Protected and restricted areas of India

In addition, the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963 states that a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is required for non-Indians to visit certain areas in India. As of 2009, RAP are required for visits to parts of the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of the state of Sikkim. Unlike PAP, RAP are generally available for individual travellers and can be issued by overseas embassies or even, in some cases such as Port Blair's Veer Savarkar International Airport, on the spot. Indian citizens do not need special permission to visit restricted areas.

List of Protected and Restricted Areas

As of 2018:

Protected Areas

• Whole of Arunachal Pradesh
• Parts of Himachal Pradesh
• Parts of Jammu and Kashmir
• Whole of Manipur
• Whole of Mizoram
• Whole of Nagaland
• Parts of Rajasthan
• Whole of Sikkim (partly in Protected Area and partly in Restricted Area)
• Parts of Uttarakhand

Restricted Areas

• Parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 30 inhabited islands no longer need RAP for foreigners since 2018.
• Parts of Sikkim

Formerly Protected or Restricted Areas

• All of Lakshadweep
• Parts of Ladakh

Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland were formerly excluded from the Protected Area regime between 30 December 2010 and 31 December 2012 by MHA vide MHA ID Note No.13/6/99-NE.II Vol.V dated 23 March 2012.