Sikkim permits 2026: Tsomgo Lake, Nathula, North Sikkim and what you need
10 min read
At a glance
- Gangtok, Pelling (Indians)
- No permit, carry photo ID
- Tsomgo & Nathula
- Day permit via a registered operator
- North Sikkim
- Protected Area Permit, plan 2+ nights
- Foreigners
- RAP for all of Sikkim, applied online
- Gateways
- Bagdogra airport or NJP station
Most of Sikkim needs no paperwork at all if you are Indian. You can drive into Gangtok, wander MG Marg and head over to Pelling with nothing more than the ID in your wallet. The permits start when you go up towards the borders with Tibet: Tsomgo Lake, Nathula and the whole of North Sikkim. Foreign travellers need a permit to enter the state at all.
Who needs what
| Place | Indian citizens | Foreign nationals |
|---|---|---|
| Gangtok, Pelling, Namchi, Ravangla | No permit | RAP |
| Tsomgo (Changu) Lake | Day permit | RAP plus permit, Tsomgo only |
| Baba Mandir and Nathula | Day permit | Not allowed |
| Lachung and Yumthang | Protected Area Permit | Permit, group of two or more with a registered operator |
| Zero Point (Yumesamdong) | Protected Area Permit (weather permitting) | Ask your operator |
| Lachen and Gurudongmar Lake | Protected Area Permit | Lachen side only, Gurudongmar not allowed |
| Zuluk and the Old Silk Route | Permit | Not allowed |
| Dzongu | Special permit | Restricted |
Entering Sikkim
Indian travellers cross into Sikkim at Rangpo on the NH10, or at Melli on the road from Kalimpong and Darjeeling. Police there may ask for ID, and that is all.
Foreign nationals need a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) to enter any part of Sikkim. The RAP itself is free and normally valid for 30 days. Since January 2026 Sikkim has moved its permits for foreigners online, through the Government of India's e-FRRO portal, and paper permits are no longer issued at the border. Apply before you travel with your passport, Indian visa, photos and itinerary, and carry the approved permit to the Rangpo check post. OCI card holders follow the same rules as other foreign nationals.
Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and Nathula
This is the classic day trip from Gangtok. The road climbs to Tsomgo Lake at about 12,400 ft, then on to Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir and Nathula Pass on the border with Tibet.
You cannot drive your own car up here, and you cannot apply as a walk-in. A registered Gangtok tour operator or hotel applies for the permit, normally the evening before, and you go in a permitted local vehicle with a Sikkim driver. Give your operator two passport-size photos (white background) and a copy of a voter ID, passport or driving licence for everyone in the group. Children need to be on the permit as well. Bring a school ID or birth certificate along with a parent's ID.
Nathula is the hardest part to plan. It is open only on certain days each week, most often closed on Monday and Tuesday, and the army issues a limited number of civilian permits each day. It also closes after snow or for military reasons, sometimes on the morning itself. Keep the Nathula day flexible and have Tsomgo and Baba Mandir as the fallback. Nathula is for Indian citizens only.
The government fee is small. Most of what you pay for this trip goes on the vehicle and driver, which is why quotes for the same day out can differ so much.
North Sikkim: Lachung, Yumthang, Lachen and Gurudongmar
North Sikkim has two valleys. Lachung leads up to the Yumthang Valley and Zero Point (Yumesamdong). Lachen leads up to Gurudongmar Lake at around 17,800 ft. Both need a Protected Area Permit.
The permit is issued against a confirmed itinerary from a registered Sikkim operator and a Sikkim-registered vehicle, and it usually takes one working day. That is why almost everyone does North Sikkim as a package. Apply five to seven days ahead in April to June and October to early December, when the permit queue is longest. The same photo and ID rules apply as for Nathula, and Aadhaar is often refused as the main ID up here.
Foreign travellers can visit Lachung, Yumthang and Lachen in a group of at least two, through a registered operator. Gurudongmar Lake is for Indian citizens only.
Where things stand in 2026
North Sikkim's roads have had a hard few years, and the situation still changes with the weather:
- October 2023: the glacial lake outburst on the Teesta damaged roads and bridges around Chungthang, and Lachen closed to tourists.
- 9 March 2026: permits for Lachen and Gurudongmar resumed.
- 5 April 2026: a slide at Taram Chu cut the Chungthang to Lachen road again.
- End of August 2026: the stretch was repaired and the bridge reopened to light vehicles, one at a time.
- 10 September 2026: the Mangan district administration ordered that vehicles going to Lachen and Lachung, and those coming back towards Gangtok, must cross the Toong check post by 4 pm.
The Lachung side has stayed open through most of this. For Lachen and Gurudongmar, permits depend on road, army and weather clearance in the week you travel. Zero Point can also be closed by snow or black ice. Plan at least two nights in North Sikkim and keep a spare day in your trip. Ask us before booking, and we will tell you what is being issued for your dates.
Zuluk, Dzongu and the treks
Zuluk and the Old Silk Route in East Sikkim need their own permit, arranged through a registered operator and processed at Rongli. Foreigners cannot go.
Dzongu, the Lepcha reserve north of Mangan, needs a special permit. Arrange it with your operator before you go.
Treks such as Goecha La and Dzongri start at Yuksom in West Sikkim. They need trekking permits and a registered trek operator for the protected zones, so sort that out with the trek company rather than on the day.
Documents to carry
- Original voter ID, passport or driving licence (Aadhaar as a backup only)
- Photocopies of that ID, a few for each person
- Four to six passport-size photos per person, white background
- A school ID or birth certificate for each child
- Foreign travellers: passport, Indian visa and a printout of the approved online permit
Getting to Sikkim
Bagdogra airport and NJP railway station are the gateways. From either, Gangtok is about 120 km, roughly four to five hours by road. Our guide to getting from Bagdogra or NJP to Gangtok has shared taxi and cab fares and the road status. Pakyong airport near Gangtok has had patchy flights for a while, so plan around Bagdogra unless Pakyong flights are confirmed for your dates.
Best time for the permit areas
March to May and October to mid-December are the easiest months. The skies are clear and the high roads are mostly open. In winter, Tsomgo is often frozen and very pretty, but Nathula and Gurudongmar can close after fresh snow. From June to September, landslides regularly close North Sikkim roads for days at a time.
Mistakes to avoid
- Building the whole trip around Nathula on a Monday or Tuesday.
- Only one night in North Sikkim, with no spare day.
- Arriving with Aadhaar as your only ID.
- Booking through someone who is not a registered Sikkim operator and cannot get the permit.
- Foreign travellers arriving at Rangpo without an approved online RAP.
Sikkim tours with permits included
Our tours start with a pickup at Bagdogra airport or NJP station. The North Sikkim tour with Lachung, Yumthang and Gurudongmar (6 days) includes the Protected Area Permit. Gurudongmar runs only when permits are issued for those dates. The Gangtok & Pelling sightseeing tour (5 days) and the luxury Gangtok & Pelling retreat include the Tsomgo Lake permit.
For the places themselves, see our Sikkim travel guide and the Sikkim destination page.
A note on prices: the permit fees and charges in this guide are what the official sources listed when we wrote it in October 2026. Governments revise them without much warning, so check the official portal or a registered Sikkim operator for the current amount before you pay or travel.
Questions people ask us
Do Indians need a permit to visit Gangtok?
No. Indian citizens need no permit for Gangtok, Pelling, Namchi or Ravangla. Carry a photo ID, because it can be checked at the Rangpo or Melli check posts on the way in.
Is Nathula open every day?
No. It is open on a few days each week (most often closed on Monday and Tuesday), there is a daily cap on permits, and the army can close the road at short notice. Your operator will confirm the evening before.
Can foreigners go to Nathula or Gurudongmar Lake?
No. Foreign nationals, including OCI card holders, can visit Tsomgo Lake and the Lachung and Yumthang side of North Sikkim with the right permits, but not Nathula, Gurudongmar Lake or the Zuluk circuit.
Can I apply for the North Sikkim permit myself?
In practice, no. The Protected Area Permit is issued against an itinerary from a registered Sikkim tour operator and a Sikkim-registered vehicle, so walk-in individual permits are almost impossible.
Is Lachen open for tourists now?
The Lachen road reopened at the end of August 2026 after repairs at Taram Chu, with limits on vehicles and timings. Whether Lachen and Gurudongmar permits are issued for your dates depends on the road and the weather that week, so check before you book that part of the trip.
Is Aadhaar accepted for Sikkim permits?
Not always. For North Sikkim and the Nathula road, Aadhaar is often refused as the main ID. Bring a voter ID, passport or driving licence.
How many days do I need for North Sikkim?
Plan at least two nights, usually one in Lachung and one in Lachen, plus a spare day for weather. One-night trips are no longer the norm, and they are rushed even when allowed.
Road and permit updates
When roads close or permit rules change, subscribers hear about it first.
