Nepal's permit system layers national park entry, trekking registration, and restricted area access into separate documents that must align precisely or you will be stopped at checkpoints. The Trekkers' Information Management System card registers individual trekkers with the Nepal Tourism Board and tracks movement through controlled regions. TIMS cards exist in two categories: independent trekkers pay one rate, organized group trekkers through registered agencies pay another. You obtain them either at the Nepal Tourism Board counter in Kathmandu or through a licensed trekking agency. The board's website at ntb.gov.np posts current procedures, though the counter itself often provides clearer instruction than the site.
National park and conservation area permits operate separately. Sagarmatha National Park requires one permit, Annapurna Conservation Area another, Langtang National Park a third. You purchase these at Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation counters in Kathmandu or at entry checkpoints near trailheads. Pokhara maintains a counter for Annapurna permits. The department updates requirements and rates without predictable schedule — dnpwc.gov.np lists current regulations but verify at the physical counter before departure. Some checkpoints accept only Nepali rupees. Some accept card payment. Many accept neither after hours.
Restricted areas including Upper Mustang, Upper Dolpo, Kanchenjunga, Makalu Base Camp, and Humla require permits available only through licensed agencies with a mandatory guide arrangement. These permits cannot be purchased at park gates or tourism board counters. The agency submits passport copies, itinerary, and proof of guide assignment to the Department of Immigration, which issues the permit after review. Processing takes three to five business days in Kathmandu under normal conditions. Restricted area fees reach several hundred dollars for regions like Upper Mustang where the government deliberately limits access. The guide requirement is legal, not advisory — trekking these routes without the registered guide named on your permit violates the permit conditions.
Passport photos appear at every permit stage. Six photos cover most single-trek scenarios. Ten photos cover complex routes touching multiple zones. Specifications vary by issuing office but 35mm by 45mm works universally. Kathmandu photo shops near Thamel produce acceptable copies in minutes.
The system changes. TIMS card requirements shifted in 2023. Conservation area fee structures adjusted in 2022. Restricted area regulations tightened after COVID closures. The Nepal Tourism Board and Department of National Parks issue updates that registered agencies learn before the websites reflect them. If your trek touches restricted areas, work through an agency regardless of your preference for independent travel — the permit structure requires it.