The Everest Base Camp trek needs two permits: the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit. Each costs NPR 3,000 for foreign trekkers, so NPR 6,000 in total. That is about $39 at October 2026 exchange rates. You do not need a TIMS card, and a guide is not a legal requirement in the Khumbu.
Our Everest Base Camp Trek package includes both permits. Below is what each one costs, where you get it, and where officials check it.
What’s Inside This Guide
- The two permits at a glance
- Sagarmatha National Park permit
- Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit
- Why you don’t need a TIMS card
- Do you legally need a guide?
- Where permits are checked
- Permits for other Everest routes and peaks
- Documents to bring
- How we handle your permits
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Planning Guides
The Two Permits at a Glance
| Permit | Foreign trekkers | SAARC nationals | Where you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park entry permit | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu, or the park counter at Monjo |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit | NPR 3,000 | NPR 2,000 (also applies to Chinese nationals) | Tourist Information Centre in Lukla |
| Total for foreign trekkers | NPR 6,000 (about $39) | — | — |
Nepal sets the fees in rupees, so the dollar figure moves with the exchange rate. Nepal Rastra Bank set the US dollar at NPR 155.08 on 12 October 2026. Carry rupees in cash if you are buying a permit yourself.
Sagarmatha National Park Permit
Sagarmatha National Park covers Everest and the upper Khumbu, and every trekker entering it needs this permit. The fee is NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals and NPR 1,500 for SAARC nationals.
You can buy it at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu, before your Lukla flight. You can also buy it at the park entrance counter at Monjo, on Day 2 of our itinerary. Rangers check it at the Monjo gate, where the trail enters the park.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit
This is a local entry fee, collected by the rural municipality that covers the Khumbu. The municipality calls it the Trek Card. It costs NPR 3,000 for most foreign trekkers, and NPR 2,000 for SAARC and Chinese nationals.
The fee rose by NPR 1,000 from the 2024/25 fiscal year, which began in July 2024. Before that, foreign trekkers paid NPR 2,000. Many older guides online still show the lower figure.
You cannot buy this permit in Kathmandu. The municipality issues it at its Tourist Information Centre in Lukla, and it needs your passport and a recent photo. The municipality says it takes about 15 minutes.
Why You Don’t Need a TIMS Card
TIMS, the Trekkers’ Information Management System card, still applies in regions such as Annapurna. It does not apply on the Everest Base Camp trek. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality permit replaced it in the Everest region in 2018.
If an online guide or agency lists TIMS for EBC, that information is out of date. You need the two permits above and nothing else for the standard trek.
Do You Legally Need a Guide?
No. In April 2023, the Nepal Tourism Board announced that trekkers in national parks and conservation areas must hire a licensed guide. Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality issued its own notice saying a guide is not mandatory in the Everest region. That position has held, so solo trekking to Base Camp is legal.
Annapurna, Langtang and Manaslu are different, because the law requires a guide there. We still include a licensed guide on every trek. Altitude decisions are easier with someone who knows the route.
Where Permits Are Checked
- Lukla. You get the municipality Trek Card at the Tourist Information Centre after you land.
- Monjo. Rangers check the Sagarmatha National Park permit at the park gate, between Phakding and Namche Bazaar. If you haven’t bought it in Kathmandu, you can buy it here.
Keep both permits with your passport for the whole trek. Officials can ask to see them again further up the trail. On our treks, your guide carries the permits and shows them at each check.
Permits for Other Everest Routes and Peaks
The same two permits cover the other main trekking routes in the Khumbu. That includes the Gokyo Lakes trek, the Three Passes trek and the Everest View trek.
Climbing a trekking peak needs more. Lobuche East and Island Peak each need a Nepal Mountaineering Association climbing permit. Since 1 September 2025, it costs $350 in spring and $175 in autumn. NMA also takes a refundable $500 garbage deposit per peak. Our Lobuche Peak vs Island Peak guide covers both climbs.
Documents to Bring
- Your passport, valid for at least six months from your arrival date
- Two recent passport-size photos
- A photocopy of your passport photo page, kept apart from the original
- Your Nepal visa, which you can get on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport
- Nepali rupees in cash if you are buying permits yourself, since card payment is unreliable on the trail
How We Handle Your Permits
Your guide buys both permits on the trail and pays for them in cash at the counters. You don’t need to visit a permit office in Kathmandu. Both fees are in the package price, so you don’t pay anything extra on the trail.
Send us a scan of your passport photo page when you book, and bring two passport photos. Your guide needs these for the permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
For foreign trekkers, NPR 6,000 in total. The Sagarmatha National Park permit is NPR 3,000, and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit is NPR 3,000. That is about $39 at October 2026 rates.
No. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality permit replaced TIMS in the Everest region in 2018. TIMS still applies in other regions, such as Annapurna.
Yes, legally. Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality did not adopt the 2023 rule requiring guides, so you can trek solo. We include a licensed guide as standard.
No. You buy the national park permit in Kathmandu or at Monjo, and the municipality permit only in Lukla. Neither permit has an online option.
You get the municipality permit in Lukla, and rangers check the national park permit at the Monjo gate. Keep both with your passport, as officials can ask for them again on the trail.
As SAARC nationals, Indian trekkers pay NPR 1,500 for the national park permit and NPR 2,000 for the municipality permit. That is NPR 3,500 in total.
Related Planning Guides
- Everest Base Camp Trek package — 12 days from Lukla, from $1,039, both permits included
- Everest Base Camp Trek Cost — full price breakdown, including permits
- 12-Day EBC Itinerary — where Lukla and Monjo fall in the trek
- Everest Base Camp Trek Elevation — every overnight altitude
- EBC Trek for Beginners — what first-timers need to know
Both Permits, Sorted Before You Fly
Our Everest Base Camp Trek runs $1,039 to $1,379 per person, with both permits included. See the full trek details, or ask us on WhatsApp if you have a question about permits or documents.