Mount Everest Permit: Required Travel Permits for Everest Base Camp Tours

Situated on the border between China and Nepal, the towering Mount Everest is a dream destination for tourists from all around the world. But one cannot simply go to visit this holy site without preparing any Mount Everest Permits.

For a number of tourists who would like to travel to Everest Base Camp in Tibetan side, to get a stunning view of the majestic Everest Peak, you need to prepare at least three permits.

Except for the Tibet Travel Permit, which is known to many to be required to enter Tibet, there are two more permits to visit the Everest Base Camp. The first one is the Aliens’ Travel Permit, and the second is the Frontier Pass.

The Tibet Travel Permit should be applied through a local travel agency in advance before your Everest Base Camp tour, with your passport and Chinese Visa. It is recommended to apply for the permit at least 20 days before you leave for Tibet.

While for Alien’s Travel Permit and Frontier Pass, both should be applied after you enter Tibet, since your original Tibet Travel Permit will be needed, together with other documents.

For other tourists taking the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal side, related trekking permits are also required to obtain, including the TIMS Card and Sagarmatha National Park Permit etc.

In addition, for a minority of tourists who intend to climb the Mount Everest, to ascend to Advanced Base Camp or go closer to the Everest Summit, the Mountaineering License should be obtained.

Sounds complicated and frustrated to get permitted to visit Mount Everest?

Well, the fact is that you don’t need to bother too much, as all the applications of Tibet travel documents are required to be applied through a trustworthy travel agency like us. With our professional help, you can get smoothly to enjoy your long-anticipated journey to Mount Everest.

For more information about Mount Everest Permits to enjoy your long-anticipated Everest Base Camp tours, read more details in this passage below.

Why I Need a Mount Everest Permit?

For Its Special Location, For Your Safety and More

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, of which the peak is around 8848 meters above sea level, standing on the border line between China and Nepal. Shaped like a giant pyramid, Mount Everest is provided with a dangerous terrain and complicated environment.

For ordinary tourists who yearn for a witness of the world’s highest peak, the base camp on opposite sides of Mount Everest is the last stop one can reach, considering the high altitude and strict physical fitness demand. While the Everest Base Camp in Tibetan side (5200 meters) is the perfect viewing spot which offers an amazing sight of the glorious Mount Everest summit.

On the other hand, Climbing to Mount Everest is also possible. Usually, ascending Mt. Everest via Tibet is more popular since the north route in Tibet is far more challenging than the south one in Nepal. From Everest Base Camp, adventurous mountaineers can start their tough journey to Mount Everest.

Mount Everest Permit Required for both Tibet and Nepal Sides

Owing to its special location and the safety issue, a visit to Mount Everest requires corresponding permits for every tourist, as is regulated by both Tibetan side and Nepalese side. Therefore, before you start your trip to Everest Base Camp or the summit, you need to prepare to obtain the required permits and documents.

Mount Everest Permit for Visiting Everest Base Camp in Tibet

The Everest Base Camp in the north slope is always sought-after by swarms of tourists. Different from the south base camp in Nepal side, which can only be reached by trekking, it is much easier to get to Everest Base Camp in Tibetan side. One can travel overland to the camp from Lhasa, or enjoy a classic trekking from Old Tingri.

No matter you plan to do an Everest Base Camp trekking or enjoy a scenery sightseeing trip to this holy place, you need to first acquire at least three Tibet travel permits, including Tibet Travel Permit, Aliens’ Travel Permit and Frontier Pass.

Tibet Travel Permit

Needed by	Foreigners; Overseas Chinese with no Chinese passport; Taiwan residents
When to Apply	At Least 20 days in advance before entering in Tibet
What to Prepare	Passport & Chinese Visa
Cost of the Permit	Free by booking your Tibet tour with us

The first one is Tibet Travel Permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau. Also known as Tibet Visa, it is the most important document for every foreigner to enter Tibet and the prerequisite to apply for other required documents for Tibet tours, including your trip to Mount Everest.

Tibet Travel Permit has to be applied through an authorized Tibet travel agency and the application documents vary according to different types of Chinese Visa you have. Basically, foreigners need to prepare the passport and Chinese Visa for the permit application.

This procedure normally takes 7 days or so. Because this permit needs to be delivered to travelers from Tibet, you’d better provide necessary documents 10 or 15 days before your tour. You will be asked to show the valid permit before boarding the Tibet train or plane to Lhasa.

As the leading Tibet Tourism operator with years of experience, we can help you to handle the case of the permit. Without complicated procedures, we offer a quick online application of Tibet Travel Permit for our clients. Please feel free to contact us for more details.

Aliens’ Travel Permit

Needed by	Foreigners; Overseas Chinese with no Chinese passport; Taiwan residents
When to Apply	After entering in Tibet
What to Prepare	Original Passport and Tibet Travel Permit
Cost of the Permit	50 RMB per person

The second is Aliens’ Travel Permit issued by the Public Security Bureau. Also known as the PSB Permit, the Alien’s Travel Permit is not a must for entering Tibet, but without which foreign travelers won’t be able to reach the Everest Base Camp.

Compared to the Tibet Travel Permit, it is much easier to obtain the Aliens’ Travel Permit. The application can only be done at the Foreign Affairs Office either in Lhasa or in Shigatse. Generally speaking, we would recommend the office in Shigatse because that’s where Mt. Everest is located.

Like all the other permits for Tibet travel, the Aliens’ Travel Permit should be also applied by your tour guide on your behalf, with your original passport and Tibet Travel Permit. This procedure takes about 1-2 hours and the cost is 50 RMB per person. The documents needed include:

1. Original copy of Tibet Travel Permit
2. Original copy of passport
3. Original copy of your tour guide’s certificate
4. Frontier pass
5. Tour itinerary

Frontier Pass

Needed by	All tourists including Chinese citizens
When to Apply	After entering in Tibet
What to Prepare	Original Passport; Tibet Travel Permit; Chinese Visa
Cost of the Permit	50 – 100 RMB per person

Apart from the Tibet Travel Permit and Aliens’ Travel Permit, tourists also need to obtain the Frontier Pass (or Border Pass) to enjoy a Mount Everest tour in Tibet. Without it, foreign travelers won’t be allowed to go to Mt. Everest or Nepal via Gyirong Border. Even if you fly to Kathmandu from Lhasa, you will be asked to show the pass at the airport.

The Frontier Pass is required for all tourists that travel within the border area of China. It can be applied through Armed Police Tibet Frontier Corps in Lhasa, with the help of your tour guide. The application usually takes 1-1.5 hours. The documents needed to apply for the Frontier Pass include:

1. Original copy of Tibet Travel Permit
2. Copy of passport
3. Copy of Chinese visa
4. Tour itinerary
5. Liability statement of travel agency

Besides, Chinese citizens from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau also need to get the Frontier Pass when travelling to Mount Everest area. For mainland Chinese, you can apply for the Frontier Pass in your registered residence city. For Hong Kong/Macau citizens, you will have to apply for the Frontier Pass from Tibet Armed Police Border Corps in Lhasa, with your original copy of H.K./Macao Home-Return Permit.

Everest Base Camp Trek Permit in Nepal

Among all the trekking routes in Nepal, the Everest Base Camp trek is one of the most popular for one to enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. Similar to the Tibetan side, related permits are required to obtain before your Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal.

TIMS Card

A Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) Card is required for all treks in Nepal, including the Everest Base Camp trekking. The TIMS Card can be obtained from Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu, costing an equivalent of $20 for individual trekkers or $10 for trekkers of a group. Two copies of your passport sized photos are required to get the permit.

From September 30th 2017, the TIMS Card is no longer valid for Everest region. Tourists trekking to Everest Base Camp need to get a local permit in Lukla which will cost $20 for both individual trekkers and organized group trekkers. You don’t need a photo for this permit.

TIMS Card is still necessary to enjoy a Nepal trekking tour in other regions of the country. So if you take a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and then start your EBC trek, the TIMS card is not necessary. But if you want to trek to EBC from Jiri, you will still need a TIMS Card.

Sagarmatha National Park Permit

Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for Mount Everest. Tourists trekking into the National Park of Everest Base Camp in Nepal need to obtain the Sagarmatha National Park Permit. The permit can be applied in Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or at the Park HQ in Monjo. The cost is the same in both places, approximately $34. You do not need a photo for this permit.

Additional Permit for Jiri to EBC Trek

For those who are looking to trek to Everest Base Camp from Jiri, a Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project Permit is also required. You are recommended to get the permit in Kathmandu, costing $20 per person. Or if you get the permit in Shivalaya, the town next to Jiri, you will pay a double price of $40. Two passport sized photos are needed for this permit.

Special License and Permit for Climbing Mount Everest

Although Everest Base Camp is generally the final destination for most travelers to get access to Mount Everest, one can also trek higher than the camp, on condition that the required permits are prepared and your physical condition allows.

Climbing Mount Everest via Tibet

If you want to ascend to places higher than the Everest Base Camp in Tibetan side, like hiking to Advanced Base Camp (ABC, at an elevation of 6500 meters), Rongbuk Glacier, etc., you will have to apply for another permit, Mountaineering License (Everest climbing permit) issued by Tibet Mountaineering Association.

The license will be applied with your present in Lhasa or Shigatse. A professional coordinator for climbing is also required for issuance of the license. Without the license and the coordinator, you will not be permitted to pass the checkpoint at EBC.

If your destination is no higher than the ABC, you can find a reliable Tibet travel agency to make arrangements for you; otherwise, all the services must be arranged by the Tibet Mountaineering Association.

The cost of Everest climbing permit in Tibetan side is $9,500 per person for a team permit of 4 or more. While with three or fewer members, the permit will charge $19,500 per person. There is also an additional climber trash fee of $1,500.

Climbing Mount Everest via Nepal

In order to climb the Mount Everest from the south in Nepal, one needs to first get a climbing permit which has fixed cost of $11, 000. But this is just the beginning. A climbing permit simply gives the permission to climb. You are required to prepare a lot more to go smoothly through your mountaineering along this legendary mountain.

Trekkers climbing Mount Everest in Nepal are required to use a local company to organize your permit at a cost of $2,500 for the team. A refundable trash deposit of $4,000/permit and a Liaison Officer costing $3,000 per team are also required.

In addition, you will need to hire a local Sherpa Guide, which costs a minimum of $5,000. You will also need to pay for the evacuation insurance and more insurance, which costs from $70 – $3,000 depending on your own age, trip duration, total expense etc.

The cost to climb Mount Everest is undoubtedly a significant issue to consider. And below are the brief lists of the Mount Everest Climbing fees as reference:

1.Nepal permit: $11,000 / person
2.Nepal Agency fee: $2,500 / team
3.Nepalese Liaison Officer: $3,000/team
4.Nepal garbage and human waste deposit: $4,000/team permit
5.Insurance: $70 - $300
6.Sherpas: $5,000
7.Maintaining campsites: $2,000
8.Bottled oxygen: $3,700 ($550 per bottle, plus oxygen mask and regulator
9.Supplier/Gear: $7,000 (down suits, sleeping bag, boots etc.)

Conclusion

Whether you are going to visit Mount Everest from Tibet or Nepal, you are required to prepare related Mount Everest permits before your journey. In Nepal side, one can do the classic Everest Base Camp trekking with the permits including Sagarmatha National Park Permit etc.

While in Tibet, apart from Tibet Travel Permit, one needs to further obtain the Aliens’ Travel Permit and Frontier Pass to pay a visit to the Everest Base Camp in Tibetan side, which is the perfect destination to enjoy the summit view of Mount Everest.

Unlike Tibet Travel Permit, which should be obtained in advance before you enter Tibet, both Aliens’ Travel Permit and the Frontier Pass are needed to be applied after you arrive in Tibet. And all the Tibet travel documents to Mount Everest are required to be handled through a local travel agency.

Besides, for adventurous mountaineers, special license and permits are demanded for climbing Mount Everest, to ascend higher than the base camp and get closer to the Everest summit.

As a better choice, you can contact us for professional help. As the leading tour operator in Tibet with years of experience, we offer one-package service including the permit application, as long as you book your Everest Base Camp tour with us. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us or leave a message below.