What the official record says. A Department of Telecommunications order dated 31 March 2020 keeps in force the restrictions on roaming for prepaid subscribers between the J&K service area (which then included Ladakh) and the rest of India. In August 2022 the Centre said it had no proposal to change this, as reported by news outlets. We could not find a 2026 notice either confirming or lifting the rule, so treat it as the last official position we found, not as a guarantee of today's situation.
What this means in practice. If your phone has a prepaid plan from outside J&K, ask your operator in writing whether it will connect in Kashmir right now. Do not assume. Operators and local travel guides report that postpaid connections from other states work, but this is the operator's confirmation to get, not ours.
Options to ask your operator about
1. Switching your number to postpaid before you go, and how long that takes.
2. A local SIM with ID verification, if you stay long enough to need one.
3. Whether your hotel or homestay offers Wi-Fi.
Other essentials
- Carry ID and a printed copy of key bookings.
- Download offline maps and save your stay's phone number.
- Keep some cash for places where cards or networks are unreliable.
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