Protected Area Permit

Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958 under the Foreigners Act, 1946 all areas falling between the 'Inner Line' (this line is defined by the Ministry of Home Affairs) and the International border of the State have been declared as Protected Area.

Every foreigner except a citizen of Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay in a Protected or Restricted Area, is required to obtain a special permit from a competent authority delegated with powers to issue such a special permit to a foreigner on application.

A foreigner is not normally allowed to visit a protected/restricted area unless the Government is satisfied that there are exceptional reasons to justify it.

However, to promote tourism, some notified tourist circuits can be visited by foreigners after obtaining necessary permit from the competent authority.