Ladakh administration mulls single permit for foreign tourists

The Ladakh administration is exploring a single protected area permit (PAP) for foreign tourists across the union territory, except for specifically restricted areas, to streamline procedures for such clearances while balancing tourism convenience with security requirements, officials said on Monday.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, which reviewed the existing framework governing PAP and Restricted Area Permits (RAPs) for foreign visitors. “A key outcome of the meeting was the decision to explore the feasibility of introducing a single PAP for the entire union territory of Ladakh, except for specifically restricted areas, which would be explicitly mentioned in the permit,” they said.

The meeting also explored establishing dedicated registration and verification desks for foreign nationals at the airport, including separate arrangements for visitors requiring additional scrutiny under revised standard operating procedures (SOPs), they added. Kundra stressed the need to minimise unnecessary checkpoints that cause delays and inconvenience to tourists while strengthening verification and compliance mechanisms. The Leh deputy commissioner was asked to examine the feasibility of introducing facial recognition technology and self-registration facilities at designated checkpoints to modernise permit verification and make the process more seamless, they said.

Administrative Secretary (Tourism and Culture) Sanjit Rodrigues gave a presentation on the existing permit regime, including the geographical coverage of PAP and RAP, restricted areas, particularly in northern and eastern Ladakh, and procedures for issuance and verification under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.

The meeting discussed permit verification at key entry points, particularly along the Changthang axis through Upshi and Kharu and at North Pullu in Nubra, they added. It was also decided to explore measures for verification of travel purpose, accommodation details and related documentation of foreign tourists at dedicated airport facilities. Kundra directed the tourism department to convene a meeting with taxi and bike unions involved in facilitating travel by foreign tourists to ensure proper maintenance of travel records, logbooks and visitor information.