The Everest Base Camp trek requires two permits — the Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit — costing NPR 3,000 each, NPR 6,000 total (roughly $46). Unlike the Annapurna region, TIMS is not required for EBC at all; it was replaced by the municipality permit in 2018. We arrange both permits for every client as part of the package price. Here’s exactly what each one covers and where they’re checked.
What’s Inside This Guide
- The Two Permits You Actually Need
- Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit
- Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit
- Why TIMS Is Not Required for EBC
- Do You Need a Guide, Legally?
- Where Permits Are Checked on the Trail
- Documents You Need to Bring
- Who Handles Your Permits
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Planning Guides
The Two Permits You Actually Need
| Permit | Cost | Issued By |
|---|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit | NPR 3,000 (NPR 2,654.86 + 13% VAT) | Nepal Tourism Board / Department of National Parks |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit | NPR 3,000 | Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality |
| Total | NPR 6,000 (~$46) | — |
That’s the complete permit list for EBC. There’s no TIMS card, no separate conservation area permit, and no additional regional fee — just these two, and both are included in our package price rather than something you pay for separately on arrival.
Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit
Sagarmatha National Park is the protected area covering Everest and the surrounding Khumbu region, and every trekker entering it needs this permit. The fee is NPR 2,654.86 plus 13% VAT, which rounds to NPR 3,000 at the point of purchase. It’s issued by the Nepal Tourism Board and the national parks authority, and it funds conservation and park management across the Sagarmatha region.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit
This is a local municipality permit specific to the Khumbu region, currently priced at NPR 3,000 (increased from NPR 2,000 in September 2024). It’s issued by the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality itself, separately from the national park permit above, and the revenue goes toward local infrastructure and services in the villages along the route rather than national park management.
Why TIMS Is Not Required for EBC
If you’ve researched other Nepal treks, you’ve likely seen TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) mentioned as a standard requirement — it applies to the Annapurna region, for example. It does not apply to EBC. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit replaced TIMS for this region in 2018, so trekkers heading to Everest Base Camp only need the two permits above, not a separate TIMS card.
Do You Need a Guide, Legally?
No — and this is a genuine difference from several other Nepal treks. In April 2023, Nepal introduced a national rule requiring guides for all trekking regions. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality specifically rejected that mandate for its own area, so a guide is not a legal requirement for Everest Base Camp the way it now is for Annapurna Base Camp, Langtang, or Manaslu. We include a licensed local guide on every EBC package as standard practice regardless — for the altitude judgment calls and route knowledge, not because the law requires it.
Where Permits Are Checked on the Trail
Both permits are checked at Monjo, a small village between Phakding and Namche Bazaar that sits just below the Sagarmatha National Park entrance gate. This is the main checkpoint on the route — your guide handles the checkpoint formalities, showing both permits before you continue on to Namche. Some trekkers also have the Khumbu municipality permit checked or issued at Lukla itself, depending on staffing that day, but Monjo is where you should expect the formal check to happen either way.
Documents You Need to Bring
- Your original passport, valid for the duration of your trip
- A photocopy of your passport’s photo page
- A couple of passport-sized photos — standard practice for permit applications in Nepal
- Your Nepal visa (arranged on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, USD 50 for 30 days) — separate from your trekking permits, but needed before we can process them
Send us a scan of your passport ahead of arrival so we can prepare both permits before you land — it saves a step in Kathmandu before you fly to Lukla.
Who Handles Your Permits
We process both permits in Kathmandu before you fly to Lukla, as a standard part of every EBC booking — you won’t be queuing at a permit office yourself or paying a separate fee on the trail. Your guide carries the physical permits and presents them at Monjo. This is one of the practical reasons to book with a registered agency rather than attempt an independent trek: permit paperwork is one less thing to manage while you’re also handling flights, gear, and altitude.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. TIMS was replaced by the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit in 2018 for this specific region. TIMS still applies to other regions like Annapurna, but not to EBC — you only need the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Khumbu municipality permit.
Legally, yes — the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality rejected the 2023 national guide mandate for its own region, so it’s not a legal requirement here the way it is for Annapurna or Langtang. We still include a licensed guide as standard on every package for safety and route judgment, particularly around altitude decisions.
No, both permits are issued in Nepal, not in advance from abroad. The Sagarmatha National Park permit and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit are processed in Kathmandu once you arrive, and we handle this for every client as part of the package rather than requiring you to visit a permit office yourself.
Related Planning Guides
- EBC Trek Package — Full 12-day guided expedition with group pricing from USD 1,039
- EBC Trek Cost Guide — Package prices, budget breakdown, and what’s included
- EBC Trek Itinerary — Full 12-day, day-by-day route breakdown
- EBC Trek Difficulty Guide — Honest section-by-section difficulty rating
- EBC Trek for Beginners — First-timer’s complete preparation guide
Two Permits, Zero Paperwork on Your End
The full EBC package runs $1,039 to $1,379 per person and includes both required permits — send us your passport scan ahead of arrival and we’ll have everything ready before you fly to Lukla. View the full Everest Base Camp Trek package → Have a specific visa or documentation question? Chat with us on WhatsApp →