand. On a Shimla-to-Spiti run that means a night at Kalpa or Reckong Peo with the permit collected the next morning before continuing — which is a good night halt in any case.
If you travel with us we arrange it as part of the booking and build the stop into the day plan rather than discovering it on the road.
Foreign nationals
A different and stricter process
Foreign nationals require a protected area permit rather than the ordinary inner line permit, and the conditions are materially different. The two that matter most in practice: it is **issued to a group rather than an individual**, so solo travel on it is not possible, and it is time-limited to a stated number of days within the belt.
It is also generally processed through an authorised travel agent rather than over a counter, which means it needs arranging in advance rather than on the route. Turning up at Reckong Peo as a foreign national without having set this in motion is the commonest way this trip fails.
Nationals of some countries face additional restrictions in border areas. We will not state which, because that list is set by the Ministry of Home Affairs and changes; what we will do is tell you honestly at the enquiry stage whether your nationality adds a step, and arrange the permit where it can be arranged.
The two approaches
Kinnaur or Kunzum La, and what each implies
The **Shimla approach** runs up the Hindustan-Tibet road through Narkanda, Sarahan, Kalpa and Nako to Sumdo. It is open far more of the year than the Manali side, it gains altitude gradually, and it is the approach that needs the inner line permit. It is also the better one for acclimatisation, which on a valley at 3,800 metres is not a small consideration.
The **Manali approach** crosses Kunzum La at 4,590 metres and is open only from roughly June to October. It needs a Rohtang permit if you cross the pass itself, though the Atal tunnel reaches the Gramphu junction without one. It is shorter and far more dramatic, and it throws you to altitude in a day, which is the reason altitude sickness is a real risk on it.
The arrangement most experienced travellers use is **in via Shimla and out via Manali** — up the Kinnaur side gradually with the permit, across Spiti, and out over Kunzum La when it is open. It also means the permit is only needed for the half of the loop where it applies.
Rohtang pass permit: how to get one, and when you do not need it
How to check
Confirming the current position rather than trusting a page
The restricted belt, the documents and the issuing offices have been revised more than once, and any page stating them as permanent facts will eventually be wrong. What is stable is the structure: a border belt in upper Kinnaur and Spiti needs a permit, the approaches to it do not, Indian nationals get one readily with identity, and foreign nationals face a group-based protected area permit arranged in advance.
For the specifics on your dates, the district administration is the authority and we check with them rather than relying on anything published. If you book with us the permit is part of the arrangement, and we will tell you at the enquiry stage if your route or nationality changes what is needed.
One thing worth saying plainly: this is not a trip to improvise. Spiti is a high-altitude border region with limited fuel, limited medical facilities and a short season, and the permit is the least difficult part of planning it properly.
Three things the drivers would tell you
Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul and Kalpa need no permit
The best-known parts of Kinnaur sit outside the restricted belt. If your trip stops there, this page does not apply to you.
It is not the Rohtang permit
Different authority, different reason, different road. A Shimla-side Spiti trip needs this one and not that one.
Build a morning into the itinerary for it
The issuing offices keep working hours and holidays. A night at Kalpa or Reckong Peo with the permit collected next morning is the arrangement that works.
Foreign nationals cannot travel solo on it
The protected area permit is issued to a group and arranged in advance through an authorised agent, not over a counter on the route.
In via Shimla, out via Manali
Gradual altitude gain on the way up, the dramatic Kunzum La crossing on the way out, and the permit needed for only half the loop.
Questions people ask
Frequently asked questions
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