Everest Base Camp Trek Permits (2026)
A trekking permit is a government or municipal authorization required to enter a restricted or protected trail corridor on foot, and the Everest Base Camp Trek requires two of them, both payable in Nepalese rupees at the start of the trail.
Permits Required
2
Total Fee
NPR 6,000
TIMS Card
Not Required
Guide Requirement
Unresolved 2026
Every trekker on the Everest Base Camp Trek needs the Sagarmatha National Park entry fee and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit. Neither requires advance paperwork from home: both are sold at counters along the route itself, and neither one is gated behind hiring a guide, because the Khumbu region carries a local exemption from Nepal’s nationwide guide-mandatory rule that most other trekking areas do not have.
The rest of this page covers the exact 2026 fees, where each permit is physically stamped or issued, what to bring to the counter, and the specific legal reasoning behind the Khumbu’s guide exemption, since checkpoint staff and other trekkers online often describe it inconsistently.
2026 Permit Table
| Permit | Fee (NPR) | Where obtained |
|---|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park entry fee | NPR 3,000 (foreigners) | Nepal Tourism Board counter, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, or the Monjo entry checkpoint |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit (trek card) | NPR 3,000 | Lukla on arrival, or the Monjo checkpoint if walking in |
| TIMS card | Not required | Not applicable, superseded on this route by the municipality trek card above |
| Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit (Jiri route only) | NPR 3,000 (foreigners) | Nepal Tourism Board office, Kathmandu, required only for the Jiri-to-Namche section |
Fees are quoted in NPR at current 2026 rates and should always be verified before travel. Never rely on a fixed NPR-to-USD conversion, since exchange rates and fee amounts both change independently of each other.
How to Apply, Step by Step
Both permits are issued in person, not online, and the process at each counter takes a few minutes if the paperwork is ready in advance.
1
Bring two passport photos
Standard passport-size photos, one per permit. Kathmandu photo shops near Thamel print a set in under ten minutes if you arrive without any.
2
Carry your passport and a copy
The original passport is checked at each counter; a photocopy of the photo page is usually kept on file alongside the application form.
3
Pay in Nepalese rupees
Counters at Lukla and Monjo generally expect cash in NPR. Kathmandu counters more often accept card. Carry enough small-denomination rupees either way.
Guided trekkers rarely touch this process directly. A Swotah guide collects photos and passport details during the pre-trek briefing in Kathmandu and handles both applications on the group’s behalf.
For how these permits fit into the rest of the trip planning, from route to altitude to cost, see the complete Everest Base Camp Trek guide.
The Khumbu Guide Exemption, Explained
In April 2023, Nepal’s Tourism Board introduced a nationwide rule requiring every trekker to hire a licensed guide. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, the local authority whose jurisdiction covers the entire Everest Base Camp route, issued its own notice that same year stating that solo and independent trekkers do not need to hire a guide within its jurisdiction, and it maintained that position through the 2023-2025 seasons. Multiple trekking operators report tighter on-the-ground enforcement at the Monjo checkpoint for 2026, with independent trekkers sometimes asked to join a guided group. No official municipal notice confirms a formal end to the exemption, so treat the legal position as unresolved rather than settled, and expect the practical experience at the checkpoint to vary by season.
Three reasons anchor the municipality’s position: the Khumbu’s trails are busy and well-marked, the teahouse network is dense enough that route-finding rarely requires local knowledge, and the region’s rescue infrastructure (including helicopter evacuation access from multiple villages) is stronger than in more remote parts of Nepal. This exemption applies only within the Everest region on standard trekking routes. Cross into another trekking region, or attempt a technical side-objective like Island Peak, a climbing peak rather than a trek, and the standard national guide-mandatory rule applies again in full.
In practice, genuinely independent trekking to Everest Base Camp is legal. Most trekkers still book a licensed guide anyway, for altitude judgement, porter coordination, and language support, and Swotah Travel’s guided itineraries are built around that value rather than around a legal requirement that doesn’t exist on this specific route. Checkpoint enforcement can vary from trek to trek and season to season, so come prepared to show ID and answer questions at Monjo either way, rather than assuming the exemption removes all scrutiny.
Extra Permit for the Jiri Route
Trekkers on the Jiri Route itinerary need one additional document: a Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit, covering the Jiri-to-Namche section of trail before it joins the standard route. This is on top of the Sagarmatha National Park and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu fees above, not a replacement for either.
For the full cost picture beyond permits, see the per-person cost breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Permits Themselves
Two, for the standard route: the Sagarmatha National Park entry fee and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit, both NPR 3,000. TIMS is not required on this route. Jiri-route trekkers also need a Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit for the Jiri-to-Namche section.
Guide Requirement