Can You Get Nepal Trekking Permits Online in 2026? What's Actually Digital — and What Still Isn't
ACAP and MCAP now have an online e-permit portal, TIMS went digital, and every checkpoint scans a QR code — but restricted permits and national-park entries still route through an agency. Here's the honest 2026 map.
Key facts (2026)
- ACAP & MCAP (Annapurna & Manaslu conservation areas) can be applied for online via NTNC's e-permit portal, launched October 2024.
- TIMS is now e-TIMS — a QR-coded digital card — but foreign trekkers must still get it through a registered agency, not a self-serve website.
- Restricted-area permits (Upper Mustang, Manaslu RAP, Nar Phu, Dolpo) are agency-only, issued in Kathmandu — never online for individuals.
- A licensed guide is mandatory for foreigners in national parks, conservation areas and restricted areas.
"Can I just do my Nepal permits online before I fly?" is one of the most common questions in our inbox — and the honest answer in 2026 is: partly. Nepal has genuinely gone digital in the last two years, but the system is a patchwork. Some permits you can pay for from your sofa; others still require a Kathmandu office and a registered agency. Getting this wrong costs a day at the start of your trek. Here is exactly where the line falls.
What you CAN do online
The real breakthrough came in October 2024, when the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) opened an online e-permit system for the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP). For the two most-trekked conservation areas in Nepal, you can now apply and pay online in advance through NTNC rather than queueing at a counter. Both permits cost NPR 3,000 (about US$23) for foreign nationals.
The Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) has also gone digital — the old paper booklet is replaced by a QR-coded e-TIMS card that checkpoints scan, with the data linked to a central portal for real-time trekker tracking. The catch: for foreign trekkers, e-TIMS is still issued through a registered trekking agency at NPR 2,000, not through a public self-service website.
What still needs an office or an agency
| Permit | Fee (foreign) | Online? |
|---|---|---|
| ACAP (Annapurna) | NPR 3,000 | ✔ NTNC e-permit portal |
| MCAP (Manaslu conservation) | NPR 3,000 | ✔ NTNC e-permit portal |
| e-TIMS card | NPR 2,000 | Digital card, but via agency |
| Sagarmatha NP (Everest) | NPR 3,000 | In person / agency |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu (Everest) | NPR 2,000 | Paid on the trail (Lukla) |
| Langtang NP | NPR 3,000 | In person / agency |
| Restricted permits (Mustang, Manaslu RAP, Nar Phu, Dolpo) | US$ varies | ✘ Agency-only, Kathmandu |
Restricted-area permits are the hard limit: by law they are issued only through a registered Nepali trekking agency, in Kathmandu, never to individuals and never online. That is unchanged in 2026 — even after the welcome March 2026 rule that lets solo trekkers apply for a restricted permit (still with a guide). National-park entry permits for Everest and Langtang are also counter-issued, though your agency handles them as a matter of course.
Where the counters are
If you are doing it yourself, the Nepal Tourism Board offices issue TIMS, national-park and conservation permits: Kathmandu at Bhrikutimandap (Sun–Thu 10am–4pm, Fri to 3pm) and Pokhara on Lakeside Road (Sun–Fri 10am–5pm, closed Saturdays). ACAP can also be bought at the Besisahar and Pokhara ACAP counters, or online through NTNC.
One more 2026 change worth knowing: TIMS is no longer actively enforced in the Everest and Annapurna regions, where checkpoints now verify the conservation-area permit only. It is still required — and checked — in Langtang, Manaslu, far-western Nepal and Rara. We unpacked that in our TIMS-card reality check.
What this means for trekkers
What this means for you
If you are trekking Annapurna or Manaslu independently, pre-buying ACAP/MCAP online through NTNC saves you a Pokhara or Kathmandu queue. But if your trek needs TIMS, a national-park permit, or any restricted permit, you still need a registered agency — so the simplest path for most foreigners is to let one operator handle every permit at once. That is exactly what we do: on any Travel Himalaya Nepal trek, all permits and your mandatory licensed guide are arranged before you land.
Bring the essentials whichever route you choose: a passport valid 6+ months, 2–4 passport photos, your trek budget in cash for on-trail fees, and — new since 2026 — proof of travel insurance that covers high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation, which is now checked before a TIMS or restricted permit is issued. Compare every fee on our permits hub, or see the full ACAP & TIMS checklist for the Annapurna Base Camp trek.
Sources: National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) e-permit system for ACAP/MCAP (launched Oct 2024); Nepal trekking permit reporting, 2026. Always confirm current portal links and fees with your agency before travel.
Cover photo: NASA via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
Source: National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC)
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