The North East states of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland scrapped the requirement for foreign visitors to obtain a Protected Area Permit (PAP/RAP) on 1st January 2011, boosting tourism to the region for over a decade.
This relaxation has since been withdrawn. Following MHA Circular No. 602 (17 December 2024), the Protected Area regime has been reinstated for Nagaland. Foreign nationals visiting Nagaland must now complete the following:
- Protected Area Permit (PAP) — obtainable from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Indian Missions abroad, Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs), the Home Commissioner of Nagaland, the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, or the Secretary of Tourism, Nagaland. Applications are processed through the e-FRRO portal.
- Foreigner-category Inner Line Permit (ILP) — apply online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in. Fee: Rs. 500 per person, valid for 30 days.
- FRO Registration — all foreign visitors must register with the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) of the district they visit, within 24 hours of arrival.
Citizens of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan (or of origin from these countries), as well as citizens of Myanmar, require prior approval from the MHA before a PAP can be issued.
Travellers visiting Dimapur, Chümoukedima, or Niuland districts must complete both PAP and FRO registration with FRO Dimapur — contact fro-nadpr@nic.in or +91 7085065056.
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Please refer to the contact section of this website for further enquiries.
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Domestic (Indian)Tourists
An Inner Line Permit (ILP) is required for Indian (domestic) tourists’ entry into Nagaland, including the districts of Dimapur, Chümoukedima, and Niuland.
Applications are now fully online — select “Tourist” as the category, verify your phone number by OTP, and complete the application form. Tourist-category ILP does not require a guarantor; only a local contact is needed.
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Fee: Rs. 200 per person, valid for 30 days.
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Processing time: Applications submitted during working hours are typically approved within 4 hours. Applications submitted outside working hours are typically approved within the first 3 hours of the next working day.
If you reside in New Delhi, Kolkata, Shillong, or Guwahati where there is a Nagaland House office, you can also obtain an ILP application form and apply there in person. Offline ILP counters are also available at the Tourist Information Centre, Dimapur, and Dimapur Airport (helpline: +91-6909636762).
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR AN ILP
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ILP Support: support.ilp-ngl@gov.in | +91 9863584223 / +91 9863579424 (Govt. working days, 9:30 am–4:30 pm summer / 9:30 am–4:00 pm winter)
Here are answers to the most common questions.:
Do we have to apply for ILP individually or for all the members of our party/family on one application form?
Each person needs their own individual ILP application — there’s no single form that covers a whole family or group.
Specifically, based on the ILP portal itself:
- For Domestic and Foreign Tourists, every applicant applies individually under the “Tourist” category, each with their own photo, ID document, phone number/OTP, and fee (₹200 for domestic, ₹500 for foreign, both valid 30 days). There’s no group or family tourist option — a family of four visiting as tourists submits four separate applications.
- The “Dependent/Family Members” category is separate and doesn’t apply to tourists. It exists for spouses and children (under 18) of someone holding an ILP under a working category — trader, teacher, professional, etc. In that case, the primary ILP holder provides their spouse/children’s details as part of their own application, and dependents pay half the relevant category’s fee (school-going children are fee-exempt). This mechanism is meant for people relocating for work, not for a tourist family group.
So for a family trip: each traveler — including children — applies separately as a Domestic (or Foreign) Tourist, with their own document upload and OTP verification tied to their own phone number.
How long is the period of validity of an ILP?
For most tourists — domestic or foreign — this means 30 days, non-renewable within that trip; a new application is needed for a subsequent visit.
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Validity depends on the applicant category:
| Category | Validity |
|---|---|
| Domestic Tourist | 30 days |
| Foreign Tourist | 30 days |
| Trader | 90 days, or 1 year (higher fee tier) |
| Labourer | 165 days |
| Priest / Nun | 3 years |
| Teacher | 3 years |
| Student | 5 years or course duration, whichever is earlier |
| Consultant | 1 year |
| Partner in Business | 3 years |
| Professional | 1 year |
| Dependent / Family Member | Same as the Primary ILP Holder |
| Other | 1 year |
What do I need to apply for an ILP (Inner Line Permit)
Requirements depend on category. For the two that matter most to your visitors:
Domestic Tourist (no guarantor required):
- A recent passport-size photo
- One valid ID: Aadhaar Card, PAN, Voter ID, Bank Passbook, or Ration Card
- Applicants from Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Karimganj, or Hailakandi (Assam) must additionally upload an NRC (in English)
Foreign Tourist (no guarantor required):
- A recent photo
- Passport — both front and back pages
- Either a Visa or a Protected Area Permit (PAP)
All applications are submitted online through ilp.nagaland.gov.in, verified via OTP sent to the applicant’s phone number — each traveler, including children, applies individually.