Sikkim ready to launch QR-Based digital permit for high-altitude travel

Sikkim is gearing up for a digital shake-up of its high-altitude travel system, swapping out its long-standing paper permits for a QR-based platform, a senior official confirmed on November 22, 2025.

The Tourism Department’s Additional Chief Secretary, CS Rao, said the new system will do away with manual paperwork for both Restricted Area Permits (RAP) and Protected Area Permits (PAP).

The move is expected to streamline access to some of the state’s most sought-after spots (Nathu La, Tsomgo Lake, Lachen, Lachung and Zuluk) with travellers soon able to apply online and carry QR-coded permits designed to speed up checks at security points.

Rao noted that the platform will link data across tourism, police, transport and the Army, allowing real-time verification of Sikkim’s digital permit. Trial runs are currently underway with a limited group of operators, with a wider rollout expected soon.

The initiative forms part of a broader push to cut delays, ensure smoother tourist movement and maintain closer oversight in sensitive regions.

In a separate development, Chief Secretary Ravindra Telang has instructed all departments to work towards reopening the Chungthang-Lachen corridor in Mangan district by December, sources reported.

Representatives from the 27 Mountain Division, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Roads & Bridges and Land Revenue departments, as well as district collectors from Gangtok and Mangan, recently briefed officials on ongoing works, from road restoration and bridge repairs to landslide clearance along the Dikchu-Mangan and Chungthang-Lachen stretches.