If you’re an Indian citizen, you don’t need an Inner Line Permit for Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri or Hanle. The Leh administration’s permit portal says plainly that the Inner Line Permit now applies only to foreign tourists. Instead, you pay an environmental fee of ₹400 per person, plus a small wildlife fee and a Red Cross contribution, on the official portal, lahdclehpermit.in. Its payment slip works as your permit, and the checkposts on the roads into these areas ask to see it.
Foreign nationals are different: they still need a Protected Area Permit, arranged in advance (see below).
What Indian citizens pay
- Environmental fee (green fee): ₹400 per person. The Deputy Commissioner of Leh set this in a notice dated 14 October 2021, to be paid through the online portal.
- Wildlife fee and Red Cross contribution: the portal adds both to the same payment, so expect to pay a little more than ₹400 each.
- Through a travel agent: the portal says the total is 10% lower if a local travel agent in Leh pays it for you.
The administration asks every visitor to pay the fee, but it’s only checked at the checkposts on the way into the protected areas.
How to apply online
- Open lahdclehpermit.in and choose Domestic.
- Fill in your name, mobile number, email, state, permanent address and the date your journey starts.
- Pick an ID type and enter its number. The form lists Aadhaar, voter ID and driving licence.
- Choose whether to pay directly or through an agent, then pay online.
- Issue the permit for yourself alone or for your whole group, then download the slip.
You don’t need to visit any office in Leh. Since 2021, the administration has said you can go straight to these areas once you’ve paid online.
What to carry: the portal accepts the slip as a PDF on your phone or as a printout. Mobile signal is patchy beyond Leh, and prepaid SIMs from outside Ladakh often don’t work there at all, so carry a printout and a few photocopies as well. If you flew in, keep your boarding pass for the flight into Leh. The portal says you must show it along with the permit.
Which areas need it
The portal lists these circuits for Indian visitors:
- Nubra Valley: over Khardung La to Khalsar, Diskit, Hunder, Turtuk and Tyakshi.
- Pangong Tso: over Chang La through Durbuk and Tangtse to Lukung.
- Tso Moriri: from Upshi to Korzok.
- Dah and Hanu: the villages of the Indus valley beyond Khalsi, including Dah, Hanu, Baima and Skurbuchan.
- Hanle and Umling La, and the road from Man and Merak along Pangong to Chushul and on over Tsaga La to Hanle.
Leh town and the monasteries along the Indus, such as Thiksey, Hemis and Shey, are outside these circuits. On our 7-day Leh Ladakh itinerary, you’ll need the slip from Day 4, when you cross Khardung La to Nubra, until you’re back in Leh from Pangong.
If you’re not an Indian citizen
- You need a Protected Area Permit for these areas, under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958. Travel agents in Leh arrange it.
- Under the Home Ministry’s rules, these permits are issued to groups of two or more. Each permit covers only the circuit and the entry and exit points named on it. Carry plenty of photocopies, because you may have to hand one in at each checkpost.
- Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan need the Ministry of Home Affairs to approve their visit first. Holders of diplomatic, official and UN passports, and journalists, apply to the Ministry of External Affairs.
- Not every circuit open to Indian visitors is open to foreigners. Ask your agent which ones are before you plan the route. If you hold an OCI card, ask which rules apply to you.
Tips for the checkposts
- Pay only on the official portal or through a registered Leh travel agent. The portal has posted a warning about fake environment slips.
- Carry the ID you registered with, for everyone in the group.
- A permit doesn’t mean the road is open. Snow can shut the passes early or late in the season, and the Shyok road between Nubra and Pangong closes at times. Ask your driver the evening before.
Sources
- LAHDC Leh online permit portal
- Permit portal: frequently asked questions
- Permit portal: circuits to visit
- Deputy Commissioner, Leh: notice on the environmental (green) fee, 14 October 2021 (PDF)
- Leh district: green fee to remain in effect for domestic tourists, 10 August 2021
- Ministry of Home Affairs: FAQs on Protected and Restricted Area Permits (PDF)
Checked . Rules, fees and timetables change, so check the official source before you travel.