If you are driving into Himachal Pradesh in 2026, there are a few charges and registrations that did not exist a couple of years ago. None of them are large amounts, but every season we meet travellers who get held up at a barrier simply because nobody told them what to carry.
This guide covers the entry toll for out-of-state vehicles, the Manali green tax, the Rohtang Pass permit, e-Aagman registration for Lahaul-Spiti, and the plastic rules that carry genuinely heavy fines. If you would rather not handle any of this yourself, our Himachal tour packages include all permits and paperwork, and our cab bookings use Himachal-registered vehicles that are exempt from the entry toll altogether.
1. Vehicle entry toll for out-of-state vehicles (from 1 April 2026)
Himachal Pradesh now charges a daily entry fee for vehicles registered outside the state. You pay once, at the first entry barrier you cross, and the receipt is valid across the whole state for 24 hours. You do not pay again at each district boundary.
| Vehicle type | Entry fee per day |
|---|---|
| Two-wheeler | Rs 50 |
| Private car / SUV | Rs 100 |
| Taxi (up to 6 seats) | Rs 150 |
| Mini bus / Tempo Traveller | Rs 200 |
| Bus (20+ seats) | Rs 300 |
| Electric vehicles | Exempt |
Two practical points. First, keep the receipt on your dashboard until you leave the state, because you may be asked for it again. Second, if you are coming for four or five days, that is Rs 400 to Rs 500 on a car. It is not a trip-breaking amount, but it is worth budgeting rather than discovering at the barrier.
Who does not pay
Vehicles registered in Himachal Pradesh are outside this system entirely. Electric vehicles are exempt regardless of where they are registered. This is one reason many of our guests from Delhi and Chandigarh prefer to take a train or flight to the nearest point and pick up a local vehicle from there.
2. Manali green tax
Manali charges its own environmental fee on top of the state entry toll. Depending on the vehicle, it runs between Rs 100 and Rs 500, and the receipt is valid for seven days rather than one. You will need a valid PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate for the vehicle, so check the expiry date before you leave home. A lapsed PUC is one of the more common reasons people get turned back.
3. Rohtang Pass permit
Rohtang Pass remains the one place where a permit is genuinely rationed, because the daily quota is capped.
- Fee: Rs 550 in total (Rs 500 permit plus Rs 50 congestion charge)
- Daily quota: 1,200 vehicles — 800 petrol and 400 diesel
- Booking windows: two slots each day, at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM
- Vehicle age limit: the vehicle must be 10 years old or newer
- Closed: Tuesdays, for maintenance
- Limit: a maximum of three permits per vehicle per week
The quota is the part that catches people out. In peak season the slots can be taken within minutes of opening, so if Rohtang is the centrepiece of your trip, plan around the booking window rather than assuming you will get a permit on the day.
Rohtang is not the only snow point
Since the Atal Tunnel opened, you no longer need Rohtang to reach snow. The tunnel takes you straight through to Sissu and Koksar in Lahaul, and no Rohtang permit is required for that route. Solang Valley, closer to Manali, also holds snow through much of the winter. We usually build itineraries around the tunnel rather than the pass, precisely because it removes the quota gamble.
4. e-Aagman registration for Lahaul-Spiti
If your route takes you into Lahaul or Spiti district — through the Atal Tunnel, or towards Chandra Taal — you need an e-Aagman registration. It is free, it is separate from the Rohtang permit, and it generates a QR code you show at the checkpost. Apply 24 to 48 hours before you travel rather than on the morning itself.
5. Spiti and Kinnaur: what Indians and foreign nationals need
There is a lot of confusion about permits for Spiti, so here is the short version.
Indian nationals
No Inner Line Permit is needed for the main Spiti circuit — Kaza, Key, Kibber, Langza, Hikkim and Komic. What you do need is a government photo ID, several photocopies of it, and your vehicle papers (RC, insurance, PUC). You register at the checkposts at Sumdo, Losar and Jangi as you pass. There is no fee.
Foreign nationals
A Protected Area Permit is mandatory, because parts of Spiti and Kinnaur sit close to the Tibet border. The permit is valid for 14 days and requires a minimum group of two people, which is enforced strictly. You will need your original passport and Indian visa with copies, passport photos, and a sponsorship letter from a registered travel agency. Costs vary by office — roughly Rs 250 per person at Reckong Peo, Rs 300 to Rs 400 at Kaza, and around Rs 500 in Shimla.
The direction you enter from matters. If you are coming via Shimla and Kinnaur, get the permit before you travel, because you will be stopped at the Akpa checkpost without it. Suzu Travels is a registered agency and issues the sponsorship letter for our guests as part of the booking.
Other small charges in Spiti
- Ecological maintenance fee: Rs 150 per person, one time, collected at Kaza or Keylong
- Pin Valley National Park trekking: Rs 100 per day for Indians, Rs 200 for foreign nationals
6. The single-use plastic ban — the rule with the biggest fine
This is the one people underestimate. Himachal enforces a single-use plastic ban with penalties that can reach Rs 25,000. The banned list includes plastic carry bags below 120 microns, straws, disposable plates and cups, and small water bottles of 500ml and under.
The practical answer is simple: carry a refillable bottle and a cloth bag. Most hotels and homestays across the state now refill bottles free, and it saves you both the risk and a fair amount of money over a week.
What this means for planning your 2026 trip
Taken together, a family driving from Delhi for a week in Manali is looking at roughly Rs 700 in entry toll, a few hundred for the green tax, and Rs 550 more only if Rohtang is on the list. The amounts are modest. The real cost of getting it wrong is time — a morning lost at a barrier, or a Rohtang plan that collapses because the quota filled.
A few things worth doing before you leave:
- Check that your PUC certificate is valid, and carry RC and insurance
- Apply for e-Aagman 24 to 48 hours ahead if Lahaul or Spiti is on your route
- Decide early whether Rohtang is essential, or whether the Atal Tunnel route serves you better
- Pack a refillable bottle and cloth bags
- Keep photocopies of ID — five is the usual ask at Spiti checkposts
Fees and quotas are revised from time to time by the state government and district administrations. Treat the figures above as the position as of September 2026 and confirm the current rates before you travel — or let us handle it. On our Himachal packages, permits, tolls and registrations are arranged by our team and included in the quote, so nothing is left for you to sort out at a barrier.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pay the Himachal entry tax every day of my trip?
The receipt is valid for 24 hours across the state. For a multi-day trip you pay for each day your vehicle is in Himachal, though in practice the charge is collected at entry barriers rather than daily inside the state. Keep the receipt with you.
Is the entry toll charged on taxis from Delhi or Chandigarh?
Yes, if the taxi carries an out-of-state registration. A taxi registered in Himachal is exempt, which is why our vehicles do not attract the charge.
Can I visit Rohtang Pass without a permit?
No. Rohtang requires a permit and the daily quota is capped at 1,200 vehicles. If you cannot secure one, the Atal Tunnel route to Sissu and Koksar needs no Rohtang permit and reaches snow just as reliably.
Do Indian tourists need a permit for Spiti Valley?
Not for the main circuit. You register at checkposts with a photo ID and vehicle papers, at no cost. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit.
Are electric vehicles really exempt from the entry fee?
Yes, electric vehicles are exempt from the state entry toll. Charging infrastructure on hill routes is still thin, so plan your charging stops carefully if you are driving an EV into the interior.
Planning a Himachal trip in 2026?
We are a Himachal-based DMC, and permits and paperwork are part of what we handle every day. Whether it is a family trip to Manali, a Shimla weekend, or a longer run into Spiti, we will build the itinerary around what is actually open and what actually needs booking in advance. Tell us your dates and we will send a plan.
