Name Change Procedure in Sikkim
Living in the mountains should not make paperwork harder, and it does not. The whole process runs from home, by post, for Gangtok, Namchi, Gyalshing, Mangan, Pakyong and Soreng. The notarised affidavit, one Nepali and one English newspaper notice, the Central Gazette notification, real fees and honest timelines. We prepare the whole file and track it until your notification is live.
Video: the name change procedure in Sikkim
Prefer to watch rather than read? This walkthrough covers the affidavit, the newspaper notices and the gazette notification, in the order you actually have to do them. Six more videos sit further down this page, each one placed next to the section it explains.
Name Change Procedure in Sikkim, gazette office and name correction service • every video on this page loads only when you press play, so none of them slow it down
All seven Sikkim videos on this page
Each video sits next to the section it explains, so you can jump straight to the one you need. Most are in Hindi, because they explain the national Central Gazette process. That does not change the newspaper rule on this page: your notices still go in one Nepali daily and one English daily that circulate in Sikkim.
- Name Change Procedure in Sikkim the three legal stages from affidavit to published notification
- How to Make a Gazette Notification in Sikkim the filing itself, step by step
- How to Change Surname in Sikkim surname changes, including after marriage
- Father Name Change in Education Documents fixing a parent name across school and college records
- Name Change in Birth Certificate in Sikkim the Registrar route, which is not a gazette matter
- Change Name in 10th Mark Sheet in Sikkim how a board record follows its own correction process
- Father Name Change in Passport in Sikkim passport re-issue after the gazette
Everything shown in the videos is written out in full below, with the fees, the office addresses and the Government sources it is all checked against.
To change your name in Sikkim, make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two newspapers, one Nepali and one English, then apply to the Central Gazette of India in Delhi with the prescribed forms and the fee paid through BharatKosh. Your notification appears in Part IV on egazette.gov.in in about 30 to 45 days, and nothing in the process requires travelling out of the state.
Sikkim gets some of the worst name change advice on the internet. Pages invent a gazette office in Gangtok, promise publication in a "Sikkim Gazette valid worldwide", call the notification a court order, and tell readers to advertise in Hindi papers in a state where Hindi is not an official language. This page sets out the real name change procedure in Sikkim: which gazette actually publishes a personal notice, which newspapers count, what the Government really charges, and how long each stage takes when your file is posted from Mangan rather than handed in at a Delhi counter.
A Gazette notification is a formal announcement of your name change printed in the official journal of the Government. Once it carries a page number and a date, it becomes the document that Aadhaar, PAN, banks, boards, the passport office and employers accept as the legal record of your new name. An affidavit on its own is the beginning of the change, not the end of it.
At a glance
- Where it applies
- All six districts of Sikkim
- Legal stages
- Affidavit, newspaper notice, gazette notification
- Which gazette
- Part IV of the Gazette of India, not the Sikkim state gazette
- Gazette office
- Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054
- How the file travels
- By post or speed post. No travel out of Sikkim
- Government fee
- Commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor
- Payment portal
- BharatKosh, the Non-Tax Receipt Portal
- Newspapers
- One Nepali daily and one English daily, not Hindi
- Publication time
- 30 to 45 days, with no expedited option
- Typical timeline
- 3 to 7 weeks end to end
- Where to download
- egazette.gov.in, free of cost
- Court order needed
- No. This is an administrative process
Key takeaways
- The process has three stages: a notarised affidavit, newspaper publication, and a gazette notification. Skipping one causes a rejection later.
- Sikkim has no counter or portal where a private citizen files a personal name change. The state's Printing and Stationery Department prints for Government departments and undertakings, and the state gazette carries laws, orders and departmental notifications.
- Personal notices publish in Part IV of the Gazette of India. There is exactly one Central Gazette office: Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054, and your file reaches it by post.
- The newspaper notices go in one Nepali daily and one English daily that circulate in Sikkim. Under the Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977, Nepali is an official language of the state and Hindi is not, so a template telling you to book a Hindi paper is telling you to waste money.
- The Government fee is commonly Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid only through bharatkosh.gov.in. The Department of Publication revises it each financial year, so confirm before paying.
- Since October 2015 the Gazette has been digital only. Nothing arrives by courier, and no court order is involved in a simple name change.
- A birth certificate mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the body that issued it. It is not a gazette matter.
Why does a gazette matter so much in the only Indian state that was once a country?
Every state in this series has a name change story. Sikkim's is in a different league, because the state itself changed identity.
The Kingdom of Sikkim was founded in 1642, when Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned the first Chogyal, and the Namgyal dynasty ruled for 333 years. India's independence made Sikkim a protectorate under the Indo-Sikkimese Treaty of 1950. The 35th Constitutional Amendment of 1974 made it an Associate State by inserting Article 2A and the Tenth Schedule. Then on 14 April 1975 a referendum was held, and roughly 97.5 percent of those who voted chose to end the monarchy and merge with India. Parliament passed the 36th Constitutional Amendment, and on 16 May 1975 Sikkim became India's 22nd state. That date is marked every year as Sikkim Statehood Day.
Article 371F was written into the Constitution at the same time, to protect Sikkim's pre-merger arrangements. Clause (k) of that article is the part that matters to anyone holding an old document: it provides that all laws in force in Sikkim immediately before the appointed day continue in force until a competent legislature or authority amends or repeals them. Sikkim's legal past was not wiped clean by the merger. It was carried forward on purpose.
The habit continued. On 13 December 2021, the Sikkim Government Gazette Extraordinary carried the Sikkim (Re-organisation of Districts) Act, 2021. East Sikkim became Gangtok, West Sikkim became Gyalshing, North Sikkim became Mangan, South Sikkim became Namchi, and two new districts, Pakyong and Soreng, were created. Four districts changed their names in a single gazette issue.
Think about that when your own paperwork feels slow. Sikkim's identity change took 333 years of monarchy, a referendum and a constitutional amendment. Yours takes an affidavit, two newspaper notices and about 30 to 45 days at the Gazette.
Is there a gazette office in Sikkim?
Short answer: not one that takes a personal name change. Use the Central Gazette of India, and post the file. That is not a downgrade, it is the standard route for this state.
Sikkim does publish its own Government gazette, and you can find issues of it through sikkim.gov.in. It carries state laws, Government orders and departmental notifications, exactly as the 2021 district reorganisation did. The printing side sits with the Printing and Stationery Department, above the Foreign Registration Office on NH 10 at Tadong, just outside Gangtok.
What that department describes itself as doing is printing for state Government departments and Government undertakings, and supplying stationery to them. There is no public counter, no proforma and no portal for a private citizen who wants to publish a personal change of name. So when a website tells you to visit a nearby gazette office in Sikkim, or sells you publication in a "Sikkim Gazette valid worldwide", it is describing a service that does not exist for this purpose.
For a personal name change that the passport office, UIDAI, banks and boards all accept without argument, residents of Sikkim apply to the Central Gazette of India, run by the Department of Publication in Delhi, and the entire application travels by post. Remoteness costs you almost nothing here: an applicant in Mangan and an applicant in Delhi follow an identical procedure, and the only difference is a few days of speed post.
| Point of comparison | Sikkim state gazette | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Printed by | Printing and Stationery Department, Tadong, near Gangtok | Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054 |
| What it carries | State laws, Government orders and departmental notifications | Government notifications plus personal notices in Part IV |
| Personal name change | No counter, no proforma and no portal for private applicants | Yes, the standard route for Sikkim residents |
| Accepted | State notifications within Sikkim | Everywhere in India and by foreign missions |
| How you apply | Not applicable for individuals | Signed file by post or courier to Delhi |
| Fee | Not applicable for individuals | Commonly Rs 1,100 adult and Rs 1,700 minor, revised each financial year |
| Where to get your copy | Not applicable for individuals | Free download from egazette.gov.in |
How do you change your name in Sikkim, step by step?
Five stages, in this order. Nobody can skip one for you, and doing them out of order is the most common cause of a returned file.
The affidavit
An affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper stating your old name, your new name, your father's or husband's name, your full address in Sikkim and the reason for the change. You sign it before a notary. Stamp paper and notary together usually cost Rs 100 to Rs 500.
The newspaper notices
The same wording published in two daily newspapers that circulate in Sikkim, one Nepali and one English. Keep the complete original printed page of each, including the masthead and the date. A cutting is not accepted.
The gazette notification
The complete file goes by post to the Department of Publication in Delhi, with the fee paid through BharatKosh. Once printed in Part IV, you download the PDF from egazette.gov.in, and that PDF is your legal proof.
Step 1: prepare and notarise the affidavit
The affidavit is short, but everything else copies from it. It carries your old name, your new name, your father's or husband's name, your full address and the reason for the change, and it is sworn before a notary. Notaries are available in every district headquarters, from Gangtok to Namchi to Gyalshing, so this stage does not require a long journey.
If your new name is spelt one way in the affidavit and another way in the newspaper, the file comes back. For a minor, the parent swears the affidavit. For a change after marriage, the affidavit names the maiden name, the married name and the date of marriage.
Step 2: which newspapers do the notices go in?
Two papers, two languages, identical wording: one Nepali daily and one English daily that genuinely circulate in Sikkim. Nepali is the standard regional-language choice here. The Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977 names Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha and Limbu as official languages of the state, later extended to include Sunuwar and Bhujel. Hindi is not among them. Templated pages that tell Sikkim readers to book a Hindi paper, or to advertise in "all major national newspapers", are describing a requirement that does not exist and a bill you do not need to pay.
The advertisement must carry your old name, your new name, your full address, your age, your father's or husband's name, the date the affidavit was sworn, and the name of the notary who attested it. Cross-check every line before it prints. Two notices together usually cost Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 depending on the paper.
Step 3: assemble the Central Gazette file
Your file for the Department of Publication should contain:
- The complete original newspaper pages carrying your notices
- A signed undertaking that the facts stated are true
- Two copies of the prescribed proforma, signed by you and attested
- A soft copy of the notice text, in the form the Department currently asks for
- Self-attested photo identity of the applicant and of the witness
- Two passport size photographs
- A request letter addressed to the Controller of Publications
Keep every supporting paper recent. The Department expects documents that are not older than one year, so an affidavit or a newspaper page from an earlier attempt will sink the file. The compact disc is gone. Older Sikkim pages still tell you to burn the notice onto a CD and post it. That instruction is years out of date.
Step 4: pay the fee through BharatKosh only
The fee is paid only through bharatkosh.gov.in, the Government's Non-Tax Receipt Portal. It is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor, with an extra amount for each alias if you publish alias names. The Department of Publication revises these amounts each financial year, so confirm the current figure on deptpub.gov.in before you pay. The fee is not refundable.
Do not send a demand draft. The demand draft and direct bank transfer routes were discontinued years ago, yet older pages still tell you to draw one in favour of a "Controller of Publications, Sikkim". That instruction is wrong twice over: the payment method is closed, and there is no Controller of Publications in Sikkim.
Step 5: post the file and download your notification
Send the complete file by post or courier to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Speed post from Gangtok works exactly as well as walking the file in from a Delhi address. Applications are accepted from the applicant directly rather than from agents, which is why an honest consultant prepares and checks your file end to end while you sign and send it.
Once processed, your change appears in Part IV of the Gazette of India, in weekly Saturday dated issues. Since October 2015 the Gazette has been digital only. You download your notification free from egazette.gov.in and that PDF needs no further certification. Any package that promises a physical Gazette copy by courier is promising a document that stopped existing in 2015, and that promise is especially cruel here, because a hill address is exactly where people expect a courier to be slow rather than impossible.
Watch: making the gazette notification
The filing itself, explained end to end, so you can see what the file looks like before you post it.
How to Make a Gazette Notification in Sikkim सिक्किम में गजट नोटिफिकेशन कैसे बनाएं
What documents are required for a name change in Sikkim?
Send clear, flat scans. Photographs of documents taken at an angle are the second most common reason for delay.
For an adult applicant
- Notarised name change affidavit, hard copy
- Aadhaar or other Government photo identity in the old name, self-attested
- Address proof in Sikkim: electricity bill, water bill or rent agreement
- Complete original newspaper pages of both notices
- Filled name change proforma, two copies
- Two passport size photographs
- Soft copy of the notice text
- Self-attested photo identity of one witness
- Marriage certificate, if the change follows marriage
- Divorce decree, if you are returning to a maiden name
Extra papers for particular cases
- Birth certificate of the child, where the applicant is a minor
- Photo identity and address proof of both parents or the legal guardian
- Guardianship or custody order, where only one parent applies
- Deed attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate, if you apply from abroad
- Departmental deed, if you are a Central Government employee
- Board or university certificates, where a school record has to follow the change
- Every document showing a different spelling, where you are settling a long-running mismatch
Why do people change their name in Sikkim?
Every one of these is a normal, accepted reason. You do not need an unusual story to apply.
Errors on record
A mistake in a birth certificate, a school certificate or a board marksheet, or a spelling that drifted across documents over the years.
Romanisation differences
Bhutia, Lepcha, Limbu and Nepali names written in English differently across decades. Tshering and Tsering, Bhutia and Bhotia.
Marriage and divorce
Taking a husband's surname after marriage, or returning to a maiden name after a divorce.
Adding or dropping a surname
Common where a surname sits in school records but is missing from the passport or the Aadhaar.
Adoption
Recording a child's name after an adoption, so the school and identity records agree.
Numerology or astrology
A widely used reason in India, and the gazette route treats it like any other stated reason.
Change of religion
Adopting a name that matches a change of faith, recorded properly so identity documents follow.
Gender change
Handled quietly and without a lecture, with the document set that fits your case.
You simply want a different name
A perfectly valid reason. The affidavit states it, and the process is the same.
Who can apply
- Any Indian citizen, at any stage of life
- A husband or a wife, independently of each other
- A parent or legal guardian, on behalf of a child under 18
- A Sikkim resident studying or working in another state, because Part IV is valid everywhere
- An applicant living abroad, through an attested deed
What you need to qualify
- Indian citizenship
- A valid Government photo identity document
- A stated reason for the change, written into the affidavit
- For a minor, a parent or guardian who signs and takes responsibility
What you can change is equally broad: the full name, the spelling of an existing name, or just the surname. The affidavit states exactly what the old full name was and exactly what the new full name will be, so a partial change is handled the same way as a complete one.
What does a name change in Sikkim really cost?
Short answer: the Government fee is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor, and a realistic self-done total is Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000, including the postage that everyone else forgets to mention.
| Item | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp paper and notary | Rs 100 to Rs 500 | Notaries are available in every district headquarters. |
| Two newspaper notices | Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 | One Nepali daily and one English daily circulating in Sikkim. |
| Central Gazette fee, adult | Commonly Rs 1,100 | Paid through BharatKosh. The Department of Publication revises it each financial year, so confirm on the day you file. |
| Central Gazette fee, minor | Commonly Rs 1,700 | Applies to anyone under 18. Also paid through BharatKosh. |
| Speed post to Delhi | Rs 50 to Rs 200 | The only cost distance actually adds to this process. |
| Extra alias names | Charged per alias | Applies only if you publish alias names alongside the main change. |
| Applying from abroad | Around Rs 7,500 to Rs 9,000 | Plus embassy or consulate attestation of the deed. |
| Physical Gazette copy | Does not exist | The Gazette has been digital only from October 2015. Nobody can post you an original. |
| Realistic self-done total | Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000 | All stages added together, excluding repeat attempts. |
| Documentadvisor assistance | Quoted per case | Charged separately from Government fees. Call 9540005002 for a fixed quote before you commit. |
The fee is also not refundable. If the notification prints with an error that came from your own file, you pay again for a correction notice, and from Sikkim you pay for the postage twice as well. That is exactly why we confirm the spelling in writing and refuse to rush a file with an unresolved question in it.
How long does a name change take in Sikkim?
Short answer: 30 to 45 days for publication and 3 to 7 weeks end to end. Distance adds a few postal days at most, and nothing more.
Day 1 to 2
Documents collected, affidavit drafted, spelling confirmed with you in writing, notarisation arranged at your district headquarters.
Day 2 to 7
Notices booked in a Nepali daily and an English daily that circulate in Sikkim. Complete original pages collected.
Day 7 to 13
Gazette file assembled and checked, fee paid through BharatKosh, file sent to Delhi by speed post and acknowledged.
Day 30 to 45
Notification printed in Part IV. We download the PDF from the e-Gazette portal and send it to you with the update checklist.
End to end, plan for 3 to 7 weeks. The Gazette prints Part IV in weekly issues, so your notification appears in a weekly issue rather than on a date you can pick.
Areas we serve across Sikkim
The whole process runs online and by post, so your district and the mountain roads do not limit you. We support applicants across all six districts.
Call 9540005002, WhatsApp 9540005064, or write to support@documentadvisor.in. Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM. For the all-India process, see our complete name change service guide.
Related guides
Other states we have written up in the same detail, and the national process, in case your records sit in more than one place.
Key terms explained
The words that appear on every name change website, in language people actually use.
- Gazette notification
- A formal announcement printed in the official journal of the Government. For a name change it is the document that Aadhaar, PAN, passport offices, banks, boards and employers accept as legal proof.
- Central Gazette
- The Gazette of India, published by the Department of Publication in Civil Lines, Delhi. It is accepted everywhere in India and by foreign missions, and it is the route Sikkim residents use.
- Part IV
- The section of the Gazette of India that carries notices from people rather than from the Government. Personal name change notifications appear here. Part IV belongs to the Central Gazette only.
- Sikkim state gazette
- The official journal of the State of Sikkim, carrying state laws, Government orders and departmental notifications. It does not take personal name change applications from the public.
- Article 371F
- The article inserted into the Constitution when Sikkim joined India in 1975, containing special provisions for the state. Clause (k) keeps the laws that were in force before the appointed day running until a competent authority changes them.
- Romanisation
- Writing a name from one script or language in English. Different romanisations of the same Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha or Limbu name, such as Tshering and Tsering, are treated as different names by Government systems.
- Affidavit
- A written statement you swear is true, signed before a notary public. For a name change it records your old name, your new name, your address and the reason for the change.
- Notary public
- A person authorised by the Government to witness signatures and certify documents. Notarisation is done in person, which is the one stage that cannot be completed online.
- Non-judicial stamp paper
- Government stamped paper used for affidavits and agreements. The value required is usually small and is set locally.
- BharatKosh
- The Non-Tax Receipt Portal at bharatkosh.gov.in. It is the only accepted channel for the Central Gazette fee, because demand drafts and direct bank transfers were discontinued.
- e-Gazette
- The portal at egazette.gov.in where published notifications are searched and downloaded. It is a download portal only, and the PDF you download is the official copy.
- Registrar correction
- A correction to a birth or death record under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, made by the body that issued the certificate. It is not a gazette matter.
What do you update after the gazette, and in what order?
The gazette is the middle of the journey, not the end. Doing this in the wrong order turns a four week job into a four month one.
| Order | Record | Why it comes here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aadhaar | Almost every other service verifies against Aadhaar. Update it first at an enrolment centre with the Gazette PDF, the affidavit and your identity document. |
| 2 | PAN card | The correction form asks for proof, and an updated Aadhaar makes this straightforward. |
| 3 | Bank accounts | Banks check the PAN and Aadhaar pair. Updating the bank before both agree creates a mismatch. |
| 4 | Passport | Re-issue with a change of name. The Gazette is the accepted proof, and Passport Seva often checks the newspaper notices too. |
| 5 | Voter ID and driving licence | Straightforward once Aadhaar carries the new name. |
| 6 | EPFO or UAN and insurance | Employer-linked records. Your HR department usually needs the Gazette on file first. |
| 7 | School, board and university records | Slowest of the lot. Each board runs its own correction procedure and charges its own fee. |
| 8 | Property and business records | Handle last, once the identity documents all agree with each other. |
Aadhaar rules are published on uidai.gov.in and passport re-issue rules on passportindia.gov.in. Both are listed in the sources at the foot of this page.
Watch: changing a name on the passport
The passport is the record people most want fixed, and it needs the Central Gazette rather than anything local.
How to Change Father Name in Passport in Sikkim सिक्किम में पासपोर्ट में पिता का नाम कैसे बदलें
Is a birth certificate mistake a gazette matter?
This is the single most common thing people in Sikkim are sold wrongly. If the error sits in a birth certificate, a wrong spelling, a wrong parent's name or a missing child's name, the fix is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. You apply to the body that issued the certificate: the Gangtok Municipal Corporation, your nagar panchayat, or the gram panchayat.
A gazette notification will not change the entry in the birth register. The two documents live in different systems. The Civil Registration System portal is crsorgi.gov.in. Agents who push every birth certificate case into a gazette application are charging you for the wrong process, and sending your money out of the state for something your own panchayat office handles. Where a case genuinely needs both, which happens when you want a new name going forward and a corrected record going backward, we say so and quote the two separately.
Watch: birth certificate and board record corrections
Neither of these is a gazette matter on its own. The first is a Registrar correction, the second follows the board's own process.
How to Change Name in Birth Certificate in Sikkim सिक्किम में जन्म प्रमाण पत्र में नाम कैसे बदलें
How to Change Name in 10th Mark Sheet in Sikkim सिक्किम में 10वीं मार्कशीट में नाम कैसे बदलें
Special situations in Sikkim
Five cases we see constantly here, starting with the one general guides never mention.
What can you actually fix when family records spell the name differently?
This is Sikkim's most distinctive real case. Because Article 371F carried Sikkim's earlier legal arrangements forward rather than sweeping them away, many families here hold documents that reach back a long way, and entitlements are often traced through them. Bhutia, Lepcha, Limbu and Nepali names have been written in English differently across those decades. Tshering in one record and Tsering in another. Bhutia and Bhotia. A grandfather's spelling that never matched a grandson's school certificate. Add the 2021 district renaming, and a family can easily hold papers saying East Sikkim, Gangtok, and both.
Two things are worth being clear about. You cannot edit an ancestral record, and you should not try. What you can do is fix one final spelling for yourself through a gazette notification, so that every current office works from the same version of your name, and your own documents sit consistently alongside the family's older papers. That is a narrower promise than some agents make, and it is the one that is actually true.
Name change after marriage
A woman adding her husband's surname, or choosing to keep her maiden name and record it clearly, follows the same three stages with the marriage certificate attached as supporting proof. After a divorce, attach the decree instead. The gazette route works in both directions, and a marriage certificate on its own does not change your name in Government records.
Name change for a minor child
A parent or legal guardian applies on the child's behalf. The affidavit is sworn by the parent, the child's birth certificate is attached, and the minor fee applies, commonly Rs 1,700 with the same revision caveat. Both parents signing avoids objections later. Where only one parent signs, a custody or guardianship order is needed.
Can you apply while studying or working outside Sikkim?
Sikkimese students and professionals are spread across India, and a great many discover a name mismatch during a college admission or a job verification. You do not have to come home. The whole process runs by post from wherever you are, and the Part IV notification is valid in every state, so one filing fixes your records here and there at the same time.
How do you apply from abroad?
Execute the deed of change of name where you are, have it attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate, and apply to the Central Gazette in Delhi. Budget around Rs 7,500 to Rs 9,000 for the complete exercise, plus the attestation. Part IV is recognised by foreign missions, which is exactly why this route is the one that travels.
Watch: surnames and parent names on records
Two of the most common Sikkim cases: changing a surname, and fixing a parent name across education documents.
How to Change Surname in Sikkim सिक्किम में सरनेम कैसे बदलें
How to Change Father Name in Education Documents in Sikkim शिक्षा दस्तावेज मे पिता का नाम कैसे बदले
What changes for Government employees and army families in Sikkim?
Sikkim has a high share of Government employees and serving defence families, so this section applies to more people here than in most states. Central Government employees follow the route set out in the Ministry of Home Affairs Office Memorandum No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12 March 1987: a deed of change of name is executed and routed through the department, so the service book is updated alongside the Gazette.
State Government employees should tell their own establishment section before spending anything, and ask one question: which notification they will accept on the service record. Departments differ, and a notification in the wrong series means paying twice.
Defence personnel and their families usually have a unit or record office procedure that sits alongside the gazette, and it often has its own wording requirements. Send us that circular and we build the file around it rather than around a generic template.
What names does the law not allow, and what do you gain by doing it properly?
You may take almost any name you like. Almost.
Names that will not be accepted
- A name taken in order to hide your identity
- A name taken to escape a debt, a liability or a legal proceeding
- A name that is obscene or offensive
- A name containing punctuation marks or symbols
- A name that impersonates another person for gain
A change of name does not erase anything behind you. Your old records stay linked to you through the notification itself, which names both the old and the new name. That is the point of publishing it.
What you gain by doing it legally
- Official recognition that every department works from, public or private
- A permanent published record that never expires and never needs renewal
- One spelling that Aadhaar, PAN, bank, board and passport records all follow
- Marriage, divorce and inheritance paperwork that matches your identity documents
- No lawyer and no court order needed, because this is an administrative process
What mistakes get Sikkim applications rejected?
Every one of these is avoidable, and every one of them costs the fee again, plus another round of postage.
Document problems
- Newspaper details do not match the affidavit, even by a single letter or spelling variant
- A newspaper cutting sent instead of the complete original printed page
- Advertising in Hindi papers, or in a stack of national dailies, because a template said so
- Only one newspaper, or two papers in the same language
- Supporting documents older than one year
- The proforma signed in a different style from the signature on your identity document
Process problems
- Looking for a gazette counter in Gangtok that takes personal applications
- Paying by demand draft or direct bank transfer instead of BharatKosh
- Burning the notice onto a compact disc because an old guide said so
- Waiting for a courier with a printed certificate that will never come
- Sending the file to a Sikkim address carrying the Delhi pin code 110054
- Updating the bank before Aadhaar and PAN agree with each other
Should you do it yourself or take professional help?
We will say it plainly: some people should do this themselves, and the whole thing can be done by post.
| Point of comparison | Doing it yourself | Using Documentadvisor |
|---|---|---|
| Money out | Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000 if nothing goes wrong | Government fee plus a quoted service charge |
| Your time | Several days across the notary, two newspaper bookings and the post office | About 30 minutes of sending scans and confirming spelling |
| Travel | Local trips within your district. No travel to Delhi is required either way | None |
| Risk of paying twice | Real, because the fee is not refundable, and a returned file also means fresh postage and another wait | We check the spelling with you in writing before anything prints |
| Best if | You have time, your case is a plain adult name change, and you are comfortable posting the file yourself | The case involves marriage, a minor, a board record, a long-running spelling mismatch or a service record |
You can do the whole thing yourself, entirely by post. The trade is error risk. The affidavit wording, the advertisement wording, the proforma, the BharatKosh payment head and the file order all have to be right, and one mismatch means the file comes back after weeks with the fee gone and another round of speed post ahead of you. You can compare the whole range of name change services we run before deciding. Because the Department accepts applications from the applicant directly, an honest service prepares, checks and tracks your file, which you then sign and send. That is exactly how Documentadvisor works.
Your Trust and Security First
A name change means handing your identity documents to someone you have never met, and posting originals a long way from home. We take that seriously.
Your documents stay private
Your scans go to one advisor and one file. We do not resell your details, we do not add you to a marketing list, and we do not share your papers with anyone outside your case.
Nothing prints without your written yes
We send you the exact wording, letter by letter, and wait for your confirmation before the affidavit is typed or a notice is booked. The Gazette fee is not refundable, so this step protects your money.
Government fee shown separately
Our charge and the Government fee are always quoted as two lines. You see exactly how much reaches the Government and how much is for our work, before you pay anything.
We do not sell what does not exist
No gazette office in Gangtok, because there is no counter for personal applications. No physical Gazette copy, because the Gazette has been digital only since October 2015. No court order, because none is involved.
One advisor, start to finish
The same person handles your file from the first scan to the published PDF, on the same number you first called. You never repeat your case to somebody new.
Your originals come back to you
Original newspaper pages and the notarised affidavit are returned once the file is accepted, and we keep a scanned set so a lost document years later is not a fresh problem.
Everything You Need, In One Place
One place for the paperwork people find hardest: gazette notifications, affidavits, newspaper advertisements, rental agreements and property papers. Drafted, checked and filed by a team that does it every day.
Document Services
India's trusted documentation consultant and newspaper ad portal
How It Works
Booking a service with Documentadvisor is as easy as 1-2-3. Sit back and let our team do the work.
Book
Call, WhatsApp or fill the form. Tell us your old name, your new name and your district, and send clear scans of your documents. It takes about ten minutes.
Schedule
We confirm the exact spelling with you in writing, then schedule the affidavit, both newspaper notices and the Gazette filing in the right order.
Relax
We track the application and send you the published Gazette PDF, along with a written checklist of which record to update next. No travel, no queues.
The questions Google gets asked most about Sikkim
How can I change my name legally in Sikkim?
Make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two newspapers, one Nepali and one English, then apply to the Central Gazette of India in Delhi with the prescribed forms and the BharatKosh fee. The notification in Part IV on egazette.gov.in is your legal proof, and the file travels by post.
Is there a gazette office in Sikkim for a name change?
No. Sikkim publishes a state gazette for laws, Government orders and departmental notifications, but there is no counter, proforma or portal for a private citizen filing a personal name change. Residents apply to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, by post.
What is the Government fee for a gazette name change?
Commonly Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid only through bharatkosh.gov.in. The Department of Publication revises the fee each financial year, so confirm the current amount before paying.
How many days does a gazette name change take?
Publication takes about 30 to 45 days after your file reaches the Department of Publication. The whole process takes 3 to 7 weeks from Sikkim, with speed post adding only a few days at each end.
Which newspapers should I use for the notices?
One Nepali daily and one English daily that genuinely circulate in Sikkim. Nepali is an official language of the state under the Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977, and Hindi is not, so a Hindi paper is the wrong choice. No rule requires advertising in every national newspaper.
Do I need a court order to change my name in Sikkim?
No. A gazette notification is not a court order, and the two are different legal instruments. A simple name change, including after marriage, is an administrative process handled through a notary, two newspapers and the Department of Publication. Pages describing a court process have confused the two.
Do I have to travel to Delhi, or even to Gangtok?
No. The affidavit is sworn at your nearest notary, the newspaper notices are booked by phone or online, and the file goes to Delhi by speed post. An applicant in Mangan follows exactly the same process as one living in Delhi.
Can I do the name change fully online from Sikkim?
Partly. The fee is paid online through BharatKosh and you download the final notification online, but the affidavit needs notarisation in person and the signed file goes to Delhi by post or courier.
Does India use deed poll like the United Kingdom?
No. India does not use the deed poll system. The Indian equivalent is the affidavit, newspaper and gazette route explained on this page. A deed of change of name is used mainly for Government service records and for applicants abroad.
What does a name change agent in Gangtok actually do?
The Department of Publication accepts applications from applicants directly, so what you need is a service that prepares, checks and tracks your file, which you then sign and post. Anyone claiming they can submit it as your agent is describing something the Department does not do.
Can I change my name more than once?
Yes. There is no legal limit, and each change follows the same stages and the same fee. Repeated changes can attract questions during passport and background verification, so keep every gazette notification you have ever been issued.
Start your Sikkim name change today
Tell us your old name, your new name and your district. We will tell you exactly what your case needs, what it will cost in total, and how long it will take, before you pay anything.
- 📞Call 9540005002
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️support@documentadvisor.in
- 📍Near Hanuman Mandir, Metro Pillar No. 376, Near Burari Metro Station, Shop No. 2nd Ground Floor, Gali No. 1, Plot No. 31/12, Hardev Nagar, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Delhi 110084
Frequently asked questions on name change in Sikkim
The questions we are asked on the phone every day.
Is there a gazette office in Sikkim for a name change?
Can I publish my name change in the Sikkim state gazette?
Which newspapers should I use for the notices?
Do I need a court order to change my name?
Do I have to travel to Delhi or even to Gangtok?
What is the total cost of a name change in Sikkim?
How do I pay the Gazette fee?
Will I get a printed Gazette certificate by post?
Can I pay extra to get the Gazette published faster?
My family's records spell our name differently across generations. What can I actually fix?
My documents say East Sikkim but new ones say Gangtok. Is that a problem?
How do I change my minor child's name in Sikkim?
Can I change my name after marriage without a court order?
My birth certificate has a spelling mistake. Do I need the Gazette?
Do board marksheet corrections need the Gazette?
I am a Government employee or from an army family. Is my process different?
Can I apply from outside Sikkim, or from abroad?
Are the Rs 999 gazette offers real?
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Official sources
Every fact above can be checked at these Government sites and documents. Please do check them.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalSearch and download published Central Gazette notifications free of cost. This is where your Part IV notification appears.
- Department of Publication, Government of IndiaThe single Central Gazette office, at Civil Lines, behind the Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054. Carries the change of name guidelines, the proforma and the current fee.
- BharatKosh, the Non-Tax Receipt PortalThe only accepted channel for the Central Gazette fee. Demand drafts and direct transfers were discontinued.
- Government of Sikkim official portalDepartment listings, district information and the state gazette notifications, which carry Government notices rather than personal applications.
- Printing and Stationery Department, Government of SikkimThe state printing department at Tadong, near Gangtok, which prints for Government departments and undertakings. It has no public counter for personal name change notices.
- The Sikkim (Re-organisation of Districts) Act, 2021Sikkim Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 367, Gangtok, 13 December 2021, renaming East, West, North and South Sikkim and creating Pakyong and Soreng.
- The Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977Names Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha and Limbu as languages for official purposes in the state, later extended. Hindi is not among them.
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaAadhaar name update rules, accepted proofs and enrolment centre locations.
- Passport Seva, Ministry of External AffairsRe-issue of a passport with a change of name, and the documents required for it.
- Civil Registration System, Office of the Registrar General of IndiaBirth and death registration, and the framework for Registrar corrections under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.
The short version
Everything on this page in ten lines
- The name change procedure in Sikkim is three stages: a notarised affidavit, two newspaper notices, and a gazette notification.
- The notices go in one Nepali daily and one English daily that circulate in Sikkim, not in Hindi papers and not in every national newspaper.
- Nepali is an official language of the state under the Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977. Hindi is not.
- Personal notices publish in Part IV of the Gazette of India, not in the Sikkim state gazette.
- Sikkim has no counter, proforma or portal where a private citizen files a personal name change.
- There is one Central Gazette office, in Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and your file reaches it by post. Any Sikkim address quoting that pin code is copied.
- The fee is commonly Rs 1,100 adult and Rs 1,700 minor, paid only on BharatKosh, and revised each financial year.
- Publication takes 30 to 45 days. There is no paid expedited option, no physical Gazette copy and no court order involved.
- Plan for 3 to 7 weeks and Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000 done by yourself, including the speed post that distance actually adds.
- A birth certificate mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the RBD Act, 1969, through the body that issued it.
Change your name once, and change it properly
Send us your documents on WhatsApp today. We will confirm what your case needs, the total cost and the timeline before you pay anything. Gangtok, Namchi, Gyalshing, Mangan, Pakyong, Soreng and every town in between.