Adi Kailash Inner Line Permit: Complete Guide

Everything above Dharchula, on the route to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat, is restricted border area — it runs along the India–Nepal and India–Tibet frontier. The Inner Line Permit is what lets you travel through it, and unlike Chardham registration, it's a genuinely more involved process. Here's exactly what's required.

Who can get one

Indian citizens only. Inner Line Permits for this route are issued to Indian nationals, and foreign passport holders — including OCI and PIO card holders in most cases — cannot travel beyond Dharchula. There's no exception process and no operator can arrange one. See our dedicated guide onwhether foreigners can visit Adi Kailash and Om Parvat if that's your situation.

Where it's issued

The permit is issued by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office in Dharchula, and — this is the part people don't expect — final verification has to happen in person. You can't get this one couriered to you in advance. It covers travel to Gunji, Kalapani, Nabhidhang and Adi Kailash itself.

What you need

• Government photo ID
• Address proof
• Passport-size photographs — bring four
• A medical fitness certificate from a registered doctor, on the prescribed format
• A completed application form

The medical certificate is not a formality. This route climbs to 4,500 m-plus, and the certificate is there to catch conditions that make high-altitude travel genuinely risky before you're three days from a hospital.

Cost and timing

The fee is nominal — around ₹200 per person. Processing usually takes two to three working days, longer in peak season, and the SDM office keeps government hours — no weekends, no public holidays. This is exactly why our Adi Kailash tour itinerary builds in a full day at Dharchula for permit formalities.

Send your documents at least three weeks before departure. Peak season adds delay, and there's no way to expedite the process from outside Dharchula.

On the road

There are ten checkposts between Dharchula and the high valleys, and your permit is verified at every one — figure fifteen to twenty minutes per check for a group. Keep the original permit and your ID accessible, and carry photocopies as backup.

The honest risk

Permits can be refused on medical grounds or during periods of border tension, sometimes with no advance notice. It's a real risk on this specific route, which is why ourcancellation policy gives a full refund if your permit is refused through no fault of your own. We handle the application for everyone on our tour, but the in-person verification step means you're part of the process too.