Checked 20 September 2026
Who needs which permit, place by place
Darjeeling needs none. Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal each keep their own paperwork, and the rules differ for Indian citizens, foreign nationals and OCI cardholders. Here is all of it, and what we file for you.
In short
Do I need a permit or a visa for Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal?
Indian citizens need only photo ID for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Gangtok and Pelling, plus a protected-area permit, filed by a registered Sikkim operator, for Tsomgo, Nathu La, North Sikkim and Zuluk. Foreign nationals and OCI cardholders need an Indian visa and, since January 2026, a Sikkim Restricted Area Permit issued online through e-FRRO before the border. Bhutan asks for an entry permit or US$40 visa, a nightly fee and a licensed guide. Nepal needs no visa for Indians. We prepare or file each one with you.
At a glance
Who needs what, and where
Find your passport and read down. OCI cardholders follow the foreign-national column wherever a permit or visa is involved: Sikkim treats them as foreign, and Bhutan and Nepal go by the passport you carry, not the card beside it.
| Place | Indian citizens | Foreign nationals | OCI cardholders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik | No permit. Photo ID at every check-in | No permit. A valid Indian visa; e-Visa arrivals accepted at Bagdogra | No permit. Passport and OCI card |
| Gangtok, Pelling, Yuksom, Ravangla | No permit. Photo ID, plus Sikkim's ₹50 tourist fee, paid at the hotel | Restricted Area Permit, online via e-FRRO before the border; 30 days | As foreign nationals: the RAP via e-FRRO |
| Tsomgo Lake, 3,753 m | Protected-area permit via a registered Sikkim operator; children over five | RAP plus protected-area permit via a registered agent; two or more together | As foreign nationals |
| Nathu La, 4,310 m | Permit via a registered operator; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays | Not permitted | Not permitted; treated as foreign |
| Lachung and Yumthang, North Sikkim | Protected-area permit via a registered operator; cross Tung by 16:00 | RAP plus protected-area permit, two or more, through a registered agent | As foreign nationals |
| Lachen, Gurudongmar, Zero Point | Permit via a registered operator; Lachen reopened on 11 September 2026 | Gurudongmar closed to foreigners; sources differ on Zero Point, so we check | As foreign nationals |
| Zuluk and the Old Silk Route | Protected-area permit via a registered operator; four photographs each | Not permitted | Not permitted |
| Singalila Ridge and Sandakphu | Photo ID and park entry at Manebhanjan; a registered local guide | Passport and Indian visa; no Nepal visa, but no nights in Nepal-side lodges | We confirm with the border post; plan as foreign |
| Dzongri and the Goecha La trek | Trekking permit and park entry at Yuksom; a licensed guide | RAP plus trekking permit via a registered operator; a party of two or more | As foreign nationals |
| Bhutan | Entry permit on an original passport (6 months) or voter ID, plus the nightly fee and a guide | US$40 e-visa, the nightly fee in dollars, and a licensed guide | Visa and fee set by your passport; the OCI card does not count |
| Nepal | No visa. Passport or original voter ID for every flight | Visa on arrival: US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30, US$125 for 90 | Visa set by your passport nationality |
Dated changes
What changed this year
Five changes from 2026, and one from 2025, alter how a journey through these hills is planned. Each is dated, so you can see how fresh the rule is.
The biggest change is at the Sikkim border. Since January 2026, foreign nationals and OCI cardholders receive the Restricted Area Permit only online, through the Ministry of Home Affairs e-FRRO portal, and the posts at Rangpo and Melli check permits without issuing them. Indian missions abroad advise applying about 30 days ahead, or 15 days if you are already in India. Sikkim has also charged a ₹50 tourist fee since March 2025, collected by your hotel from everyone aged five and over and valid for 30 days.
In North Sikkim, permits for Lachen and Gurudongmar resumed on 11 September 2026, three years after the October 2023 flood, and every vehicle must pass the Tung checkpost by 16:00 in either direction. A Bhutan notification of 11 September 2026 moves the registration of a pre-arranged guide at the Phuentsholing land port to 48 hours before guests travel, up from 24. From September 2026, foreign visitors pay Nu 2,000 at Taktsang, double the old fee, and Nu 1,000 at the main dzongs.
In Nepal, Indian ₹200 and ₹500 notes are accepted again, up to ₹25,000 a person, after a notice of July 2026. The ₹2,000 note is still refused, so leave it at home.
Our part
How we handle every permit
You send documents once. Everything after that, from the online portals to the barrier arm at the checkpost, is our work.
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When you say yes
You send clear scans, once
Photo ID for every traveller, visa pages for foreign guests, birth certificates for children, and passport photographs where Sikkim's high roads are on the route. We keep one file for the whole party, so nobody is asked for the same document twice.
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Before we quote
We match each day to the rule behind it
Every night and day trip on your plan is checked against its permit, its checkpost, the days a pass opens and whether a border falls on a weekday. If a rule blocks a day, you hear it in the quote, not at the barrier.
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About 30 days out
Sikkim's online permit for foreign guests
We prepare the e-FRRO application with you: passport and visa pages, a photograph, the itinerary and the details of the registered Sikkim agent who sponsors it. The permit arrives as an electronic document, which we print twice for Rangpo or Melli.
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Three to six weeks out
Bhutan: permit or visa, fee and guide
Indian guests' entry permits and other guests' visas are filed online, with the nightly fee paid in the same step; visas are usually reviewed within five working days. Your licensed guide is booked alongside and, for a road entry, registered at the Phuentsholing land port 48 hours before you cross.
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One day ahead
Protected areas, filed the day before
Tsomgo, Nathu La, North Sikkim and Zuluk permits go through a registered Sikkim operator, usually a day ahead, with originals checked at the barrier. We confirm the evening before that the pass or road is open, because snow, slides and Army orders can shut them overnight.
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On the road
A folder rides in the car
Your driver or guide carries every permit, fee receipt and ID copy for the party. At each post you hand over originals when asked, and the rest of the conversation with the officer is ours to have.
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Before you fly
Rechecked for your dates
Rules and road status are checked again against your dates before you leave home, and anything that has moved is written into your final papers. If a permit is refused or a pass closes, we rearrange the day, and the booking terms on How it works set out what that costs.
In your day bag
Documents to carry
Originals, not photocopies, unless a line below says otherwise. Keep them in a day bag rather than a suitcase: checkposts come without warning on these roads.
- Indian citizens: passport or original voter IDEither one covers Sikkim's protected areas, Bhutan's entry permit and flights to Nepal. Some Sikkim operators also take a driving licence; Aadhaar and PAN are refused for Bhutan, Nepal flights and the high Sikkim permits.
- The voter ID must be the card itselfA downloaded or printed e-copy of the voter ID is turned away on flights between India and Nepal, and Bhutan's permit asks for the original card as well.
- Passport photographsTwo per person for Tsomgo, Nathu La and North Sikkim, four for Zuluk, and two for each child's Bhutan permit. Pack spares; they weigh nothing.
- Children's papersA birth certificate in English, or a passport, for every child under 18. In Bhutan a child must travel with a parent or legal guardian, and for flights to Nepal a passport saves any argument at check-in.
- Foreign passportsAt least six months' validity, with your Indian visa or printed e-Visa approval. Hotels in India register foreign guests at check-in, so keep the passport within reach.
- A visa that lets you back into IndiaThe 30-day e-Tourist visa allows multiple entries, and Jaigaon, the Bhutan gate, accepts e-Visa holders. Panitanki, the Nepal crossing, does not, so return from Nepal by air.
- Sikkim permit printoutsTwo paper copies of the e-FRRO permit for every foreign and OCI guest. We print them for you, but keep one in your own bag.
- Bhutan and Nepal approvalsBhutan's visa approval letter or the Indian entry permit, and US dollars in cash for Nepal's visa on arrival, with a spare passport photograph in case the border desk asks for one.
- Photocopies for the ridge and the passesTwo copies of each photo ID for Singalila, where Manebhanjan and the posts along the ridge check them, and spare copies for Sikkim's protected-area barriers.
- Your insurance detailsThe policy number and emergency line for cover that includes cancellation, medical care and evacuation from the mountains. Bhutan expects it, and our booking terms ask for it.
Crossings
The six borders you might cross
State lines and national borders come quickly here. These are the posts our journeys use, with what happens at each.
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Rangpo, the NH10 gate into Sikkim
About 85 km and under three hours from Bagdogra, at 333 m on the Teesta. Indian guests show ID if asked; foreign and OCI guests show the printed e-FRRO permit, which the post checks but no longer issues.
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Melli, the road to Pelling
The Teesta crossing about 69 km from Bagdogra, used for Pelling, Yuksom and South Sikkim, with the same permit check as Rangpo. When a plan enters by Jorethang instead, we first confirm that foreign permits are accepted there.
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Jaigaon and Phuentsholing, into Bhutan
162 km and about 4.5 hours from Bagdogra. The Indian consulate lists the pedestrian terminal as open around the clock, but we time the crossing for weekday office hours, 09:00 to 17:00. The town can be walked without a guide; beyond the first checkpoint at Rinchending, Bhutan's rules require one, so your Bhutanese guide and car take over at the gate. Clocks move 30 minutes forward.
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Panitanki and Kakarbhitta, into Nepal
The Mechi bridge, 22 km from Bagdogra. Indians cross with ID. Foreign guests take an Indian exit stamp at the Raniganj immigration office in Panitanki and buy Nepal's visa on arrival at Kakarbhitta, and cannot re-enter India here on an e-Visa. Nepal runs 15 minutes ahead.
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Paro airport, Bhutan by air
Flights land only in daylight and good visibility, so nothing on either side of a Paro flight is planned tight. Drukair and Bhutan Airlines link Paro with Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Bangkok and Kathmandu; the days each route flies are on Getting here. Your visa approval or Indian entry permit is checked at the arrivals desk.
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Bhadrapur, the short hop to Kathmandu
Chandragadhi airport sits 21 km past Kakarbhitta, and Buddha Air lists five flights a day to Kathmandu, about 45 minutes each. The runway was cut from 1,500 to 1,400 m after an overrun on 2 January 2026, so we confirm aircraft and times for your date.
Fees
Permit and entry fees, in one place
Every fee that applies to your route appears as its own line in your quote. These are the published amounts as of September 2026.
| Fee | Amount | Who pays, and when |
|---|---|---|
| Sikkim Restricted Area Permit | No fee reported | Foreign and OCI guests; filed online before the border |
| Sikkim tourist fee | ₹50 a person | Everyone aged five and over; collected by the hotel, valid 30 days |
| Tsomgo and North Sikkim permits | In our price | Filed by a registered Sikkim operator and listed in your quote |
| Nathu La and Zero Point | Quoted as add-ons | Each a separate permit and fee on its own line; Nathu La admits Indians only |
| Bhutan SDF, Indian nationals | ₹1,200 a night | Half from age 6 to the 12th birthday; nothing under 6 |
| Bhutan SDF, other passports | US$100 a night | Until 31 August 2027; half from 6 to the 12th birthday |
| Bhutan visa | US$40, once | Every passport except Indian; reviewed in about five working days |
| Taktsang entry, foreign visitors | Nu 2,000 | From September 2026; half for under-18s, free at five and under |
| Nepal visa on arrival | US$30, 50 or 125 | For 15, 30 or 90 days; Indian citizens need no visa |
| An Indian car inside Bhutan | Nu 4,500 per vehicle per night | Beyond the first checkpoint, Rinchending (Rule 26); why a Bhutanese car takes over |
| Licensed guide in Bhutan | In our price | Required for every tour beyond the first checkpoint, Rinchending (Rule 20) |
Questions
Permits and visas, answered straight
Do Indian tourists need a permit for Sikkim?
Not for most of it. Gangtok, Pelling, Yuksom and Ravangla need only photo ID and the ₹50 tourist fee your hotel collects. Tsomgo Lake, Nathu La, North Sikkim and Zuluk need a protected-area permit, which a registered Sikkim operator files with a passport or voter ID and passport photographs; Aadhaar is not accepted. Nathu La never opens on a Monday or a Tuesday, and snow or Army orders can close it on other days, so we confirm it the evening before.
Can foreigners still get the Sikkim permit at Rangpo?
No. Since January 2026 the Restricted Area Permit is issued only online, through India's e-FRRO portal, and Rangpo and Melli check it without issuing it. Apply before you reach the state: Indian missions suggest about 30 days ahead from abroad. No fee is reported for it, and it runs for 30 days, extendable to 60 at the Foreigners Registration Office at Tadong in Gangtok. We prepare the application with you.
Are OCI cardholders treated as Indians in Sikkim and Bhutan?
No. Sikkim treats OCI cardholders as foreign nationals, so they need the online Restricted Area Permit and, under current practice, are not issued permits for Nathu La or Zuluk. Bhutan goes by passport, so an OCI holder travelling on a British or American passport pays the US$40 visa and the dollar rate of the nightly fee. Nepal also sets its visa by passport. Travel on the passport you will show at each border.
Is a voter ID enough for an Indian citizen to enter Bhutan?
Yes. An original voter ID card works in place of a passport for Bhutan's entry permit; a printout or a downloaded copy does not. A passport, if you use one, needs six months' validity. Aadhaar, PAN and driving licences are not accepted. Children need a birth certificate in English or a passport, and must travel with a parent or legal guardian. The nightly fee and what children pay are in the fee table above; what a Bhutan week adds up to is on What it costs.
Is there an age limit for the Tsomgo and North Sikkim permits?
Yes. Permits for Tsomgo and North Sikkim are issued only to children above five, so a child of five or younger stays in Gangtok with one adult that morning. Each child who goes needs a birth certificate or passport. Checkpost staff can still turn back anyone who looks unwell at altitude, so we keep the stop short and carry oxygen, water and blankets in the car.
Can a foreign national cross from Darjeeling into Nepal by road?
Yes, at the Mechi bridge between Panitanki and Kakarbhitta, 22 km from Bagdogra airport. Take an Indian exit stamp at the Raniganj immigration office in Panitanki, which reopened to third-country travellers in 2024, then buy Nepal's visa on arrival at Kakarbhitta, from US$30 for 15 days. An e-Visa allows you to leave India here, but not to come back: e-Visa holders fly back into India from Kathmandu. We check the office hours for your date.
How far ahead should we send documents for permits?
Six weeks before travel is comfortable. The Sikkim permit for foreign guests needs about 30 days, Bhutan's visa about five working days, and festival weeks fill Bhutan's guides and rooms months ahead. Protected-area permits for Tsomgo, Nathu La and North Sikkim are filed a day or two before the visit, once the road is confirmed open, so late changes there are easy.
Sources we checked for this page (30)
- PAP and RAP for foreigners through e-FRRO only, no physical permits; Sikkim among the areas covered; apply at least 30 days ahead from abroad and 15 days if already in India (page updated 18 September 2026)
- Sikkim RAP and PAP for foreigners applied for via e-FRRO; RAP 30 days, extendable by 30 days at the FRO at Tadong, Gangtok; OCI treated as foreign; foreigners barred from Nathu La, Gurudongmar and Zuluk, Zero Point allowed with PAP; Indian PAP documents passport or voter ID with two photos, Aadhaar not accepted since September 2019; children below five not permitted in high areas; the page now says apply at least two weeks ahead (re-read 20 September 2026)
- 2026 Sikkim permit rules: RAP via e-FRRO before arrival; OCI treated as foreign; Aadhaar not accepted at army checkposts for border-zone permits; Nathu La and Gurudongmar closed to foreigners (updated April 2026)
- Online-only RAP via e-FRRO from January 2026; OCI cardholders treated as foreign nationals (April 2026)
- Sikkim ₹50 tourist fee from 14 March 2025, collected by accommodation from tourists aged five and over, valid up to 30 days
- Lachen closed for three years after the October 2023 South Lhonak flood; permits for Lachen and Gurudongmar resumed on Friday 11 September 2026; tourist vehicles must cross Tung by 4 pm going up and coming down
- Nathu La open to Indian citizens only with permits obtained in advance; 4,310 m
- Indian nationals in Bhutan: original passport (six months) or original voter ID; birth certificate in English or passport for under-18s with a guardian, two photos; SDF ₹1,200 a night, under 6 exempt, 6 to 12 half; pedestrian terminal open 24x7; travel insurance expected; Indian vehicles beyond Rinchending pay Nu 4,500 a day green tax (page updated 17 September 2026)
- SDF of US$100 per night for dollar-paying tourists from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2027, half for children 6 to 12; 'Announcement on Guide Engagement on Land Port' posted 14 September 2026
- Bhutan visa fee US$40, applied online, reviewed within five working days
- Bhutan entry fees for all foreign visitors: Taktsang raised from Nu 1,000 to Nu 2,000; Tashichho, Punakha and Rinpung dzongs and other main sites Nu 1,000; under-18s half, five and under free; in effect from Friday 18 September 2026, collected at the sites after 23 September (BBS, 20 September 2026)
- Drukair October 2026 schedule: KB131 Bagdogra 09:40 to Paro 11:00 local on Tuesdays and Saturdays; Paro also linked with Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka and Singapore (PDF read 20 September 2026)
- Paro airport operates in visual conditions and daylight only
- e-Visa entry: the 30-day e-Tourist visa is multiple entry; designated land ICPs include Jaigaon but not Panitanki; Bagdogra is an e-Visa airport; e-Visa holders may exit from any ICP (re-read 20 September 2026)
- Indians flying between India and Nepal: valid passport or original Election Commission voter ID only; downloaded voter ID, Aadhaar, PAN and driving licence not accepted (page updated 20 September 2026)
- Nepal tourist visa US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30, US$125 for 90; Indians need no visa
- Visa on arrival available at the Kakarbhitta land border
- Buddha Air: Bhadrapur to Kathmandu 45 minutes, five flights daily
- Bhadrapur runway, normally 1,500 m, reduced by 100 m to 1,400 m after the Buddha Air overrun; ATR flights resumed (Republica, 4 January 2026)
- Kakarbhitta 21.5 km from Bagdogra airport and 21 km from Bhadrapur airport
- Indian ₹200 and ₹500 notes allowed in Nepal up to ₹25,000 combined; ₹2,000 notes still prohibited (NRB notice 24 July 2026)
- Rangpo at 333 m, the border checkpoint on NH10
- Department of Tourism notification of 11 September 2026: registration of pre-arranged guides at the Phuentsholing land entry and exit port changed from 24 to 48 hours before the tourists' travel date
- Drukair November 2026 schedule: KB131 Bagdogra to Paro 09:40 to 11:00 on Tuesdays and Saturdays; KB130 Paro to Bagdogra on Mondays and Fridays
- Buddha Air ATR 72 overran the Bhadrapur runway on the night of 2 January 2026; all aboard survived
- Nathu La and Zero Point sold as separate add-ons with their own permit and fee; Tsomgo and North Sikkim permits included
- Two Kingdoms times the Phuentsholing crossing for a weekday because the immigration office works 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
- Tourism Rules and Regulations 2024, Rule 20: a tour guide is mandatory for all tours except until the first designated check point; Rule 26: a tourist driving their own vehicle beyond the designated point pays Nu 4,500 per vehicle per night (PDF read 20 September 2026)
- Foreign guests take an Indian exit stamp at the Raniganj immigration office in Panitanki, reopened to third-country travellers in 2024; e-Visa allows departure from any ICP
- Nathu La never opens on Mondays or Tuesdays; snow or Army orders can close it on other days (moved from /plan/questions/)
Checked September 2026. We confirm every rule, fee and flight again for your dates.
Plan my journey
Tell us which passports are travelling
Send the passports in your party and the places you have in mind, and the reply sets out every permit, visa and fee your route needs, with the date each rule was checked.