The documents for a trip to Nepal need checking before you buy non-refundable tickets, and again before you fly. A single trip can combine an international flight, a domestic flight, a tourist visa, national park papers, TIMS, a restricted-area permit and a climbing permit.<\/p>\n
Which documents you need depends on your citizenship, the countries you transit and the particular route. Mountain Guide does not sell air tickets and does not obtain visas, but it does provide confirmation of the programme and arranges the route permits that are expressly included in the price.<\/p>\n
The overall choice of districts and formats is gathered on the page of tours in Nepal<\/a>; this page covers only the paperwork side of the trip.<\/p>\n The passport has to meet the current requirements of Nepal, of the airline and of the countries you transit. Check the validity period against the official rules for your own citizenship, not against an old briefing note or a previous trip.<\/p>\n The official information is published by the Department of Immigration Nepal<\/a>. Many foreign nationals can obtain a tourist visa on arrival, but for some citizenships it has to be arranged in advance through a diplomatic mission. Check which category applies to you before you fly.<\/p>\n An application for a visa on arrival can be prepared through the official Nepal Immigration portal<\/a>. The online form does not remove the passport check, the fee or the border service’s decision. On the date this page was checked, 29 July 2026, the official department listed tourist visas of 15, 30 and 90 days; the current fees and payment methods need checking again before departure.<\/p>\n A tourist visa lets you enter the country, but it does not replace TIMS, a national park permit, a restricted-area permit or a climbing permit.<\/p>\n The flight routing has to be agreed before you pay. Programmes in the Everest, Makalu and Kangchenjunga districts can depend on domestic flights, overland transfers and weather windows. Changing one segment can throw out everything that follows.<\/p>\n How much time to leave between flights depends on the programme and should not be invented from a general rule of thumb. The recommended flights and overnight stops are confirmed by the manager for your particular dates.<\/p>\n According to the current guidance from the Nepal Tourism Board on TIMS<\/a>, many popular Himalayan routes require a licensed trekking guide and a TIMS card issued by a registered agency. The published list names the Everest, Gokyo, Makalu, Kangchenjunga, Langtang, Manaslu and Annapurna routes.<\/p>\n A national park or conservation area entry permit may be needed as well. Because the lists and the procedures change, Mountain Guide checks the requirements for the exact line of the route and the exact dates.<\/p>\n Districts under the restricted area regime need their own trekking permit<\/a>. The official page lists the Manaslu zones, parts of Kangchenjunga, Makalu, Solukhumbu and Rasuwa, and other territories.<\/p>\n A permit of that kind can impose conditions on the route, on the minimum group size, on the registered agency and on the accompanying guide. You cannot change the line you walk or leave the declared district on your own initiative.<\/p>\n Mera Peak, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Himlung, Manaslu and Everest all require a climbing permit of the appropriate category. Passport details, a photograph and other information go to the organisers by the deadlines set for the specific expedition.<\/p>\n Whether the peak fee, the compulsory deposit, the liaison officer and other charges are included differs from programme to programme. These services cannot be carried across automatically from one product page to another.<\/p>\n Choose the policy using the guidance on insurance for mountaineers<\/a>. The document has to state clearly the country, the period of the trip, the type of activity, the maximum altitude and the emergency cover.<\/p>\n The guide calling a helicopter does not mean that the operator or Mountain Guide pays for the flight. The actual costs are met by the participant or by the insurer, according to the policy. The flight itself depends on the weather, the visibility and whether an aircraft is available.<\/p>\n For a child, the checks cover their own passport, the visa, the insurance, the birth certificate and any travel consents required by their citizenship, by who is accompanying them or by a transit country. Whether the child can take part is assessed separately from whether the papers are in order.<\/p>\n Sending a name in a messenger app is not enough for route permits. The organiser normally needs a good scan or photograph of the main passport spread, a portrait photograph in the required format and the exact details of the international flights. For a climb, further forms and evidence of experience may be requested.<\/p>\n Send documents only through the agreed channel, and make sure every character is legible. A cropped passport number, glare, an out-of-date scan or a mismatched transliteration can all hold the paperwork up. If the passport changes after booking, say so at once: the ticket, the visa, the permit and the insurance are not updated automatically.<\/p>\n The deadline depends on the route. It is different for an ordinary trek and for a large expedition, so work to the date your manager gives you rather than to advice from a forum.<\/p>\n If you are eligible for a visa on arrival, the sequence is filling in the form, paying for the period you want and going through immigration. Keep the confirmation of the form and have the address of your first hotel to hand. Queues, the state of the terminals and the payment methods can all change, so it is sensible to have time in reserve and a means of payment the official desk will accept.<\/p>\n After immigration, check your baggage before you leave the airport. If a bag is missing or damaged, go to the airline’s representative and have a tracing or damage report made out on the spot. A verbal promise to deliver the bag is not enough to support an insurance claim.<\/p>\n Mountaineering boots, essential medication, documents and anything that cannot quickly be replaced should be distributed with the hand-luggage rules in mind wherever possible. Gas cartridges, fuel, certain batteries and sharp items are subject to aviation restrictions; do not pack them out of habit without checking each carrier’s rules.<\/p>\n A Nepali visa settles nothing about your connections. Check whether your citizenship needs a transit visa, whether you will have to reclaim and re-check your baggage, and whether changing airports counts as entering the country. Look separately at the rules for a self-connection, where the tickets are issued by different carriers.<\/p>\n If the first flight is delayed, a single ticket and two independent tickets give you different rights. Mountain Guide agrees your arrival time in relation to the ground programme, but the airline’s liability is set by the fare and the contract of carriage.<\/p>\n Do not settle for the marketing line \u201csports included\u201d. Write to the insurer with the exact name of the activity, the country, the maximum planned altitude, the use of crampons and ropes, whether there is a climb, and the possibility of a helicopter evacuation. Ask for written confirmation and keep it with the policy wording.<\/p>\n Save the policy number, the assistance telephone number and the instructions offline. Give one copy of the details to someone close to you, and the key information - to your guide. In an emergency the medical decision is based on the person’s condition; who pays and who reimburses is settled by the policy.<\/p>\n A domestic flight delay, snow on a pass, a participant’s condition or a decision by the authorities can all change the actual plan. That does not mean the old permit covers any new line. The local team checks whether the change is allowed within the documents issued and whether new approval is needed.<\/p>\n If you extend your stay, keep separate track of the visa, the insurance and the return ticket. Extending one document does not extend the others. An expedition’s reserve time has to be reflected in the insurance period in advance.<\/p>\n Problems arise not because there are too many documents but because things are done in the wrong order. The visa, the insurance, the route permit and the ticket belong to different systems. Confirming one of them guarantees nothing about the rest.<\/p>\n Copy the details straight from the machine-readable zone and the main page of the passport. Do not translate your name yourself or swap letters for a spelling you find more familiar. If the ticket, the form and the passport carry different spellings, sort it out before you fly.<\/p>\n The address in Nepal and the contact for the receiving party come from the organiser’s confirmed briefing note. Do not enter a random hotel from a search. If the route involves several places to stay, use the format for the form that the current requirements and the receiving party confirm.<\/p>\n Keep the confirmation of the form on your phone offline and on paper, if the official process produces such a document. Filling the form in online does not mean the visa is automatically granted: the final procedure is the immigration service’s.<\/p>\n Open more than the main page. Make sure the document is undamaged, that the photograph and the details are legible, and that the validity meets the current requirements of Nepal, of the transit countries and of the airlines. It would be dangerous to state a universal number of months here without checking: the rules can depend on the route and can change.<\/p>\n If the passport has been replaced since booking, the old details may still sit in the tickets, the permit application, the group list and the insurance policy. Tell Mountain Guide at once. One letter to the airline is not enough: every connected system is checked separately.<\/p>\n If you hold two citizenships, decide in advance which passport is used on each leg of the journey. You cannot mix the documents at will across the ticket, the visa and the route permit. An unusual arrangement is confirmed with the competent authorities and with the organiser.<\/p>\n This is the entry permit or fee for a particular national park or conservation area. It does not replace the visa, and it does not always replace the other route permits. Which areas the group crosses is determined by the exact line of the route.<\/p>\n TIMS belongs to the trekker registration system. Whether it is needed, and how it is issued, is checked against the current official rules for the district and the format of the trek. The requirement cannot be carried across automatically from a popular trek to a restricted area or an expedition.<\/p>\n Restricted districts have their own rules: the licensed agency, the make-up of the group, the approved route and the accompanying guide can all matter. A permit of this kind cannot be replaced by an ordinary trekker’s card. A late change of participant or of passport may mean the paperwork has to be redone.<\/p>\n If the objective of the programme - an official summit, the permit regime for that summit has to be checked in its own right. A trek to base camp and a climb above it are different activities. The offer should state explicitly which permits are in the price and what information the participant has to supply.<\/p>\n The current general guidance is published by the Nepal Tourism Board in its trekking permits section<\/a>. But the final package is put together for the specific programme, not from a general article.<\/p>\n A marketing label saying \u201csport\u201d or \u201cactive holiday\u201d guarantees nothing. Open the policy wording and find the definitions, the exclusions, the territory, the altitude limit, the activities, search and rescue, medical transport and helicopter evacuation. If a condition is worded ambiguously, put the question to the insurer in writing, naming the route and the maximum altitude.<\/p>\n Do not check only the medical expenses limit. In a remote district what is critical is how help is organised, how you reach the assistance service, whether prior authorisation is required and how payment works. Some companies arrange the service directly, some consider reimbursement after the participant has paid, and some exclude the activity you need. The answer has to relate to your policy, not to a general promise from the seller.<\/p>\n For a technical climb, list for the insurer what you will actually do: using crampons, an ice axe and ropes, moving on a glacier, and climbing the declared summit if the programme includes one. Do not call it all \u201ctrekking\u201d to get a cheaper rate: if something happens, the mismatch can be grounds for refusing the claim.<\/p>\n Tell your guide about your condition first. In the mountains the tactical decision is based on real safety, not for the sake of a perfect claim file. As soon as the situation allows, the participant or a representative of the group contacts the assistance service on the numbers in the policy and follows its instructions.<\/p>\n Keep the case number, the times of calls, the names of the operators, the written correspondence, the medical records, the invoices and the payment confirmations. If there is no signal, record the circumstances and what was done in as much detail as you can. After an evacuation, do not throw any documents away until the claim is settled.<\/p>\n The guide and Mountain Guide will help pass on information and organise what the situation allows, but they do not decide whether the insurer pays. The insurer assesses the event against the contract. That is why the critical conditions are checked before the trip, not after the helicopter has been called.<\/p>\n Check whether the journey is on a single ticket or on separate bookings. With separate tickets, your protection if you miss the next flight can be quite different. Allow not only for the connection time but for reclaiming baggage, changing terminal, going through security again and any transit visa requirements.<\/p>\n Every airline has its own limits on checked baggage and hand luggage, and they can differ between the international and the domestic segment. Do not rely on the allowance in an old briefing note: check the ticket and the rules of the operating carrier.<\/p>\n Distribute the items that are critical for the first days sensibly. Documents, prescribed medication, money and valuable devices do not go in the hold. Particular items of climbing equipment travel under the airline and aviation security rules; anything doubtful is checked before you get to the airport.<\/p>\n A delay to mountaineering boots or to individually fitted equipment can be far more serious than a delay to ordinary clothing. That is exactly why the baggage list and any fallback are discussed in advance.<\/p>\n Tickets and permits may call for passport details, a photograph, a contact, insurance information and other documents. Send them only through the agreed channel and only to the organisation that is actually arranging the programme. Do not post passport scans in an open group or in comments.<\/p>\n On a copy, where the process allows it, you can mark what the copy is being sent for. Keep your own files somewhere secure, not only in a message thread. After a passport is replaced, make sure the organiser is using the new version and has not confused it with the old one.<\/p>\n Beyond a passport and a visa, documents may be required showing the consent of legal guardians, the family relationship and the rules on crossing a border unaccompanied. The requirements depend on citizenship, on the country of departure, on who is travelling with the child and on the transit. Check them in the official sources of every country involved.<\/p>\n Even if an airline will carry a child on a flight, that does not confirm they are cleared for the route. Mountain Guide assesses whether a minor can take part separately, on the altitude, the length, the difficulty and the format of the specific programme.<\/p>\n A phone can run out of charge, break, or be left without a signal. Keep a compact paper folder, offline copies on the phone and a secure backup that someone you trust can reach.<\/p>\n No. The participant is responsible for the right of entry and for the visa. We provide the programme and hotel details, and we arrange the route permits named in the price of the chosen package.<\/p>\n No. Depending on the route, TIMS, a park or conservation area entry permit and a special permit may all be required as well.<\/p>\n Do not build a plan on that. The policy is checked and arranged before the trip starts, so that it covers the whole period needed and the specific activity.<\/p>\n Yes. A phone can run out of charge or be left without a signal. Keep the main documents and contacts on paper, and the digital copies - offline and in secure cloud storage.<\/p>\n That depends on the policy and on the insurer’s decision. The mere fact that the guide called it does not mean the organiser or the insurer pays automatically.<\/p>\n As soon as the manager asks for them, and before the stated deadline. For restricted areas and for climbs, sending them late can wreck the paperwork for the whole group.<\/p>\n Yes. Visa, transit and permit requirements can change between payment and departure. Do a final check against the official sources, tell the organiser about a new passport or a change of flights, and save the confirmations offline. An old briefing note helps you draw up the questions, but it does not replace the current rule.<\/p>\n Check immigration rules and the visa on the Department of Immigration Nepal website and with the diplomatic mission that serves your citizenship. Check the TIMS, national park and restricted area requirements with the Nepal Tourism Board and with the body that issues the particular permit. Transit conditions - with the authorities of the transit country and with the airline; insurance cover - in the full policy wording and in the insurer’s written answer.<\/p>\n A blog, a forum, a travellers’ chat and even an old Mountain Guide briefing note can help you frame the question, but none of them replaces a current official source. Take a screenshot or save the page with the date you checked it, if the rule affects a ticket, a visa or your eligibility.<\/p>\n If two official pages disagree, do not pick the convenient version yourself. Tell the manager and ask for confirmation from the competent authority. That matters especially with a change of passport, dual citizenship, an unusual transit arrangement or a minor taking part.<\/p>\n The principle of checking altitude, activity, evacuation and authorisation is set out well in Mountain Guide’s articles on insurance and evacuation on Aconcagua<\/a> and on checking a policy for Elbrus<\/a>. Specific figures from another mountain cannot be carried over to Nepal, but the structure of the questions for the insurer stays useful. Read separately the article on a personal first-aid kit in the mountains<\/a>; the contents and the medication are agreed with a doctor.<\/p>\nYour passport, and matching your details<\/h2>\n
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The Nepali tourist visa<\/h2>\n
International and domestic air tickets<\/h2>\n
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TIMS, national parks and a licensed guide<\/h2>\n
Restricted-area permits<\/h2>\n
The climbing permit<\/h2>\n
Medical insurance<\/h2>\n
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Documents for minors<\/h2>\n
The pre-flight checklist<\/h2>\n
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How to prepare your data for the organiser<\/h2>\n
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What happens when you land in Kathmandu<\/h2>\n
Transit countries<\/h2>\n
How to check an insurance policy before you pay<\/h2>\n
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If the route changes<\/h2>\n
The paperwork plan, stage by stage<\/h2>\n
Before you pay<\/h3>\n
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Once the programme is confirmed<\/h3>\n
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Before you fly<\/h3>\n
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How to fill in a visa form without discrepancies<\/h2>\n
What to check in the passport<\/h2>\n
Permits: four different questions<\/h2>\n
Access to a protected area<\/h3>\n
TIMS<\/h3>\n
Restricted Area Permit<\/h3>\n
The climbing permit<\/h3>\n
The insurance policy: checking the full wording<\/h2>\n
Questions for the insurer before you buy<\/h2>\n
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What to do if you have to claim<\/h2>\n
Tickets and baggage<\/h2>\n
If your baggage does not arrive<\/h2>\n
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Participants’ data and confidentiality<\/h2>\n
Minors and family groups<\/h2>\n
The paper set and the digital set<\/h2>\n
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Common mistakes<\/h2>\n
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Common questions<\/h2>\n
Does Mountain Guide arrange the Nepali visa?<\/h3>\n
Is a tourist visa enough for trekking?<\/h3>\n
Can I buy the insurance once I am in Kathmandu?<\/h3>\n
Do I need a paper set?<\/h3>\n
Who pays for the helicopter?<\/h3>\n
When should I send my passport details?<\/h3>\n
Do the rules need re-checking after booking?<\/h3>\n
Which sources to treat as the primary ones<\/h2>\n
Useful reading on insurance and health<\/h2>\n
Programmes with different permit arrangements<\/h2>\n