Everest Base Camp Trek Permits Cost and Fees

26 Sep 2026 7 min to read

Understanding Everest Base Camp Trek Permits Cost is one of the first things every Everest Region trekker needs to sort out – right alongside flights, gear, and acclimatization planning. Before any of that, every trekker has to clear one step first: permits.

The Everest region keeps its permit system refreshingly simple compared to Nepal’s restricted areas, but that doesn’t mean it’s free or unchanging. Between the Sagarmatha National Park fee, the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit, and the now-retired TIMS card, it’s easy to end up confused about what you actually need – or worse, to overpay at the trailhead because you’re working off outdated information.

This guide breaks down exactly which permits are required for the EBC trek in 2026, what each one costs, where to buy them, and a few simple tips to make sure your paperwork is sorted before you ever set foot on the trail to Lukla.

Do You Need a Permit for Everest Base Camp?

Yes — every trekker heading into the Khumbu region, foreign or Nepali, needs permits to legally enter the trail. Unlike some high-altitude treks in Nepal, EBC does not require a special “restricted area” permit, and as of a few years ago, it no longer requires the old TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) card either. Instead, the Khumbu region operates its own local entry system alongside the national park fee.

In short, two permits cover almost everyone doing the standard Lukla–EBC route:

1. Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit
2. Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit

That’s it for most trekkers. No TIMS card, no separate restricted-area clearance, no group requirement.

1. Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit

Everest Base Camp sits inside Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting the upper Khumbu’s forests, wildlife, and the world’s highest peaks. Entering the park legally requires this permit, and the fee goes directly toward conservation work and park management.

Cost (2026):

• Foreign nationals: NPR 3,000 (roughly US$21–25)
• SAARC nationals (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc.): NPR 1,500
• Nepali citizens: NPR 100

VAT is already built into these figures, so there’s nothing extra added at the counter. Children under 10 are typically exempt, though it’s worth double-checking at the point of purchase since local rules occasionally shift.

Where to buy it:

• Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu (before you fly to Lukla), or
• The park entry checkpoint at Monjo, the small village you pass through on day two of the trek, just before Namche Bazaar

Buying it in Kathmandu can save you a small amount of time on the trail, but purchasing at Monjo is just as straightforward and is what most independent trekkers do.

2. Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit

This is the local permit, introduced after Nepal’s 2018 governance restructuring, when the villages around Lukla were consolidated into the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality — named in honor of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit Everest. This permit effectively replaced the old TIMS card for anyone trekking in the Everest region.

Cost (2026):

• Foreign nationals: NPR 3,000 (raised from NPR 2,000 in September 2024)
• SAARC nationals: roughly half the foreign rate at most checkpoints

If you come across older blog posts or travel forums quoting NPR 2,000 for this permit, that figure is outdated — the fee increase has been in effect since late 2024, and most current operators now quote NPR 3,000.

Where to buy it:

• The municipality checkpoint in Lukla, right after you land, or
• The checkpoint at Monjo (same general stop as the national park permit)

Unlike the national park permit, this one is not available in Kathmandu — you can only pick it up once you’re in the Khumbu itself, either in Lukla or Monjo.

Total Permit Cost for a Standard EBC Trek

Putting the two together, most foreign trekkers on the standard Lukla-in, Lukla-out route pay:

That’s the full permit cost for the entire duration of your trek — you pay once at entry, not per day, and the permit remains valid for your whole stay in the region, regardless of whether your trek runs 10 days or 20.

What About the TIMS Card?

If you’ve researched Nepal trekking permits before, you’ve probably seen the TIMS card mentioned constantly. Here’s the important update: TIMS is no longer required for the Everest Base Camp trek. It was phased out for the Khumbu region back in 2018 when the local municipality permit took over that role. You may still see TIMS required for other trekking regions in Nepal, but for EBC specifically, you can skip it entirely — don’t let anyone sell you one you don’t need.

If You’re Trekking via Jiri/Bhandara or Salleri Instead of Flying to Lukla

Some trekkers choose the classic overland approach, walking in from Jiri or Salleri rather than flying into Lukla. If this is your route, there’s one more permit to factor in:

• Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit: approximately NPR 3,000 (~US$25–30)

This covers the section of trail outside Sagarmatha National Park that the Jiri/Salleri route passes through before joining the main EBC trail. Once you reach the park boundary, you’ll still need the standard Sagarmatha and Khumbu permits above.

Do You Need a Guide or Porter Permit?

Do You Need a Guide or Porter Permit?

Here’s some good news: bringing a guide or porter along won’t blow your budget. A guide entry permit costs around $12, while a porter permit runs about $1–2 — small change compared to everything else you’ll spend on the trek. Both are easy to sort out, and you don’t need to arrange them in advance. You can pick them up right at Lukla, at the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit office, or a little further along the trail at Jorsalle/Monjo, where the checkpoint handles it just as quickly.

Nepal’s broader trekking rules have shifted in recent years toward requiring registered guides on many routes, but the Everest region has largely stayed the exception — independent trekking without a guide has remained possible for those entering via the standard Lukla route. That said, guide requirements are a moving target across Nepal’s trekking industry, so it’s worth confirming current rules before you finalize your plans. Your trekking agency (or the Nepal Tourism Board) can confirm the latest policy at the time of booking, since rules here get updated more often than the trail itself changes.

Even where it isn’t strictly required, hiring a guide or porter comes with real benefits: local trail knowledge, sharper altitude sickness awareness, and a smoother time securing teahouse rooms during the busy trekking seasons.

Tips to Avoid Permit Headaches

• Bring cash in Nepali Rupees. Permit offices at Monjo and Lukla don’t reliably accept cards, and exchange rates at trailhead counters are rarely in your favor.
• Carry passport copies and passport-sized photos. While the national park and municipality permits generally don’t require photos, having a couple on hand avoids delays if requirements change.
• Don’t buy permits from unofficial vendors. Only pay at the official Nepal Tourism Board counter, the Monjo checkpoint, or the Lukla municipality office.
• Double-check fees before you fly. Permit costs in Nepal are adjusted periodically by both the national park authority and the local municipality, so confirm current rates with the Nepal Tourism Board or your trekking agency shortly before departure.
• Keep your permits with you at all times. Checkpoints along the trail (not just at the start) sometimes ask to see them, so don’t pack them away at the bottom of your duffel.

Final Thoughts

Compared to Nepal’s restricted trekking regions, the Everest Base Camp Trek permit process is refreshingly straightforward: two permits, one flat fee of around NPR 6,000 (roughly US$45–50), and no TIMS card to worry about. The bigger challenge isn’t the paperwork — it’s making sure you have accurate, current information, since fees and rules here do shift from year to year. Buy your permits at the official checkpoints in Monjo and Lukla (or in Kathmandu for the national park permit), keep some Nepali cash on hand, and you’ll clear this part of the trek in minutes, leaving you free to focus on the real challenge ahead: the climb to 5,364 meters and the first sight of Everest itself.

TAGS: Everest base camp trek preparation