The Inner Line Permit, explained in five minutes
What the ILP is, who needs it, and how to get it without a middleman.
The Inner Line Permit is a domestic travel document — a colonial-era instrument now used to regulate entry of non-residents into certain northeastern states. Manipur adopted it in 2020. If you're an Indian citizen from outside Manipur, you need one; it isn't optional, and it's checked at the airport and at highway gates like Mao.
The good news: it's genuinely easy. Apply on the official portal (manipurilponline.mn.gov.in), upload a photo and an ID, pay the fee, and the permit typically arrives as a PDF within a couple of days. Keep it on your phone and carry the ID you applied with.
Which permit type?
Tourists want the Temporary permit — valid for a short visit and extendable. Regular and Special categories exist for longer stays and specific purposes; the full breakdown, fees and the step-by-step application walk-through live on our ILP page, which we keep as the single most complete explainer available.
Foreign nationals don't use the ILP system at all — most nationalities currently need no special permit for Manipur but must register on arrival; a handful of countries need Protected Area Permit clearance. Details on the same page.
The one mistake to avoid
Don't leave it to the airport. Apply the week before you fly, screenshot the approved permit, and you'll never think about it again for the rest of the trip.