Sikkim Domicile Certificate

An individual can obtain a domicile certificate also called as residence certificate as proof that he/she dwelled in a particular place continuously over a period and intended to make that place as his/her permanent residence. Domicile certificate is an important legal document for various purposes, especially to claim the rights and benefits of the jurisdiction he/she resides in. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining a Sikkim domicile certificate.

Purpose of the Certificate

The purpose for obtaining domicile certificate in Sikkim are as follows:

Domicile Certificate should be produced in many situations such as admission in educational organisations, job reservation under specific quotas, especially for government jobs, etc. to get local preferences.
Domicile certificate is a vital and mandate document to apply for ration card.
To avail the provisions of various schemes of the state or to claim scholarships of the State, domicile certificate is essential.

Eligibility Criteria

A person can obtain a domicile certificate on satisfying the following criteria of eligibility.

The applicant should be a citizen of India.
Any person who was born in Sikkim or had a permanent residence therein at least for fifteen years is eligible. The wife and minor children of a person having his residence in Sikkim are also suitable.
The applicant should possess any immovable property in the territory of Sikkim in either the Old Land records of 1952-54 or the new ones of 1977-79 for which a copy of Record of Rights (RoR) must be produced.
Any person or his/her direct family member who was in regular Government service of Sikkim on or before 31st December 1969 can apply for the certificate.
A woman who has married a permanent resident of the state but belongs to another state is also eligible.
To acquire a domicile certificate for a person of unsound mind, a declaration made by his parent/guardian is permissible.

Note: Acquiring a domicile certificate from more than one State/UT will be considered as an offence as a person is allowed to possess a domicile Certificate from only one State/UT under the law.

Documents Required

The following documents must be enclosed while applying for the certificate.

Proof of residence on or before 26.04.1975 (Ration Card /Electoral Card/ Trade Licence or any other official documents as proof). Evidence of relationship of the applicant with the person who claims to be a resident of Sikkim on or before 26.04.1975.
Proof of age of the applicant (Birth Certificate/School Transfer Certificate/Mark Sheets or any other official documents as proof thereof).
Proof of Indian Citizenship of applicant (Passport or Indian Citizenship Certificate or Electoral Card or any other documents)
Recommendation letter from the concerned Municipal Councillor/ Panchayat.
Two Passport-sized Photos with the name of the applicant on the reverse side.
Affidavit

Concerned Department & Authority

The relevant department for the issuing of the domicile certificate in Sikkim is the Land Revenue and Disaster Management and the concerned authority is the Sub Divisional Magistrate.

Validity

The domicile certificate issued to the applicant is valid for lifetime.

Service Charge

The residence certificate in Sikkim does not incorporate any processing fee, i.e. the certificate is issued free.

Application Procedure

The applicant can apply for the domicile certificate, either in-person or online.

Offline Application

Step 1: The citizen desiring to apply for the domicile certificate should visit his/her respective District Collectors office and has to collect the application form or can download it from the copy given below. [pdf-embedder url="https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Sikkim-Domicile-Certificateapplication-form.pdf" title="Sikkim Domicile Certificate application form"] Step 2: Submit the duly filled form along with the essential documents in the single window counter. Step 3: The photocopies of the documents are forwarded to the Intelligence Bureau and to the Superintendent of Police of the District concerned for verifying the details of the applicant. Step 4: On identifying the information to be genuine, the competent authority issues the certificate. The applicant can collect the certificate from the same office where the application was submitted.

Online Application

Domicile certificate, also known as the Certificate of Identification (COI) is proof that the applicant is a resident of the Sikkim State. E-Form for Certificate of Identification can be filled Online as well as Offline. To begin, the applicant must be a registered user of the Sikkim State portal to access the E-form. Registration of State Portal Step 1: Visit the official website of Sikkim State portal that offers online services for the residents of Sikkim and click 'How to apply'. Step 2: In case of a new user, click New User which directs to the registration page. Step 3: Provide essential details, such as Login details, Residential details, and security question. Enter the captcha and click submit. With the registered username and password proceed with the application. [caption id="attachment_56617" align="aligncenter" width="528"]

Sikkim-Domicile-Certificate-Portal-Registration Registered User Step 4: If already registered, click, Registered User. The login page appears. Enter the username and password that directs to the list of services. Select the domicile certificate. [caption id="attachment_56620" align="aligncenter" width="1250"]

Sikkim-Domicile-Certificate-User-Registration Step 5: Click on the "Offline" link for filling the form Offline or "Online" link for filling the form Online.

Offline e-form

Step 6: To fill out the form in Offline mode, download zip file on clicking the "Offline" button. Unzip the zipped file, and then fill the details in the form.html. Double-clicking this file can open Form.html. In offline mode, the User can save the details and fetch the data whenever required. The candidate can assign a security key to secure the details entered so that the form cannot be opened or edited unless the security key is provided. Offline forms can be submitted only when the applicant comes online. After checking all details, the applicant has to enter the State Portal system by entering the login id and password to submit the form.

Online e-form

Step 7: Online e-form allows the applicant to fill the form online at once and submit it after validating it. Step 8: After filling the e-form in either mode, a transaction id will be generated, which can be used for future references or tracking the application status. Any further communication with Department Authorities regarding the e-form requires the transaction id. Step 9: Besides, a print-out of the form is possible, if needed, on clicking the print button on the e-from. Note: All fields marked as * on E-Form are mandatory fields. Any wrong/misleading data furnished by the applicant in the e-form is liable to get rejected by the Department Authorities of the concerned District Jurisdiction.

Certificate Format

The format of the domicile certificate finally issued by the authority is provided below. [pdf-embedder url="https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Sikkim-domicile-certificate.pdf" title="Sikkim domicile certificate"]

Processing Time

The time taken for the processing of the application is 15 days from the date of successful submission of the form excluding the government holidays. Delay in the processing of the application may occur, or even the authorities may reject the application if the applicant fails to select the correct District in the "Please select the district where you want your form to be processed" field. Since the service will be rendered by the respective authority of the applicant's District, it is necessary to choose it correctly.