Permits are mandatory for a successful trekking. Without permits, you are not allowed to surpass certain regions. Everest Base Camp Trek also requires permits. Here are some short details about it. 

Everest Base Camp is a worldwide popular trek due to the presence of the World’s Highest Peak, Mount Everest, at 8848 m above sea level. Both the journey and destination are heavenly. You will surpass many famous and beautiful places along the journey.

It is a 14-day long trek that takes you to the highest altitude of 5555m, Kala Patthar. This trek begins and ends at Lukla. Namche Bazaar is the entrance of peak climbing regions. You can view Mt Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Thamserku, Cho Oyu, and many mountains of altitude range above 8000 m.

The warm welcoming sherpa community will embrace your heart with love. You can see Khumbu Glacier and Icefall. The famous Buddhist monastery, Tengboche, provides you a serene vibe. The panoramic views along the way purifies your souls.

For this amazing trek, there are some mandatory processes you will need to complete. For instance, getting required permits before the trek. You can get these permits by the help of an authorized travel agency. All you have to do is provide necessary documents to them.

Permits are the legal license cards necessary to reach any place in the Everest region. In this context, we will discuss all the required permits and their costs for Everest Base Camp Trek. Two trek permits are required for this trek.

Sagarmatha National Park Permit and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit, also called Trek Card, are two permits needed to trek the Everest Region. 

But if you want to start your trek from the traditional route of Jiri, an additional permit is needed. Let us talk about the details of each permit.

Sagarmatha National Park Permit 

Everest Base Camp is a precious place for Nepal in the protected zone in the Sagarmatha Region. You have to go through this National during your journey. The flora and fauna of this national park is very well preserved. You will need a Sagarmatha National Park Permit to enter the Everest Region.

Sagarmatha National Park Permit is an issued license permit compulsory for everyone before entering the Everest Region. The costs of this permit vary according to your Nationality. 

It costs NRP 3000 per person + 13 % VAT for foreign people. For people from SAARC countries, it costs NRP 1500 + 13% VAT. For Nepalese people, it costs NRP 100 + 13 % VAT. 

Note: Sagarmatha National Park Permit is free of cost for children under 10 years of age.

You can easily get this permit at Monjo, the entry gate, or from the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) counter in Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu. 

Getting this permit from Kathmandu before your flight to Lukla is much better to avoid unnecessary Monjo crowds.

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit or Trek Card is a digital card newly introduced by the local government of Khumbu Region. This was introduced recently in 2022 instead of the TIMS permit card. 

The trek card can scan details at one tap, making adding records easier than writing them manually at every checkpoint, saving lots of trouble. 

The Trek card costs NRP 2000 per person for the first 30 days and NRP 2500 per person for staying longer than 30 days. The price is the same for everyone outside Nepal, including SAARC residents. No additional VAT is required. 

You can get this card in Lukla or Monjo at the Sagarmatha National Park counter. This card is not available in Kathmandu. 

Additional Permit

If you want to start your trek from the traditional route of Jiri, you will need an additional Conservation Area Permit. The route takes you through Shivalaya, leading to Kinja, an 8 hours-long journey. 

This is a Conservation region, so that you will need an additional Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit (GSCAP) permit.This permit costs NRP 2000 per person + 13 % VAT for 30 days. 

You can get this permit in Shivalaya at the Conservation Area Permit checkpoint or Tourist Service Center in Kathmandu.

Is a TIMS (Trekking Information Management System) card required for the Everest Base Camp Trek permit? 

No, a TIMS card is unnecessary for the Everest Base Camp trek. This card was replaced by the Khumbu region trek card in 2022 due to decentralization.

As the new permit was introduced, there are many queries regarding this. We will be giving answers to these queries below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the permits required for this trek from Lukla?

A Sagarmatha National Park permit and Trek Card in the Khumbu region are needed.

What is the total cost for these permits?

You will need around 50 USD for these permits.

Can I pay for a permit in foreign currency? 

No, only Nepalese currency will be accepted. You can exchange your money from any ATM or money exchange. 

Where do we get permits?

We can get a permit from Lukla or Monjo at the National Park counter.

Does my local guide need it?

No, it is free of cost for local guides. 

Conclusion

Therefore, these are the necessary permits for entering Everest Base Camp. These are legal licenses applied by the Government of Nepal, so it is compulsory to get them before entry. Or else you will be punished for trespassing in this area, a big crime in Nepal.