How climbing permits work

This is not a substitute for training, a qualified guide or medical advice. Climbing at altitude can kill. Learn from qualified instructors and climb with licensed Nepali guides.

The Department of Tourism

Expedition permits for the big peaks come from the Department of Tourism, which sits under Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Its official site lists an online Himal Climbing Permit System and a Mountaineering and Adventure Tourism Branch.¹³

The Department also publishes expedition reports and a yearly 'Mountaineering in Nepal Facts and Figures'. Always check its website for current rules and fees, because they change.¹

Agencies, guides and paperwork

Expeditions are run through trekking agencies. A 2026 Department circular, reported by The Himalayan Times, says applications must name a sardar (head guide) and list the support staff, with insurance documents and passport copies included.⁴

The Department's site also links a mountain guide registration and licence printing system.²

Liaison officers

Each expedition is accompanied by a government liaison officer who monitors the team. Under the Tourism Act, as reported in 2016, the officer is meant to go with the team, and the mountaineering regulations require them to stay at base camp.⁵

Compliance has been a problem. That 2016 report said about 90 percent of officers for one autumn season never reached base camp, and the Department later issued a code of conduct requiring officers to show photos or video from camp.⁵⁶

Parks and conservation areas

Most Nepal climbing routes run through protected land. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation manages national parks such as Sagarmatha and Langtang and conservation areas such as Annapurna and Manaslu, and links an online ticketing service for visitors.⁷

Trekking peaks were once permitted by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. In 2015 that authority moved to the tourism ministry.⁸

Sources

1. Department of Tourism, Government of Nepal, Department of Tourism, Nepal. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
2. Department of Tourism: Mountaineers page, Department of Tourism, Nepal. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
3. Seventy-one mountaineering teams get expedition permit for spring climbing, Nepal Traveller. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
4. Tourism dept tightens rules for spring 2026 mountaineering season, The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
5. Mess on mountains: 90 pc liaison officers don't go to camps, The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
6. Nepal mountaineering liaison officers, Online Khabar. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
7. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Government of Nepal. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
8. Nepal Mountaineering Association, Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

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