One of the objectives of this blog is to serve as a reference for future visitors to the North East and therefore I'll take a pause from writing about the trip to write about some essential information for visitors to this part of India. Readers interested just in the travelogue can skip this post.

Indians need an innerline permit to visit three of the states in the North East - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram . To the other states, you can travel freely.

Arunachal Pradesh

You can get an innerline permit online at http://www.arunachalilp.com/ . However this is currently available only for the district of Papum Pare which is where Itanagar is. This isn't very useful as Itanagar is not a tourist destination.

If you want to go to the tourist areas, you have to apply in person at the Resident Commisioner's office at Delhi, or Kolkata or Guwahati. You can get it in other places in Assam too, but this is the most troublesome state for permits and its best to get from one of the above three cities. You have to fill a form , provide ID/address proof , two photos and pay Rs 30 in all. You have to apply separately for each sector Eg - if you are going to Tawang and then to say Siang Valley, you need two permits. They also don't give permits the same day. It varies from next day in Guwahati to 2 days later in Kolkata. You have to go in person to collect it too. Addresses of the place to get the permits from can be found here - http://arunachalipr.gov.in/ILPEntry.htm

Nagaland

You have to apply in person again - going physically to the Nagaland Resident Commisioner's Office. File a form, give ID/address proof and one photo. Pay Rs 50. The nice thing is that you can get the permit in 10 minutes (more if there is a crowd, less if you smile at the pretty lady "womanning" the counter !). The addresses of the place to go to can be found at http://mokokchung.nic.in/files/torpage.html


Mizoram

Mizoram is the easiest. If you fly in to Aizawl, you can get the permit on arrival. If you enter by road, you have to get the permit in advance. But you don't have to go in person. Send the documents to the office in Delhi by post (ID proof, form, two photos and Rs 120 in cash !!) along with a self addressed stamped envelope and the permit comes back to you in 20 days time. The address and the form/fee details are at http://mizoram.nic.in/more/ilp.htm

When I was planning the trip, I found info on permits for Indians scanty on the web. There was stuff for foreigners, but much less for Indian travelers. Hence this post. There are a separate set of rules for foreign citizens. Nagaland for some strange reason does not prescribe a permit for foreigners, but has one for Indians !! I am not separately setting out the procedure for foreigners, as my good friend, the Professor, says he is unlikely to visit here :)

The logic for the permit system is understandable, as they don't want to swamp these states and their distinct cultures with visitors and residents from other parts of India (incidentally it is exactly the opposite of the policy followed by China in Tibet and Xinjiang). The intention may be noble, but the bureaucracy is petty and a pain. See how they deal with these permit applications in the photo.

Tomorrow I'll stay put in Guwahati, and complete some formalities. Today my faithful companion was attended to and is in good shape to take on the challenges coming ahead.