More than 70 years after Nepal first began issuing trekking permits to foreigners, the government has finally abolished the paper-based permit system. This move comes just weeks after Nepal’s visa application system transitioned online.
The Department of Immigration launched the online system for trekkers on February 23.
Prem Prasad Dahal, spokesperson for the department, stated that foreign trekkers no longer need to visit the immigration office to obtain hiking permits for restricted areas.
“The online application system saves time. Trekkers will no longer need to stand in bank queues to pay fees.”
However, payments must be made through Nepalese payment channels, including Nepalese mobile banking apps, and platforms such as Connect IPS, eSewa, and Khalti.
According to Mr. Dahal, foreign nationals currently cannot pay trekking permit fees in US dollars or other foreign currencies because the Nepalese government does not hold dollar accounts for this purpose.
“This issue must be addressed through financial laws.”
Immigration officials stated that once the government authorizes foreign currency payments, they are prepared to fully implement the system or enable prospective climbers to pay fees from foreign bank accounts.
Similarly, as foreigners are prohibited from trekking without a guide—except in the Everest region—permits must be issued exclusively through travel agencies.
This grants trekking agencies and tour operators exclusive rights to handle trekkers.
Nepal has brought an end to the manual permit issuance system nearly 75 years after it first began issuing permits to foreign trekkers.
“This is welcome news for all tour and trekking operators,” said Nilhari Bastola, President of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal. “While it may take time for us to acclimate to the new system, bureaucratic hurdles will be significantly reduced.”
On February 9, the government introduced the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system in Nepal, the latest initiative to facilitate the entry of foreign travelers.
“We (travel agencies and tour operators) can now pay visa fees on behalf of foreign clients and obtain visas using passport copies. After receiving the visa number from the Department of Immigration, we can obtain trekking permits for our clients in both restricted and non-restricted areas,” Bastola said. The entire process can be completed from the comfort of one’s home or office.
“Previously, the issuance process for visas and trekking permits was delayed. Foreigners were forced to queue at the airport to obtain visas, and the process for obtaining trekking permits was equally time-consuming.”
“Thankfully, the manual system has come to an end.”
Currently, payments for e-visas can only be made using Nepalese payment channels such as mobile banking apps, Connect IPS, eSewa, and Khalti.
Bastola noted, “If the government adopts a dollar payment system, the procedure will be further simplified.”
The Trekkers’ Information Management Systems (TIMS) card, issued jointly by the Nepal Tourism Board and the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal, came into effect on January 1, 2008, and went online on April 1 last year.
Apart from dozens of unrestricted trekking areas, there are specific regions known as “restricted areas” that are strictly regulated by the government and where independent individual trekkers are strictly prohibited.
The districts of Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Dolakha, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Upper Mustang, Manang, Upper Dolpa, Lower Dolpa, Mugu, Humla, Bajhang, and Darchula, which border Tibet, were declared off-limits to foreign visitors in the 1970s.
Foreigners must obtain special permits from the Department of Immigration to travel to these areas. Furthermore, permits are not granted to individual trekkers; only those traveling in groups through government-authorized trekking agencies may apply for such permits.
Permit fees range from $10 per week to $500 for 10 days, depending on the region.
In the 1970s, the government restricted the movement of foreigners in several northern villages bordering Tibet after it was discovered that Khampa rebels were using Nepalese territory to launch raids into China. In 1974, the Nepal Army successfully disarmed the Khampa rebels completely, but the travel restrictions remained.
The formal history of trekking in Nepal began in 1949, when the country opened its doors to the outside world after centuries of isolation.
Lieutenant Colonel James Owen Merion Roberts, a British diplomat and mountaineer, is credited with organizing the first commercial trek in Nepal in 1950.
Trekking agencies and travel companies have been lobbying the government to open such areas, which hold immense potential to contribute to the country’s tourism and local economies.
Trekking in certain restricted areas is expensive.
According to the Department of Immigration, trekking in the restricted areas of Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpa costs $500 per person for the first 10 days, and $50 per person per day beyond 10 days.
In the restricted areas of Gorkha Manaslu, as well as Manang and Mugu, foreign trekkers must pay $100 per person per week during the autumn (September to November), and $15 per person per day beyond one week. During the period from December to August, considered the trekking off-season, the fee is $75 per person per week, and $10 per person per day beyond one week.
In Bajhang and Darchula, the government charges $90 per person for the first week, and $15 per person per day beyond one week.
In the restricted areas of Humla, trekkers are charged $50 per person per week, and $10 per person per day beyond one week.
Trekkers visiting the restricted areas of the Gorkha Tsum Valley are charged $40 per person per week during the autumn season, and $7 per person per day beyond one week. The fee for the period from December to August is $30 per person per week, and $7 per person per day beyond one week.
Similarly, in the restricted areas of Taplejung, Lower Dolpa, Dolakha, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, and Rasuwa, the charge is $20 per person per week.
According to government statistics, 15,781 foreign trekkers were admitted to restricted areas in 2022, mostly in Manaslu and Upper Mustang.
Trekkers can now apply from the comfort of their homes via a dedicated online platform.
