Everest Region Permits and Costs: Complete Guide

The Two Permits Every Everest Region Trekker Requires

1. Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit

Sagarmatha National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The section from Lukla and onwards to EBC, Gokyo, or Island Peak is popularly known as the Khumbu Region. Every foreign trekker needs this permit to enter, regardless of which trekking route they are doing.

You can obtain this National Park Permit from the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu, or at the park entry checkpoint in Monjo. It is a non-refundable, single-entry permit. It is not necessary to buy the permits beforehand, as under certain weather circumstances, if your Lukla flight is canceled for several days, then you will have no option but to divert the trek to different destinations.

2. Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit (Revised Fee)

This is a local-government fee, separate from the national park permit, and this replaces the old TIMS Card System in this region.

Note: The TIMS Card is no longer required or checked anywhere in the Khumbu Region. If any website or blog post tells you TIMS is mandatory, ignore it. TIMS Card is no longer required in the Khumbu region.

You can obtain the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit at Lukla. As you walk to Phakding from Lukla, after the Pasang Lhamu Memorial Gate, there is a checkpoint where you can obtain this permit. You will require the original or a photocopy of your passport.

Total standard entry cost for the Everest region comes to roughly USD 37 / 44 per person.

NOTE: Children under 10 do not require permits.

Peak Climbing Permits: If You are Adding a Trekking Peak

Not every trekker going to the Everest Region does EBC, Gokyo, or the High Passes. There is a growing number of trekkers who extend their trip to climbing 'Trekking Peak'. The most popular Trekking Peaks in the Khumbu Valley are Island Peak and Lobuche East Peak. However, the highest Trekking Peak, Mera Peak, falls in the Hinku Valley and not in the Khumbu Valley.

All these prominent Trekking Peaks are under 6,500 meters are regulated by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and not the Department of Tourism. NMA is the association that is authorized to issue permits for these Trekking Peaks.

The Three Prominent Trekking Peaks are

• Island Peak / Imja Tse (6,189 m): Inside Sagarmatha National Park
• Lobuche East (6,119 m): Inside Sagarmatha National Park
• Mera Peak (6,476 m): In the Hinku Valley, part of Makalu-Barun National Park

If you are extending your itinerary further to climb any of these peaks, it requires a Peak Climbing Permit. So, on top of two entry permits (Sagarmatha Park Permit and Pasang Lhamu Municipality Permit you will require an NMA climbing permit.

NMA Trekking Peak Permit Fees (Revised September 1, 2025)

The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) has restructured the cost of all trekking peak permits that fall under it. The cost of 27 peaks, which falls uner NMA, has changed effective from September 1, 2025.

The New Cost is as follows:

Important Notes Worth Knowing

• Spring Season is the most expensive season and the most crowded.
• Autumn also gives the best weather window for half the permit cost, and it's less crowded.
• The NMA issues Climbing Permits to registered trekking agencies, not to solo individual climbers.
• A licensed climbing guide recognized by NMA is mandatory.
• The Peak Climbing Permit fee is non-refundable whether you summit or not.

Mera Peak's Extra Permit

Mera Peak, the highest Trekking Peak in the Everest region, does not fall in the Sagarmatha National Park or the Khumbu Region. It is located in the Hinku Valley. Though you can drive to its starting point, most trekkers still prefer to fly to Lukla Airport and start their expedition. From Lukla, you entirely skip the regular EBC route and take an entirely different route to Mera Peak.

Since you enter a different valley of the Hinku and Makalu Barun National Park, travelers require a different permit, besides the Climbing Permit.

To climb Mera Peak, you will need the following permit.

• Makalu-Barun National Park Entry Permit: NPR 3000 (approx. USD 22)
• Local rural municipality fee: NPR 2,000
• NMA climbing permit: as per the table above

Since Island Peak and Lobuche East are located inside the Sagarmatha Protected Area, the climbers are already covered by the standard National Park permit and Khumbu local permit.

Full Cost Breakdown by Trip

Where and How Permits Are Obtained

Sagarmatha National Park Permit: Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu, or at the Monjo checkpoint.

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu local Permit: Collected in Lukla, or arranged by your agency

Makalu-Barun National Park Entry Permit: Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu, or at Mera checkpoint.

NMA Peak Climbing Permits: Only processed through a legally registered trekking agency in Kathmandu. You cannot obtain this permit on the way like other National Park Permits.

Documents Required

• Valid passport for at least six months,
• passport-sized photos,
• Travel insurance that covers high-altitude evacuation.
• Garbage Deposit Bank Voucher - USD 500
• Nepali Climbers Accidental Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need a TIMS card for the Everest region in 2026?

No. TIMS is no longer required or enforced anywhere in the Khumbu. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality local fee has replaced it.

Can permit fees be refunded if I don't finish the trek or don't summit?

No. All entry and climbing permits are non-refundable once issued, regardless of outcome. The garbage deposit is the one exception, and only if you carry your waste back down.

Do children need permits?

Children under 10 don't need any National Park Permits or local permits, and no peak climbing permits will be issued to children below 16 years of age, and it's illegal.

Can I get an NMA peak permit without a guide?

No. A licensed guide is mandatory for every NMA trekking peak, and permits are issued to registered agencies only and not to individuals.

Is the Island Peak or Mera Peak permit more expensive?

The NMA fee itself is the same for both, based on the season. However, Mera Peak requires Makalu-Barun National Park and local municipality fees, while Island Peak and Lobuche East require Sagarmatha National Park and local municipality permits.