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| TIMS card | Not required | Not applicable, superseded on this route by the municipality trek card above |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.
Since 1 April 2025, proof of valid travel insurance is a prerequisite for obtaining any of the permits above, not an optional add-on. Nepal’s Tourism Board and TAAN jointly enforce this at the point of permit issuance, and the policy must specifically cover helicopter rescue and medical evacuation. See the full insurance guide for what coverage ceiling this route actually requires before you arrive at the permit counter.
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
Bring your passport and insurance proof
The original passport is checked at each counter, and since April 2025 you also need proof of travel insurance covering helicopter rescue and medical evacuation before either permit can be issued.
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.
Do Either Permit Require a Guide?
No. Neither the Sagarmatha National Park entry fee nor the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit is gated behind hiring a guide, and both are sold directly to independent trekkers at the same counters guided groups use. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality has held a local exemption from Nepal’s nationwide guide-mandatory rule since 2023, citing Sagarmatha National Park’s different regulatory category from true restricted areas like Upper Mustang or Manaslu, where the rule was written to apply.
Whether that exemption still holds in full for 2026, and how a March 2026 nationwide rule change (which loosened some restricted-area group-size requirements without directly resolving the Khumbu’s own position) fits into the picture, is a more involved legal question than a permit fee table can answer well. See the full solo trekking guide for the complete detail, including what checkpoint enforcement has actually looked like on the ground. This exemption is specific to standard trekking on the Everest route; a technical side-objective like Island Peak still requires a qualified climbing guide under separate Nepal Mountaineering Association rules.
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