Every trekking permit Nepal issues depends on which region you plan to visit, and the rules have changed more than once in the past few years. Some of what’s written on older blogs is now out of date. This guide covers exactly which permits you need, what they cost, and what changed in 2026.
Here’s the current picture: which permits apply to which regions, what they cost, and what’s actually changed as of 2026.
The Short Version
Every foreign trekker in Nepal now needs a licensed guide — that’s been mandatory since April 2023, with no exceptions on major routes. Beyond that, which permits you need depends entirely on the region:
- Everest region: Sagarmatha National Park permit + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality permit. TIMS is no longer enforced here.
- Annapurna region: ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) — covers Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, and Annapurna Base Camp. TIMS is no longer enforced here either.
- Langtang, Manaslu, Rara Lake, and far-western routes: TIMS is still required and actively checked — this includes the Langtang Valley trek.
- Restricted areas (Upper Mustang, Dolpo, parts of Manaslu): A separate restricted area permit, only obtainable through a registered agency.
If you’re trekking with an agency, they arrange all of this as part of booking — but it’s worth knowing what you’re actually paying for.
Permit Costs by Region (2026)
| Region | Permit(s) Needed | Cost (Foreign Nationals) |
| Everest (Sagarmatha) | Sagarmatha National Park Permit + Khumbu Municipality Permit | ~NPR 3,000 (+13% VAT) + NPR 2,000–3,000 |
| Annapurna (ACAP) | ACAP | NPR 3,000 (~USD 22–25) |
| Langtang | Langtang National Park Permit + TIMS | NPR 3,000 + TIMS fee |
| Manaslu | Manaslu Conservation Area Permit + Restricted Area Permit + TIMS | NPR 3,000 + restricted area fee |
| Upper Mustang | Restricted Area Permit | USD 500 for first 10 days, USD 50/day after |
| Dolpo (Upper) | Restricted Area Permit | USD 500 for first 10 days, USD 50/day after |
| Rara Lake | TIMS + National Park Permit | NPR 3,000 + TIMS fee |
SAARC nationals typically pay reduced rates on national park and conservation area permits (often NPR 1,000–1,500), and children under 10 are usually exempt from park and conservation area fees entirely.
What’s Actually Changed in 2026
A few real shifts are worth knowing if you’ve read an older guide or heard conflicting advice from someone who trekked a few years back:
TIMS is no longer enforced in Everest or Annapurna. For years, TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) was a blanket requirement across most of Nepal. As of 2026, it’s no longer being checked at Annapurna or Khumbu checkpoints — ACAP and the Sagarmatha/Khumbu permits now cover those regions on their own. TIMS is still required and enforced in Langtang, Manaslu, Rara Lake, and far-western Nepal.
Restricted area permits no longer require a minimum group size. Since March 2026, solo foreign trekkers can obtain restricted area permits (Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Dolpo) individually, as long as they’re with a licensed guide and booked through a registered agency — the old rule requiring at least two trekkers per group has been dropped.
Digital, QR-verified permits are rolling out. Annapurna and Manaslu now use QR-code verified e-permits at checkpoints, tied to your passport, as part of a broader shift toward centralized digital permit tracking.
What Each Permit Actually Is (and Why It Exists)
It helps to know what you’re actually paying for, since these aren’t just bureaucratic fees.
TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System). Originally introduced to maintain a database of who’s trekking where, mainly for search-and-rescue purposes. If something goes wrong on the trail, TIMS records help authorities know roughly how many trekkers are in an area and where they’re headed. It’s why it’s still enforced in more remote regions like Langtang and Manaslu, where rescue coordination matters more than in the well-trafficked Everest and Annapurna corridors.
National Park and Conservation Area Permits (Sagarmatha, ACAP, Langtang, Manaslu). These fund the actual infrastructure you’re relying on — trail maintenance, ranger posts, waste management, and in the case of ACAP, direct community development work in the villages you pass through. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project in particular is well known for reinvesting permit revenue into local community projects rather than just central government coffers.
Restricted Area Permits. These apply to areas Nepal opened to foreign trekkers relatively recently, or that sit close to sensitive border regions — Upper Mustang, Upper Dolpo, and parts of Manaslu among them. The higher fees reflect both the limited trekker numbers these regions are built to handle and the additional government coordination required to issue them.
Restricted Area Permits Explained
Restricted area permits work differently enough from standard permits that they deserve their own explanation.
You cannot get one without an agency. Unlike ACAP or the Sagarmatha permit, which a trekker can technically pick up in person, restricted area permits are only issued to registered trekking agencies with a confirmed guide contract. There’s no walk-in option.
They’re priced by day, not as a flat fee. Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpo both use a tiered structure — a flat rate for the first 10 days, then a daily rate after that. This is meant to reflect the extra environmental and cultural sensitivity of these regions, and it means longer restricted-area treks get noticeably more expensive per additional day.
Processing takes longer. Because these permits route through additional government approval, expect several days of lead time rather than the roughly 24-hour turnaround on standard permits. If you’re planning a Mustang or Dolpo trek, get your documents to your agency well ahead of your intended start date.
The solo-trekker rule change matters here specifically. Before March 2026, restricted area permits required a minimum of two trekkers per group — which meant solo travelers either had to find a trekking partner or pay for a “ghost” second permit. That requirement is gone now, which has made these regions genuinely more accessible to solo trekkers, provided they’re still with a licensed guide.
What Happens If You Trek Without a Permit
This isn’t a theoretical risk — permit checkpoints are staffed and active on all major routes, and trekking without the required permit can mean being turned back at the checkpoint, fined, or in some cases denied continued access to the trail entirely. Since guides are now mandatory anyway, this scenario is rare for agency-booked trekkers, but it’s worth knowing the actual consequence isn’t just a formality being skipped — it can end your trek partway through.
Step-by-Step: How the Permit Process Actually Works
For most trekkers booking through an agency, this is largely invisible — but here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:
- You confirm your route and dates with your trekking agency.
- The agency submits your documents — passport copy, visa details, passport photos — to the relevant permit office (NTB, NTNC, or the restricted area authority, depending on your route).
- Permits are processed, typically within about 24 hours for standard national park and conservation area permits, longer for restricted areas.
- Your guide carries your permits on the trek and presents them at checkpoints along the route — Monjo for Sagarmatha National Park, various ACAP checkpoints in the Annapurna region, and so on.
- QR-code permits are scanned electronically at digital checkpoints in Annapurna and Manaslu, while paper permits are checked and stamped manually elsewhere.
If you’re trekking independently within the rules that still allow it (which, given the 2023 guide requirement, means “independently” now still requires a licensed guide), your guide typically handles this same process on your behalf once you’re booked with their agency.
Permit Costs for Popular Treks
Putting the region-by-region breakdown into trek-specific terms:
| Trek | Permits Required | Approx. Total Cost (Foreign Nationals) |
| Everest Base Camp | Sagarmatha NP Permit + Khumbu Municipality Permit | ~USD 43–51 |
| Annapurna Base Camp | ACAP | ~USD 22–25 |
| Poon Hill | ACAP | ~USD 22–25 |
| Langtang Valley | Langtang NP Permit + TIMS | ~USD 30–40 |
| Manaslu Circuit | MCAP + Restricted Area Permit + TIMS | ~USD 100+ (varies by season and duration) |
| Upper Mustang | Restricted Area Permit | USD 500 (first 10 days) + USD 50/day after |
| Annapurna Circuit | ACAP | ~USD 22–25 |
These figures cover permit fees only — not guide fees, accommodation, or food, which make up the bulk of most trekking budgets.
The Guide Requirement
Since April 2023, every foreign trekker in Nepal must hire a licensed guide through a registered trekking agency — this applies across all major routes, with no exceptions, and it’s strictly enforced. Solo, unguided trekking is not permitted, even on well-marked routes like Poon Hill.
This isn’t just a formality. Restricted area permits specifically require agency booking and a guide contract to be issued at all, and checkpoints do verify this.
Where to Actually Get Your Permits
- Nepal Tourism Board offices — Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu, or Damside/Lakeside in Pokhara for Annapurna-region permits.
- NTNC e-permit portal (epermit.ntnc.org.np) — for ACAP and Manaslu Conservation Area permits online.
- Park entry gates — the Sagarmatha National Park permit can be picked up at Monjo before Namche Bazaar.
- TAAN office, Maligaon, Kathmandu — for TIMS cards where still required.
You’ll need your passport, a valid Nepal tourist visa, passport-sized photos, and cash in NPR — card payments generally aren’t accepted at permit offices. If you’re booking through a trekking agency, they handle this entire process as part of your package, which is the more common route for most trekkers now that guides are mandatory anyway.
Timing Your Permit Application
Submit your permit application at least one full day before your planned departure. Processing typically takes about 24 hours, though an established agency can often move faster. Restricted area permits (Upper Mustang, Dolpo, Manaslu) usually need a few more days of lead time since they go through additional agency processing.
Common Permit Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming TIMS still applies everywhere. It doesn’t anymore in Everest or Annapurna — but it’s a common leftover assumption from older blog posts and forum threads. Confirm current requirements for your specific route rather than relying on advice from a few years back.
- Leaving restricted area permits to the last minute. These take longer to process than standard permits, and there’s no way to expedite around a missed deadline the way there sometimes is with standard permits.
- Assuming you can get a restricted area permit without an agency. You can’t — and no amount of showing up in person changes that.
- Not carrying your passport on the trail. Permits are tied to your passport number, and checkpoints may ask to see it alongside your permit, not just the permit itself.
- Booking a trek without confirming permits are included. Not every advertised trek price includes permit costs upfront — always confirm what’s covered before you pay a deposit.
FAQs
1. Do I still need a TIMS card for Everest Base Camp?
No, TIMS is no longer enforced for the Everest region — the Sagarmatha National Park Permit and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality Permit now cover access on their own.
2. Do I need a TIMS card for Annapurna Base Camp?
No, not as of 2026. Only the ACAP permit is actively checked on Annapurna trails, though a registered agency may still process TIMS as part of your package where relevant.
3. Can I trek in Nepal without a guide?
No, Since April 2023, a licensed guide from a registered trekking agency is mandatory for all foreign trekkers on Nepal’s major routes, with no exceptions.
4. How much does a trekking permit in Nepal cost?
Standard national park and conservation area permits (Everest, Annapurna, Langtang) run roughly USD 22–30. Restricted area permits (Upper Mustang, Dolpo) are far more expensive — USD 500 for the first 10 days, plus USD 50 per additional day.
5. Can solo trekkers get a restricted area permit?
Yes, since March 2026. The previous requirement for a minimum of two trekkers per group has been dropped — solo trekkers can now obtain restricted area permits individually, provided they’re with a licensed guide through a registered agency.
6. Do children need trekking permits in Nepal?
Children under 10 are typically exempt from national park and conservation area entry fees, though this can vary by specific park — worth confirming with your trekking agency.
7. Are permit fees included in trekking package prices?
Not always — it varies by operator. Always confirm with your agency whether permits are bundled into the quoted price or charged separately before bookin
Conclusion
Nepal’s permit system has genuinely simplified in some ways since 2023 — fewer TIMS checkpoints, no more minimum group sizes for restricted areas — but the guide requirement and region-specific permits are non-negotiable. Want your permits handled without the guesswork? Get in touch with Nepal Charity Treks and we’ll sort your permits, guide, and paperwork as part of booking.
