Sikkim permits for foreigners and OCI holders: RAP/ILP, group PAPs and closed areas

The two permits, in plain words

1. Restricted Area Permit (RAP), also called the Inner Line Permit (ILP). Every foreign national needs it just to cross into Sikkim, even if you only plan to see Gangtok and Pelling. It is free and valid for 30 days, and it can be extended at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Gangtok. OCI and PIO cardholders count as foreign nationals here. Bhutanese citizens are the only exemption.

2. Protected Area Permit (PAP). On top of the RAP, a handful of high valleys near the border need a PAP. For foreigners it is issued only to a group of at least two foreign nationals and only through a registered Sikkim tour operator, who files it with the Tourism Department and the police. You cannot walk up to a checkpost and ask for one.

Where to get the RAP/ILP

• On arrival at the Rangpo or Melli checkpost, the two road entries from West Bengal. Bring your passport, Indian visa and two passport photos. Rangpo serves Gangtok and the North; Melli serves South and West Sikkim.
• At Sikkim Tourism offices in Delhi, Kolkata and Siliguri, if you want it before you reach the border.
• Online through e-FRRO, which suits travellers who like paperwork done in advance. It is one route, not the only one.

Keep several photocopies of the passport photo page, visa and RAP in the car. Checkposts at Rangpo, 3rd Mile and Toong ask for them, and hotels record them too.

Which places you can visit

The table below is generated from the same destination data as the rest of this site, so it always matches each destination guide.

• Open with the RAP alone (16 places): Aritar, Rumtek, Gangtok, Mangan, Singhik, Rinchenpong, Yuksom, Khecheopalri Lake, Geyzing, Uttarey, Pelling, Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, Temi Tea Garden, Namchi, Borong, Ravangla.
• Group of 2+ through an agency (5): Tsomgo Lake, Chungthang, Lachung, Lachen, Yumthang Valley.
• Conditional, decided on the day by the army post (2): Chopta Valley, Zero Point.
• Closed to foreign and OCI passports (7): Zuluk, Kupup Lake, Baba Mandir, Nathang Valley, Nathula Pass, Katao, Gurudongmar Lake.

A permitted route for foreign travellers

A seven or eight day trip can stay entirely inside the rules and still feel complete. Spend two nights in Gangtok for the monasteries, the ropeway and a group day trip to Tsomgo Lake. Drive north for two nights in Lachung with a morning in Yumthang Valley, then cross to Ravangla and Pelling for Kanchenjunga at sunrise, the Pemayangtse monastery and a day in Yuksom. Our foreigner and OCI package is built exactly this way, and the planner's permit checker hides closed places automatically when you switch on foreign-national mode.

Documents checklist

• Original passport with at least six months' validity and a valid Indian visa (e-visa printouts are fine).
• Several photocopies of the passport photo page and visa, and the RAP once issued.
• Four passport-size photos per person if you will need a group PAP.
• Your hotel bookings and day-by-day plan; officers sometimes ask where you are staying.

Mistakes that cost foreign travellers a day

• Assuming Nathula is possible. It is the most photographed pass in Sikkim and it is closed to every foreign passport. Plan Tsomgo Lake instead.
• Travelling solo to Lachung. The PAP needs two foreign nationals. Message us early and we try to match you with another traveller.
• Arriving late at Rangpo. The RAP desk is quicker in the morning. Land at Bagdogra early and leave the airport by 1 PM (see Bagdogra to Gangtok).
• Booking a self-drive or out-of-state car. Permit zones accept only Sikkim-registered commercial vehicles with a permit-holding driver.

Rules for foreigners change occasionally with security conditions. We confirm the current position for your dates before filing anything; the full permit rules for Indian citizens are on the permits and ID guide.

Sikkim permits for foreigners: FAQs

Do foreigners need a permit to visit Sikkim?

Yes. Every foreign passport holder, including OCI and PIO cardholders, needs a free Restricted Area Permit (RAP, also called the Inner Line Permit or ILP) just to enter Sikkim. Bhutanese citizens are exempt.

Where do I get the Sikkim RAP/ILP?

It is issued free on arrival at the Rangpo or Melli checkpost (passport, Indian visa and two photos), at Sikkim Tourism offices in Delhi, Kolkata and Siliguri, or online through e-FRRO. It is valid for 30 days and can be extended at the FRO in Gangtok.

Can foreigners visit Nathula Pass or Gurudongmar Lake?

No. Zuluk, Kupup Lake, Baba Mandir, Nathang Valley, Nathula Pass, Katao, Gurudongmar Lake are closed to foreign passports and OCI holders. No agency can arrange an exception.

Can a solo foreign traveller visit Tsomgo Lake or Yumthang?

Not alone. Tsomgo Lake, Chungthang, Lachung, Lachen, Yumthang Valley need a Protected Area Permit issued to a group of at least two foreign nationals through a registered Sikkim tour operator. We can often pair solo travellers with another group.

Is an OCI card enough to visit restricted areas?

No. For Sikkim permits an OCI or PIO card counts as a foreign passport: you need the RAP to enter, a group PAP for Tsomgo, Lachung and Yumthang, and you cannot enter the border sectors that are closed to foreigners.

Can foreigners go to Pelling, Yuksom and the Goecha La trek?

Yes. West and South Sikkim need only the RAP. Treks inside Khangchendzonga National Park, such as Dzongri and Goecha La, also need forest and trekking permits arranged through a registered trek operator with a guide.

Back to the complete Sikkim tourism guide