Travelling To Ladakh? No RT-PCR Test Required For Fully Vaccinated Visitors

by Tania Tarafdar
Travelling To Ladakh? No RT-PCR Test Required For Fully Vaccinated Visitors

The Inner Line Permit is generally required to visit certain sensitive areas near the international border of India to regulate the movement of people and protect tribal cultures. You need an Inner Line Permit to visit northeastern states like Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram. However, Ladakh just did away with the mandatory Inner Line Permit for domestic tourists. Ladakh is, therefore, more accessible to tourists as the administration scraps the Inner Line Permit System in the ‘protected’ regions. Moreover, Ladakh has removed RT-PCR tests for fully vaccinated tourists. The second dose of the approved vaccine must be taken at least 15 days before travel. Vaccinated travellers must also ensure they don’t have any symptoms for Covid-19.

Indian Travellers Need Valid ID Proofs To Travel To Ladakh

The removal of the permit now means that you can now easily visit places such as Batalik in Kargil. However, you will still have to pay a green fee or the environment fee of ₹300 and the Red Cross Fund fee of ₹100. Planning to visit Ladakh? Indian travellers must carry valid ID proof but those from other countries will still need the Protected Area Permit. When it comes to visitors who aren’t fully vaccinated, they must get an RT-PCR test done. The test report should be negative, not up to 96 hours before arriving in Ladakh.

Also read: India Constructs World’s Highest Motorable Road In Ladakh At 19,300 Feet; Smashes Bolivia’s Record

Certain Regions In Ladakh Will Still Remain Inaccessible To Tourists

Despite the administration doing away with the Inner Line Permit, tourists will not be allowed to visit the zero-km villages on the border. The Ladakh administration will notify regions, mostly ‘zero-km’ villages on the border, where tourists will not be allowed. Dungti, Koyul, Thang village in the Nubra valley bordering Pakistan, and Demchok and Chumar in the Nyoma are still likely to remain inaccessible for tourists.

Also read: Ladakh To Get India’s First Green Hydrogen Mobility Project; Hydrogen Buses & Solar Plants To Come Up

Ladakh opened up for tourists in 1947 with restrictions. For example, there was a time when tourists could visit Pangong Tso, only between 6 AM and 5 PM. A lot of areas eventually opened up for tourists since then. Here Are5 Breathtaking Destinations In India Where Even Indians Can’t Enter Without A Permit.