Permits required for different treks in Nepal
Nepal is a region suitable for trekking in Nepal due to the abundance of mountains. There are many trekking regions in Nepal. As there are ten peaks over 8000 meters in Nepal which includes 8 of the top 10 highest peaks in the world, Nepal is a heaven for trekkers and mountaineers. While trekking in Nepal, you must have permits to enter the region as most of the trekking areas are in the conservation areas and national parks. The permits are handled directly by the Nepal government with help of authorized associated bodies. There are various types of permits according to trekking regions. Some regions also have special permits and rural fees that must be paid before entering the areas.
The trekkers can be free individual trekkers or group trekkers. So, you can get your permits from Nepal Tourism Board at Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu. But there are some regions where individual trekkers are not permitted to enter. You will need documents as:
- Original Passport
- Passport copy
- Visa Copy
- at least 4 passport size photos
These documents are necessary to get your permits and there are some fees required to pay according to the type of permits and regions you are traveling to. If you are free travelers, individually or in groups, schedule an extra day to issue your permits. If you are traveling following your agency, then the travel agency will help you to get your permits easily. So, during your trek, it is better to have a travel agency to provide you with services. Some of the trekking regions such as Manaslu, Dolpo, Mustang, and Kanchenjunga will require you to be involved with an official registered travel and trekking agency with licensed trekking guides before you commence the trek, and we, Himalayan Advisor, are always ready to serve you.
Types of permits needed for a trek in Nepal
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National Park/Conservation Area Permits
Many Trekking regions are in the National Park Conservation Areas or both. So you will need a permit to access those regions. The permits are also given to free individual trekkers. You must submit documents like a copy of your passport and a passport-size photo with a filled form to the Nepal Tourism Board Office to issue the permit. The regions of Everest, Langtang, Annapurna, Manaslu, and Mustang need this type of permit. You can get the permit in the Nepal Tourism Board Office of Kathmandu and Pokhara. It will cost
- NPR 3390 – National Park Permit
- NPR 3000 – Conservation Area Permit
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Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS)
The TIMS permit is implemented by the Nepal Tourism Board and Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal to avoid illegal trekking and provide safety for the trekkers. All regions of Nepal require this permit except for some controlled areas where special permits are mandatory. The group trekkers will receive a Blue TIMS card and the free individual trekkers will receive a Green TIMS card. The permit will have the trekking route specified in the TIMS cards and recorded in the registry. So, the permits will be valid for specific trekking routes and areas. The prices of permits required for group trekkers and individual trekkers are different.
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Group Trekkers |
Free Individual Trekkers |
|
SAARC Countries |
300 per person |
600 per person |
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Other Countries |
1000 per person |
2000 per person |
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Special Permits for Restricted/Controlled Area
The special permits for the restricted and controlled area are essential due to international border proximity. The Department of Immigration of Nepal will issue permits for the regions like Mustang, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga, and Dolpo. You will need at least 2 participants along with a licensed trekking guide and registered travel, tourism, and trekking company of Nepal to get the permit. The free individual trekkers are not allowed the permits. The price of the permits varies according to the region, season, and number of days.
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Rural Municipality Fees
This type of permit is new and the rural municipality will issue the permit to enter their region. To date, only Everest and Makalu regions are issuing this type of permit. The check post of the trekking areas will provide you with the permits before entering the trekking g region. The cost is NPR 2000 per person for the region of Everest and Makalu.
|
S.N. |
Trekking Areas |
Permits Required |
Applicable Fees |
|
1 |
Ama Dablam Base Camp |
Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit Sagarmatha National Park Permit |
NPR 2,000 for Rural Municipality Permit NPR 3,390 for National Park Permit
|
|
2 |
Annapurna Base Camp |
TIMS Card Annapurna Conservation Area Permit |
NPR 2,000 for TIMS Card NPR 3,000 for ACAP Permit
|
|
3 |
Annapurna Circuit |
TIMS Card Annapurna Conservation Area Permit |
NPR 2,000 for TIMS Card NPR 3,000 for ACAP Permit
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|
4 |
Annapurna Dhaulagiri Khopra Ridge Trek |
TIMS Card Annapurna Conservation Area Permit |
NPR 2,000 for TIMS Card NPR 3,000 for ACAP Permit
|
|
5 |
Annapurna Jomsom |
TIMS Card Annapurna Conservation Area Permit |
NPR 2,000 for TIMS Card NPR 3,000 for ACAP Permit
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|
6 |
Annapurna Poonhill |
TIMS Card Annapurna Conservation Area Permit |
NPR 2,000 for TIMS Card NPR 3,000 for ACAP Permit
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|
7 |
Everest Base Camp |
Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit Sagarmatha National Park Permit |
NPR 2,000 for Rural Municipality Permit NPR 3,390 for National Park Permit
|
|
8 |
Everest Three High Passes |
Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit Sagarmatha National Park Permit |
NPR 2,000 for Rural Municipality Permit NPR 3,390 for National Park Permit
|
|
9 |
Gokyo Lakes |
Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit Sagarmatha National Park Permit |
NPR 2,000 for Rural Municipality Permit NPR 3,390 for National Park Permit
|
|
10 |
Gosainkunda Lake |
Langtang National Park Permit TIMS Card |
NPR 3390 for National park permit NPR 2,000 for TIMS card
|
|
11 |
Helambu Trek |
Langtang National Park Permit TIMS Card |
NPR 3390 for National park permit NPR 2,000 for TIMS card
|
|
12 |
Kanchenjunga Base Camp |
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Permit Special Permit |
NPR 3,000 for Conservation Area Permit Special Permit USD 20 per person/ week (for the first 4 weeks) USD 25 per person /week ( beyond 4 weeks)
|
|
13 |
Langtang Valley Trek |
Langtang National Park Permit TIMS Card |
NPR 3390 for National park permit NPR 2,000 for TIMS card
|
|
14 |
Lower Dolpo |
Shey Phoksundo National Park Special Permit |
NPR 3,390 for National park permit Special Permit USD 20 per person/week USD 5 per person/day ( beyond 1 week)
|
|
15 |
Makalu Base Camp Trek |
Makalu Rural Municipality Permit Makalu Barun National Park Permit |
NPR 2,000 for Makalu Rural Municipality Permit NPR 3,000 for National Park Permit
|
|
16 |
Manaslu Circuit/Larke Pass |
Manaslu Conservation Area Permit Annapurna Conservation Area Permit Special Permit for Manaslu |
NPR 3,000 for MCAP NPR 3,000 for ACAP Special Permit September – November USD 100 per person/week USD 15 per person/day (beyond 1 week) December – August USD 75 per person/week USD 10 per person/day (beyond 1 week)
|
|
17 |
Mardi Himal Trek |
TIMS Card Annapurna Conservation Area Permit |
NPR 2,000 for TIMS Card NPR 3,000 for ACAP Permit
|
|
18 |
Nar Phu Valley |
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit Special Permit |
NPR 3,000 for ACAP Special Permit September – November USD 100 per person/week USD 15 per person/day (beyond 1 week) December – August USD 75 per person/week USD 15 per person/day (beyond 1 week)
|
|
19 |
Rolwaling Tashi Laptcha Pass |
Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit Sagarmatha National Park Permit Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit Special Permit |
NPR 3,000 for GCAP USD 20 per person/week for a special permit NPR 3,000 for Sagarmatha National Park NPR 2,000 for Khumbu Rural Municipality
|
|
20 |
Rolwaling Valley |
Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit Special Permit |
NPR 3,000 for GCAP USD 20 per person/week for a special permit
|
|
21 |
Tamang Heritage Trail |
Langtang National Park Permit TIMS Card |
NPR 3,390 for National park permit NPR 2,000 for TIMS card
|
|
22 |
Tengboche Monastery |
Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit Sagarmatha National Park Permit |
NPR 2,000 for Rural Municipality Permit NPR 3,390 for National Park Permit
|
|
23 |
Tsum Valley Trek |
Manaslu Conservation Area Permit Special Permit |
NPR 3,000 for MCAP Special Permit September – November USD 40 per person/week USD 7 per person/day (beyond 1 week) December – August USD 30 per person/week USD 7 per person/day (beyond 1 week)
|
|
24 |
Upper Dolpo |
Shey Phoksundo National Park Special Permit |
NPR 3,390 for National Park Permit Special Permit USD 500 per person (for the first 10 days) USD 50 per person/Day ( beyond 10 days)
|
|
25 |
Upper Mustang Trek |
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit Special Permit |
NPR 3,000 for ACAP Special Permit USD 500 for 10 days USD 50 per person/day (beyond 10 days) |