Inner Line Permit for Adi Kailash & Om Parvat

Every season we meet travellers turned back at Dharchula — a missing medical certificate, a name that did not match across documents, or an application filed two days too late. The Inner Line Permit is the one piece of paperwork that decides whether your yatra happens at all.

We are based in Pithoragarh, the same district where these permits are issued. This guide sets out what you need, how the process actually works, and where it goes wrong.

What the permit is, and why it exists

Adi Kailash and Om Parvat sit close to the India–China border. The area falls inside a restricted zone under the Inner Line regulations, which means civilian movement beyond a fixed point requires government authorisation. That authorisation is the Inner Line Permit — the ILP, sometimes called an Inner Line Pass.

The practical boundary is Dharchula. Up to Dharchula you travel freely. Beyond it — towards Nabi, Gunji, Nabhidhang, Jolingkong and Om Parvat — every traveller must carry a valid permit, and it is checked at the post.

Who is eligible

Only Indian citizens may apply. Foreign nationals are not permitted to visit Adi Kailash or Om Parvat under any category of permit. This restriction also covers OCI and PIO cardholders, which surprises many families hoping relatives from abroad can join the yatra.

There is no way around this. If someone in your group holds foreign citizenship, they can travel with you as far as Dharchula, but no further.

Documents you need

Every traveller needs a complete set. Groups are usually processed as a single application, but each person's documents must be present and correct — one incomplete set can hold up the whole party.

• Valid photo identification — Aadhaar card, Voter ID or Passport. Carry the original plus at least two photocopies.
• Passport-size photographs — two to four per person. Bring four; running out at the office costs you a day.
• Medical fitness certificate — from a registered medical practitioner, confirming fitness for high-altitude travel. Mandatory, and the single most common reason applications fail.
• Address proof — driving licence, ration card, passport or a recent utility bill.
• Emergency contact details — name, relationship and phone number for next of kin.
• Completed application form — properly filled and signed by each traveller.

Where and how to apply

Applications go to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office in Dharchula, Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand.

The process, step by step

When to start

Processing normally takes one to three working days. That is the working figure, not a guarantee.

Begin seven to ten days before your travel date. That buffer absorbs public holidays, weekends, peak-season volume in June and September, and the occasional day the office is closed for administrative reasons. Travellers who plan a one-day turnaround are the ones who end up rescheduling.

Why applications get rejected

These are the failures we see most often. Every one is avoidable.

• Certificate from an unregistered practitioner. It must come from a registered medical practitioner. Certificates from unregistered clinics are refused.
• Certificate that does not mention high altitude. A generic fitness note is not the same thing, and is frequently rejected.
• Name mismatches across documents. If your Aadhaar shows an initial and your application spells the name in full, expect a query. Keep spellings identical everywhere.
• Too few photographs. People bring two, the office wants four, and the group loses a day.
• Applying too late. The most common failure of all. There is no expedited processing.
• A foreign national in the group. This stops the entire application, not just that individual's.

How we handle permits for our travellers

Because we are based in Pithoragarh, permit work is something we do every season rather than something we arrange from a distance.

Permit work is part of every yatra we run. If you travel with us, you do not deal with the paperwork alone:

• We tell you exactly what to bring — the full document list goes to you before you leave home, so nothing is missing when you arrive.
• We handle the application — our team manages the Inner Line Permit process locally, including the medical fitness documentation.
• We take care of the on-ground formalities — permit checks along the route are dealt with so your group is not held up.

You do not have to be a booked traveller to ask. If you are planning the yatra independently and something on this page is unclear, call us on +91 89205 40941 and we will tell you what we know. We would rather answer a question now than hear you were turned back at Dharchula.

Last updated: August 2026