Trekking Permits In Nepal 2026: TIMS

Complete guide: Nepal Visa and Trekking Permits: Complete Guide

Direct answer: Most Nepal treks require a TIMS card plus a conservation-area permit, ACAP for the Annapurna region and MCAP for Manaslu, obtained from the Nepal Tourism Board or immigration offices before you start. Fees are set in NPR/USD by government notice; carry cash and your passport. This page is the operational, permits-only companion to our visa and permits overview: exactly what each permit costs in 2026, where to buy it, what it covers, and how to avoid the fines that catch trekkers out every season.

Trekkers on the Everest Base Camp route, Nepal — Trekking in Nepal’s high country. Photo: via Wikimedia Commons (CC).

TIMS card in detail

The Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) card is the baseline requirement for most treks. It is issued by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and, for some routes, the tourism police. Its purpose is practical, not just bureaucratic: the card registers your name, route and dates in a central database so that rescue services know where to look if you go missing, and trekking agencies can be held accountable for the trekkers they bring into the mountains. Trekkers must carry it throughout the route and show it at checkposts.

There are two categories, and the fee difference between them is deliberate:

Individual TIMS (FIT card) for independent trekkers not travelling with a licensed guide. The current fee is USD 17 (about NPR 2,000) per person, plus small local taxes. Green card.
Organised TIMS (group card) for trekkers booked through a registered agency with a guide. The current fee is USD 10 (about NPR 1,200) per person if part of an agency group. Blue card.

What TIMS covers: it is an identification and rescue-tracking document, not insurance. It does not cover evacuation costs, medical treatment or helicopter rescue. For that you need dedicated trekking travel insurance that explicitly includes helicopter evacuation above 4,000 m. Carry the card in a dry bag: laminated cards survive the bottom of a rucksack, paper ones do not survive the first river crossing.

Where to buy the TIMS card

Kathmandu: NTB counter, Pradarshani Marga (Exhibition Road, near Bhrikuti Mandapa). Open Sunday to Friday, roughly 10 AM to 4 PM. Same-day issue; bring one passport photo and your original passport with the visa you entered on.
Pokhara: NTB office at Damside (Pardi), a 15-minute walk from Lakeside. Most Annapurna trekkers buy TIMS and ACAP here in a single stop.
Online: the NTB has been rolling out an online TIMS application through its official portal. Approval can still require picking up the physical card in person, and coverage of all routes has been uneven, so treat online issuance as a convenience, not a guarantee. If you apply online, print the confirmation and still budget time to collect the card before your departure date.

Do you ever not need TIMS? Yes: the Everest region currently uses the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee instead of TIMS for the classic Everest Base Camp route, and TIMS is generally not required for day hikes around the Kathmandu Valley such as the hikes near Kathmandu. Rules have shifted several times in recent years, so confirm with your agency a week before travel.

ACAP and MCAP in detail

Conservation-area permits fund the management of the protected regions the treks pass through. They are separate from TIMS, must be bought in addition to it, and are checked at manned entrance gates.

ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit)

Who needs it: every foreign trekker entering the Annapurna Conservation Area, which covers the entire Annapurna massif: the Annapurna Base Camp trek, Ghorepani and Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Khopra, the Annapurna Circuit as far as Muktinath, and the Jomsom route. The boundaries run from the Modi and Marsyangdi valleys up to the Thorong La.

Fee: NPR 3,000 (about USD 22) per person for foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, payable once for the duration of your stay.
Exemptions: children under 10 are free. There is no senior exemption.
Checkpoints: manned gates at Besisahar, Bhulbhule, Nayapul/Ghandruk side, Chame and several ACAP offices along the trail. Officers record your permit number against your passport at each gate.
Buying ahead vs on trail: both are possible. The NTB offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara issue ACAP on the spot, and there are ACAP checkpoints that can issue the permit at Besisahar and Nayapul. Buying ahead saves queue time at the trailhead and removes the risk of a checkpoint being unattended in the evening. If you buy on the trail, keep the receipt; the checkpoint ticket is checked again at higher gates.

What the fee funds: ACAP is managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation, and permit revenue pays for lodge-waste management, reforestation, trail repair and community projects in the region. That is also why the permit is checked so diligently: the checkpoints are the revenue collection mechanism.

MCAP (Manaslu Conservation Area Permit)

Who needs it: trekkers on the Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley routes entering the Manaslu Conservation Area, declared in 1998 and covering 1,663 square kilometres from Machhakhola to the Tibetan border.

Fee: NPR 2,000 (about USD 15) per person for foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals.
The catch: Manaslu is also a restricted area, so the MCAP alone is never enough. You additionally need a Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (see below), a licensed guide, and a minimum group of two trekkers. Independent trekking in Manaslu is not permitted.
Where to buy: MCAP is issued at the NTB counters in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or at the conservation area project office in Gorkha. In practice, most trekkers have their agency bundle MCAP, TIMS and the restricted-area permit into one package.

Other regions have their own permits (Gaurishankar, Langtang/LMMA, Khumbu/Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee for the Everest side). The structure is always the same: one local conservation or municipal fee per person, bought once, checked at entry gates.

Restricted-area permits: current fees

Nepal keeps a belt of areas along the Tibetan border under restricted status. These permits are the most expensive documents a trekker buys in Nepal, they must be arranged through a licensed agency, and they require a minimum group of two foreign trekkers with a guide. The fees below are the current published rates per person, typically USD unless noted, payable in cash to the Department of Immigration through your agency:

Manaslu (Sept to Nov): USD 100 per person per week, USD 15 per extra day. Dec to Aug: USD 75 per week. Plus MCAP.
Nar Phu Valley: USD 100 per person per week (Sept to Nov), USD 75 (Dec to Aug). Plus ACAP.
Tsum Valley: USD 40 per person per week (Sept to Nov), USD 30 (Dec to Aug). Plus MCAP.
Upper Mustang: USD 500 per person for the first 10 days, USD 50 per extra day. The single most expensive trekking permit in Nepal.
Dolpo (Upper Dolpo): USD 500 per person for the first 10 days, USD 50 per extra day. Lower Dolpo: USD 35 per week.
Kanchenjunga: USD 20 per person per week.

Since 2026, several of these areas have been opened to solo travellers under new rules with mandatory guides; our restricted-area solo trekking update covers what changed. In practice, agencies still package these treks as guided groups because the paperwork is identical either way.

Permit checklist by trek

Trek	TIMS	Other permits	Agency and guide needed?
Annapurna Base Camp / Poon Hill / Mardi / Khopra	Yes	ACAP NPR 3,000	No (independent allowed)
Annapurna Circuit	Yes	ACAP NPR 3,000	No
Everest Base Camp	No (replaced)	Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipal fee	No
Manaslu Circuit	Yes	MCAP NPR 2,000 + restricted USD 75-100/wk	Yes, group of 2 minimum
Upper Mustang	Yes	ACAP + restricted USD 500/10 days	Yes
Langtang Valley	Yes	Langtang NP entrance NPR 3,000	No
Upper Dolpo	Yes	Shey Phoksundo NP + restricted USD 500/10 days	Yes

Where to get them

Kathmandu: Nepal Tourism Board, Pradarshani Marga (near Bhrikuti Mandapa) for TIMS, ACAP, MCAP. Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan for restricted-area permits (via agency).
Pokhara: NTB Pokhara office (Damside) and the ACAP counter at the bagar (BCM) entrance, convenient for all Annapurna departures.
On trail: ACAP can be issued at Besisahar and Nayapul checkpoints; several teahouse towns have ACAP offices where lost or forgotten permits can be re-issued.
Restricted-area permits (Manaslu, Upper Mustang, Dolpo) are issued by the Department of Immigration and require a licensed agency.

Enforcement, fines and lost permits

Permit checks on popular routes are routine, not occasional. Checkposts at Besisahar, Jagat, Chame, Manang, Muktinath and Nayapul log trekker numbers daily, and officers do compare names against TIMS and permit registers. The standard penalty for trekking without a valid permit is a fine of double the permit fee, payable on the spot, and in restricted areas the consequences are heavier: officials can remove you from the region and blacklist the responsible agency.

Lost permits: the system is forgiving. If a TIMS card or ACAP is lost or rain-destroyed, report to the nearest ACAP or NTB office on the trail with your passport; a replacement can usually be re-issued the same day from the register, often free or for a small admin charge. Take photos of all your permits and passport photo page on your phone before leaving Kathmandu; that speeds up every replacement conversation.

Practical tips

Carry passport-sized photos (at least two) and your original passport; offices refuse copies.
Fees are commonly paid in cash (NPR); confirm current amounts on the Nepal Tourism Board site before travel.
Some checkposts only accept the physical card, keep it on you, not in luggage.
Treks in restricted areas require a guide and a minimum group size, plan through a licensed operator and start paperwork 3-5 working days ahead.
Buy TIMS and ACAP together at one counter; the offices are adjacent and it takes under an hour if the queue is short.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need TIMS for Everest Base Camp?
The Everest region uses a local rural-municipality fee (Khumbu Pasang Lhamu) rather than TIMS in many cases; confirm the current rule with your operator, as arrangements have changed over time.

Can I get permits on the trail?
Some permits are available at entry checkposts, but it is safer to obtain them in Kathmandu or Pokhara beforehand.

Are permits per person?
Yes, every trekker, including children, needs their own permit. Children under 10 are exempt from ACAP only.

What happens if my trek dates change after I buy TIMS?
Individual TIMS is valid for the season of issue and for one entry; if your dates shift by a few days it is normally fine, but a completely different route requires a new card. Agency-booked trekkers have the agency amend the record.

Key takeaways

TIMS card + regional conservation permit (ACAP NPR 3,000 / MCAP NPR 2,000) are the standard combo for most treks.
Get them at the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or Pokhara before you start; on-trail issue exists but is slower.
Restricted areas (Manaslu, Upper Mustang, Dolpo, Nar Phu, Tsum, Kanchenjunga) need extra permits via a licensed agency, USD 20 to 500 depending on the area.
Trekking without a permit means a fine of double the fee; lost permits can be re-issued on the trail with your passport.
Confirm current fees and rules on the official NTB and Immigration sites before travel, they change by government notice.

Published by the TravellingNepal Editorial Desk. Permit names and issuing offices summarized from the Nepal Tourism Board and Department of Immigration; verify current fees and procedures on the official sites before travel.

FAQ

Do I need a TIMS card for every trek?

Yes, TIMS is required for all treks in Nepal’s national parks and conservation areas except the Everest region, which uses its own municipal fee. Organized groups use the blue card; independent trekkers use the green card.

How long does permit approval take?

ACAP, MCAP and TIMS are issued same-day at the relevant office or Kathmandu. Restricted-area permits need 2-3 working days via a registered agency.

Can I buy permits on the trail?

Checkposts exist, but buying in advance avoids fines. Carry your permit at all times.

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Trekking Permits in Nepal 2026: TIMS Card, ACAP, MCAP and Other Fees Explained