Degree Certificate Apostille in Sikkim for Gangtok Graduates
A degree certificate apostille in Sikkim most often involves a degree from Sikkim University, Sikkim Manipal University or one of the private universities set up under state law. Graduates in Gangtok and the districts courier their originals to INFINITYGRO Attestation, a private agency in Delhi, which arranges the attestation and the MEA Apostille. We are not a government body.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
Degree certificate apostille sample
Is there a way to apostille a Sikkim degree without travelling to Delhi? Yes. You courier the original to us and we handle the rest. A degree certificate apostille in Sikkim usually goes through the Delhi route: notary, SDM Delhi, then the MEA, normally within 2 to 3 working days of receipt. The state route through the HRD Exam Cell or Home (Protocol) Department in Gangtok is for cases where state verification is requested.
Universities that award degrees in Sikkim
Sikkim is a small state, but its graduates hold degrees from several kinds of institutions.
- Sikkim University, the central university in Gangtok, which also affiliates some colleges in the state.
- Sikkim Manipal University, a private university with medical, engineering, management and nursing programmes, and a large distance learning history.
- NIT Sikkim, an institute of national importance that awards its own engineering degrees.
- Private universities set up under Sikkim state Acts.
The awarding university named on the certificate decides the signatory. Check it before you start. Sikkim University's affiliated colleges, for example, issue degrees in the university's name, not the college's. Sikkim Manipal University graduates from its medical, dental and engineering colleges hold degrees signed by the university itself.
Key facts
| Apostille authority | MEA, CPV Division, New Delhi |
|---|---|
| Sikkim state route | HRD Department Exam Cell; Home Department (Protocol), Gangtok |
| Central university | Sikkim University, Gangtok |
| Other degree issuers | Sikkim Manipal University, NIT Sikkim, private state universities |
| Typical Delhi route time | 2 to 3 working days after receipt |
| Charge | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, courier extra |
| Separate apostilles | Degree, every mark sheet, transcript |
Distance and online degrees from Sikkim universities
Many people outside Sikkim hold degrees from Sikkim-based universities earned through distance or online study. Clients from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and abroad send these to us regularly.
A foreign employer or university may look carefully at a distance degree. The apostille itself only confirms the signature of the authenticating officer. It does not say anything about how the course was taught or whether the receiving country recognises it. Ask the receiving body about recognition before you spend money on the apostille.
Distance learners often have mark sheets from several years and a separate degree. Each is a separate apostille. Older distance degrees may also be signed by a different officer than current ones, which is fine as long as the original is genuine.
Routes for a degree certificate apostille in Sikkim
Delhi route: notary attestation, then the SDM in Delhi, then the MEA Apostille. It is accepted for most educational documents from any Indian state.
Gangtok route: the HRD Department's Exam Cell authenticates educational documents, and the Home Department (Protocol) is also on the MEA list. Use this route only if the receiving body asks for state verification.
e-Sanad: if your university is connected to the MEA's e-Sanad system, the verification and apostille can be done online. A passport copy is needed because the passport number goes into the application.
Gangtok and the hill districts
Graduates from Namchi, Mangan, Gyalshing and other district towns usually route their packet through Gangtok couriers too.
Graduates in Gangtok use a courier service to send their degrees to our office at New Ashok Nagar, Delhi. Mountain roads and weather can slow couriers, so allow extra days on both legs of the journey, especially between June and September.
Pack the degree flat between two stiff boards, inside a waterproof sleeve. Monsoon months make this especially important. We confirm receipt on WhatsApp and send the papers back by Blue Dart or another tracked courier, charged separately. We have no home pickup.
Using the Gangtok HRD Exam Cell
The MEA's list names the HRD Department's Exam Cell in Gangtok for educational documents, with the Home Department (Protocol) also listed. If a foreign university or regulator asks for verification by the Government of Sikkim, this is the route to use for your degree certificate apostille in Sikkim.
Graduates living in Gangtok can sometimes deal with this office more easily than people in other states. But the state route still ends at the MEA in Delhi, and we cannot fix a date for a state office. If your receiving body has not asked for state verification, the Delhi route is simpler.
Provisional certificates and semester grade cards
A provisional certificate is not the final degree. Many foreign bodies refuse it. Wait for the final degree if you can.
Each semester grade card or mark sheet needs its own apostille. So does a transcript. A four-year engineering programme can mean eight grade cards. Ask the receiving body which ones it wants, because each one adds to the cost. A single consolidated transcript, if your university issues one, can be a cheaper alternative.
What to put in the courier
- Original degree, unlaminated
- Original grade cards or transcript you need apostilled
- Passport copy
- Signed authority letter
- Name affidavit if your degree and passport differ
The MEA does not apostille photocopies. It checks only the authenticating officer's signature, not the content of the degree.
More about the MEA process is on our MEA apostille page.
Destinations and the exceptions
India has been in the Hague Apostille Convention since 14 July 2005. The UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and most of Europe take the Apostille.
Germany and China are exceptions. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt are not members, so the degree needs MEA attestation and embassy legalization. Sikkim graduates bound for those countries can use our embassy attestation service instead.
Real degree certificate apostille samples
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Sikkim degree certificate apostille FAQs
Can INFINITYGRO hand my Sikkim University degree to the MEA directly?
The MEA does not accept papers at its counter. Since July 2012 it takes them only through authorised outsourced centres, and that is how we submit.
Does my Nepali or Hindi text need translation?
If the receiving office cannot read it, yes. We arrange certified translations.
How much will a degree certificate apostille in Sikkim cost?
On the Delhi route we charge Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 for each paper. The government's Rs 50 MEA fee sits inside that amount, and courier to and from Gangtok is billed on top.
Can I send my polytechnic diploma in the same packet?
Yes. It is a separate document with a different issuer. See our Sikkim diploma page.
My master's is from a Darjeeling or Siliguri college in West Bengal. Can you handle both?
Yes, in the same courier. Our West Bengal degree page explains it.
Other documents from Sikkim
- Marriage Certificate apostille
- Birth Certificate apostille
- Degree Certificate apostille
- Diploma Certificate apostille
- PCC apostille
Degree Certificate apostille in other states
Getting a Sikkim degree certificate ready for abroad?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route, the timeline and one total price.