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VISAS |
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1.Passport valid
for a minimum of six months beyond the date of
intended departure from India should accompany
visa applications.
2. Paste one photo and staple the other one on
the form at specified place.
3.Foreigners holding other nationalities (other
than the country where applying for visa), should
submit proof of long-term (at least three years)/
permanent residence in the country (where applying).
For citizen of other countries, a reference has
to be made to their country of residence for which
an additional fee is applicable and will involve
extra processing time. Please refrain from making
inquiries about the status of application during
this time.
4. Following visas are available from the Indian
missions abroad |
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* TOURIST VISA
Is given for 6 months normally, rest specifically
depends on the country of residence. The applicant
is required to produce/submit documents in proof
of his financial standing. Tourist travelling
in groups of not less than four members under
the auspices of a recognised travel agency may
be considered for grant of collective tourist
visa. |
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*BUSINESS VISA
Valid for one or more year with multiple entries.
A letter from sponsoring organization indicating
nature of business, probable duration of stay,
places and organizations to be visited incorporating
there in a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses,
etc. should accompany the application.
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*STUDENT VISA
Are issued for the duration of the academic course
of study or for a period of five years whichever
is less, on the basis of firm letters of admission
from Universities/recogenised colleges or educational
institutions in India. Change of purpose and institutions
are not permissible. |
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*TRANSIT VISA
Are issued for a maximum period of 15-days with
single/double entry facilities to bonafide transit
passengers only. |
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*VISA TO MISSIONARIES
Are valid for single entry and duration as permitted
by Government of India. A letter in triplicate
from sponsoring organization indicating intended
destination in India, probable length of stay,
and nature of duties to be discharged should be
submitted along with guarantee for applicant’s
maintenance while in India. |
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*JOURNALIST VISA
Are issued toprofessional journalists and photographers
for visiting India. The applicants are requied
to contact on arrival in New Delhi, the External
Publicity Division of the Ministry of External
Affairs and in other places, the Office of the
Government of India's Press Information Bureaus. |
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* CONFERENCE VISA
Are issued for attending conferences/seminars/meetings
in India. A letter of invitation from the organiser
of the conference is to be submitted alongwith
the visa application. Delegates coming to attend
conferences may combine tourism with attending
conferences |
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* EMPLOYMENT VISA
Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals
or persons who are engaged or appointed by companies,
organisations, economic undertakings as technicians,
technical experts, senior executives etc. Applicants
are required to submit proof of contract/employment/engagement
of of foreign nationals by the company or organisation. |
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* FEES
The fee structure depends on the nationality of
the passport holder and type/duration of visa
applied. The existing fee structure is:
Transit Visa US$ 5.00
Visas with validity upto six months US$ 30.00
Visas with validity upto one year US$ 50.00
Student Visa US$ 50.00
Visas with validity between one to five years
US$100.00
Visa fees indicated in US$ are payable in local
currencies as well. Visa fees are not refundable
except in cases where a visa already issued is
cancelled thereafter.Source Indian goverment |
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How to get there:
Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim is connected by all
weather road to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri
and also to all the District headquarters within
Sikkim. Two nearest railway station are at Siliguri
(114 km) and New Jalpaiguri (125 km) stabilizing
link to Calcutta, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow and other
important cities in India. Nearest airport is Bagdogra
in North Bengal( 124 km). |
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By Flight :The closest Indian Airport is at Bagdogra,124
km from Gangtok, where scheduled flights operates
to and fro from Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati. |
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Air Fare: Indian Airlines Jet Airways
Bagdogra - Kolkata : Rs. 4065 /- Rs. 4310 /-
Bagdogra - Delhi : Rs. 8570 /- Rs. 8570 /-
Bagdogra - Guwahati : Rs. 2445 /- Rs. 2445 /- |
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Travel time from the airport
to Gangtok is 4 hours by road. Bagdogra Airport
is 11 km west of Siliguri.
Indian Airlines, Siliguri (Phone : 431-509; Fax:
431-495; Airport: 450-666) and
Jet Airways, Siliguri (Phone :435-876; Airport
: 450-589) |
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A taxi from airport to Siliguri
is Rs.140. From the airport you can get a taxi
to Bagdogra Bazaar (Rs. 40, 3 km) and from there,
you can get a local bus to Siliguri too. |
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From Katmandu, fly to Bhadrapur
in the east Nepal(1 hour), then drive to Kakarbhitta
(Nepal-India border,35 km), to Siliguri(37 km)
and to Gangtok (110 km, 4 hrs). Or fly to Biratnagar
also in east Nepal. |
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Helicopter Service: The Bagdogra airport is connected
to Gangtok by a helicopter service which takes approx.
30 minutes to reach Gangtok. |
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Sikkim Tourism Development
Corporation(+91-3592-222634) operates this service
daily at 11:00 AM from Gangtok to Bagdogra and
at 2:00 PM from Bagdogra to Gangtok at a price
of Rs.1500/- per person. It is a five seater chopper
and mountain flights and other such tours to North
Sikkim are conducted. |
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By Rail : The closest Railhead
is at New Jalpaiguri which is around 148 km away
from Gangtok. It is connected to Kolkata(Calcutta),
New Delhi, Guwahati and other major Indian cities.
From the station you can hire and reserve a taxi
and came to Gangtok. That will cost you around
Rs.1500/-. Or you can come in a pejo( jeep) on
sharing basis. That will cost you Rs.120/- per
person. |
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By Road : Gangtok is at a
distance of 110 km from Siliguri and will take
4 hours from Siliguri to reach Gangtok . Gangtok
is connected by road with Darjeeling (4 hrs),
and with Bhutan, Phuntsholing (6 hrs).
Foreigners Entry Formalities:
Visa & Permits : In addition to an Indian
visa, foreigners must obtain Inner Line Permit
(ILP) to visit Sikkim. The permits can be obtained
from all Indian missions, Tourism Office, New
Delhi, Sikkim Tourism Office, Calcutta and Sikkim
Tourism Office, Siliguri on the strength of an
Indian Visa. |
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Foreigners are issued a permit
for initial period of 15 days duration on the
spot without any delay provided photocopies of
Passport and Visa details along with two passport
photos of applicants are made available then and
there. It can be extended for further 30 days
of 15 days each. The extension of permits can
be obtained from Foreigners Registration Office(FRO),
Gangtok and Superintendent of Police of North,
South and West Districts.
The FRO is located at Kazi Road, Gangtok. Phone
no 223041 |
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For those interested in going
for trekking in the interior regions of the state,
you also require a Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
OR Protected Area Permit(PAP) which is obtainable
in Gangtok from the Police Check Post and Department
of Tourism which is available for certain specified
area for groups consisting of 4 or more foreigners
subject to the condition that the trekking program
is arranged through a registered travel agency. |
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NOTE# This permit is issued to
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REGISTERED TRAVEL AGENTS ONLY.
While travelling in Sikkim don't forget to get your
passport stamped at all check posts.
Best Season to Visit : March to June and September
to December
Adventure Sports : Trekking, mountaineering, rafting
and yak safari |
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Where to Stay :
There are number of categories of hotels, resorts,
lodges and guest houses in Gangtok and in other
tourist destinations within the State to suit the
taste and budget of individual tourist. |
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