Leh Ladakh’s visit is rendered incomplete if all the tourist place are not visited. Some of the protected area which was earlier open to the public now require an inner line permit Leh. These areas in India are located near the international borders at Ladakh, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and thus are categorised under inner permit for security purposes. India currently shares about 3488 km of border with China that touches along the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh (including Nubra Valley, Pangong, Tso Moriri), Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal. The process of obtaining this inner permit is quite simple and is not time-consuming. All you need to do is to get a valid ID proof and submit a certain fee. The permit is a necessity for all international and domestic travelers who are not citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. Here is your guide about how to get your permit easily during your Ladakh trip.
Why is the Ladakh Inner Line Permit required?
An innerline permit is required if travelers want to visit the protected area and restricted area of Ladakh. Also, an inner line permit is required as the Ladakh region in India shares the international border with China and Pakistan (Pak occupied Kashmir). It is a state government authorised letter that grants access to these protected area (Pangong, Nubra Valley, Tso Moriri, etc.) for a certain time period. It is usually valid for 2 weeks for Indians and 1 week for foreign national and is issued by the state government. Once tourists obtain this certificate they can visit the site as many times as they please within the permitted time. For Leh local sightseeing, like nearby Buddhist monasteries, this is not required.
It is required for the protected area like Nubra valley, Khardung La, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Dah Hanu village which falls in Suru valley(Kargil), Man, Merak, Nyoma, Loma Bend, Turtuk, Tyakshi, Chushul, Hanle, Digger La, Tangyar, Tsaga La and other locations in Leh district. If you are crossing these areas to reach some other destination then also you will need the permit to take your vehicle past these locations. All other areas and tourist spots except these do not require any permit and tourists including Indian national and foreign tourists are free to visit them at their leisure.
How to apply for Leh Ladakh permit online?
To save the tourists from the meticulous task of standing in queues, the government has made the application procedure online. The process is quite simple if followed in the correct order described below:
- Visit http://lahclehpermit.in/ and enter the URL. The webpage will load. Now, there is a button at the bottom that says ‘issue’. Click on this button and a fly menu will appear. On this fly menu, click on the ‘domestic clients’ option.
- Now you will be taken to a fresh page where you are supposed to fill out your details accordingly.
- Then you are supposed to mention the year you are traveling in, your name, your residence state, gender, and nationality like Indian or foreigner. When you now click on the ID type, a drop-down menu will appear. From this menu select an appropriate option for the ID that you would like to submit.
- Now carefully fill out the information on the ID that you selected.
- Mention your complete address.
- After you are done with filling all the information, skim through it once again to eliminate any error. Be very sure about what information you submit because it cannot be changed once you submit the form.
- Now you have to click on the ‘submit’ button. A text box will appear confirming the successful submission of your application.
- Moving forward, you will be guided to a page displaying the places that you need to visit. You have to select these places according to your itinerary or travel plan. You can also take help from local people to understand the same.
Tourist places are divided in circuits which are as mentioned below:
Circuit 1 – Khalsi, Domkhar, Skurbuchan, Hanu, Bama, Dha in Khalsi Sub division.
Circuit 2 – Khardong, Khalsar, Tirith up to Warshi and Yanma Gonbo, Disket, Hunder, Turtuk, Pachathang, Tyakshi in Nubra sub division.
Circuit 3 – Upshi, Dipling, Puga, Tso Moriri, Korzok, in Nyoma sub division.
Circuit 4 – Upshi, Tsomoriri, Korzok in Nyoma sub division.
Circuit 5 – Kharu, ChangLa, Durbuk, Tangste, Lukhung, Spangmik, Man, Merak, Pangong Lake in Nyoma sub division.
Circuit 6 – Upshi, Chumathang, Mahe, Loma bend in Nyoma division.
Circuit 7 – Leh-Kharu-ChangLa-Durbuk-Tangste-Lukung-Spangmik-Man-Merak (Pangong) up to Chushul and Loma bend.
Circuit 8 – Tangste, Kargyam, Sato, Banma, Chushul.
- At the end of the page, enter the dates of your arrival and departure.
- Now click on the ‘apply’ button.
- Now a message will appear saying that your circuit has been assigned successfully. When you click ok another message will appear saying ‘inserted successfully’. Again click ok.
- Now a page will appear with your details like name, ID details, resident state, and fee structures will be shown. You can take a screenshot or a print out of this page.
- You need to take this page to Leh DC office in Leh town. The address is TIC OFFICE, OPPOSITE J&K BANK, MAIN MARKET, LEH, LADAKH, INDIA. There you need to make the payment. After you pay the fee, your permit will be signed or stamped, granting you access to explore the beautiful areas of Ladakh.
What does LAHDC permit cost?
The cost for the inner Leh Ladakh permit (ILP) required for Indian tourists is a total of environment fees and inner permit line fee. The environment fee per person is INR 400 and the inner permit line fee is INR 20 per day per person for Indian national. For foreigners, the Ladakh Protected area permit (PAP) is needed and its fee is different from ILP.
If you are applying online, make sure that you do it after your dates in Ladakh are confirmed. This is so because once you submit the form with your ID proofs, you will not be able to use the same proofs for registering again for the next 15 days. Please keep at least 3-4 copies for each area which is kept by the army at each checkpoint.
Other ways of obtaining Leh Permit?
The permit can be obtained by directly going to Leh DC office in Leh city any time between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on any day between Mondays to Saturdays. You will have to submit ID proof and fill out the permit application form. After you have paid the fee you will be given your authorisation which you are advised to carry along with you as you can be asked to produce it in a restricted area. While planning your trip keep in mind that the DC office is closed on Sundays and on national holidays.
Alternatively, you can also hire travel agents or Ladakh tour operators for getting you this certificate. They will charge their commission to do it on your behalf. Foreign national need to provide their original passports to the travel agents as it is shown to the authorities before an authorisation is granted.
Manali to Leh permit details
Leh can be reached either through Srinagar or Manali. If you want to go to Leh via Manali, Himachal Pradesh, then you will have to cross the Rohtang pass. A Rohtang pass permit is needed to drive through this pass. This permit can be taken from the SDM office in Manali or via an online portal. All domestic tourist and foreigners coming from Manali mandatory needs to take this area permit.
Which documents are applicable for Inner Line Permit Leh?
The process has been simplified for the comfort of the Indian domestic tourist. Any valid nationality address proof can be submitted after self-attesting its photocopy. Leh permit can be obtained by submitting any one of the following documents as per your convenience: Aadhar card, driving license, passport, voter ID card. Foreigners need to submit their original passport and visa which is seen in original by Leh DC before giving the certificate.
Conclusion
There is nothing stopping you from doing any sightseeing in Leh Ladakh. This approval is just a step taken by the government to ensure the safety of tourists. To make your travel more convenient the online application method is suggested as it takes care of the permit before your trip starts avoiding mishaps. You can also ask your tour guide to get the special permit for you beforehand. Don’t let this easy process of getting a permit deter you from planning your trip. It is a short process that will help you explore the cold dessert more intensely and will make you fall in love with the mesmerising views.
Bikamp has a campsite named Bikamp At Leh Camp. We can plan your Leh Ladakh tour of all the places you want to visit during your travel. If you are planning for an offbeat and adventurous experience, you can get in touch at info@bikamp.com or call us at +91 – 9818824450 / 9549919666
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