The Kanchenjunga Circuit needs two permits. Neither is expensive, and together they cost less than almost any other restricted-area trek in Nepal. What trips people up is not the price but the rules around them, and one of those rules changed this year.
Until March 2026, you could not get a Kanchenjunga permit as a single trekker. The Department of Immigration required a minimum of two people on a restricted-area application. On 22 March 2026 that minimum was removed. A solo trekker can now be issued the permit.
Required permits for Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek: Photo by Harsh Suthar
Most guides to this trek have not been updated. If a page tells you that you need a partner to trek Kanchenjunga, it was written before that change.
The two permits you need
1. Kanchenjunga Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
Kanchenjunga sits against the Sikkim and Tibet borders, which is why the area is restricted. The RAP is the permit that lets you enter the controlled zone covering Tapethok and Yamphuding.
- Cost: US$20 per person per week for the first four weeks. Beyond four weeks, the rate rises.
- Issued by: the Department of Immigration, Kathmandu
- Applied for by: a government-registered Nepali trekking agency, not you
- Processing: typically one to two working days
2. Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Permit (KCAP)
The conservation area covers more than 2,000 square kilometres of snow leopard and red panda habitat, and the fee funds conservation and local infrastructure.
- Cost: a flat fee per person, with no time limit see the table below
- Validity: one-time entry, valid for your whole trek
- Where: arranged in Kathmandu, or collectable at the checkpost on arrival
Permit costs at a glance
| Permit | Foreign nationals | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Area Permit (RAP) | US$20 per person per week, first 4 weeks | Higher rate beyond 4 weeks |
| Conservation Area Permit (KCAP) | Flat fee per person — verify, see note | No time limit; reduced rates for SAARC nationals and Nepali citizens |
| TIMS card | Not required | The RAP replaces it |
For a standard 22 to 26 day circuit, most trekkers spend three to four weeks inside the restricted zone, which puts the RAP at roughly US$60 to $80.
Fees last verified: [DATE]. Permit fees change — confirm with your agency before you travel.
What changed in March 2026
Three things are worth being precise about, because the change is often reported loosely.
What changed: the two-person minimum for restricted-area permits was removed. One trekker can now hold a Kanchenjunga RAP. The same easing applies to other restricted areas, including Upper Mustang and the Manaslu Circuit.
What did not change: you still cannot apply yourself. A registered Nepali trekking agency must submit the application, and a licensed guide must accompany you for the whole trek.
What was added: a ratio cap of one guide to a maximum of seven trekkers in restricted areas.
So “solo” here means solo without a trekking partner. It does not mean unguided. Anyone offering you a Kanchenjunga permit without a guide is offering you something that does not exist.
What you need to apply
Your agency handles the submission, but they need these from you:
- Original passport with a valid Nepal visa, or your online visa application number
- Passport-sized photographs some agencies no longer require these, so ask
- Your exact trek dates and route
- Details of your licensed guide
The RAP is issued for specific dates and a specific route. Extensions are difficult once you are on the trail, so build the dates with some slack rather than planning to change them later.
Required permits for Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek
Both permits are non-refundable once issued. If your trip falls through after processing, that money is gone, which is worth knowing before you pay a deposit.
On the trail
Your guide carries the original RAP. Permits are checked at multiple checkpoints along the circuit, and the checks are real — arriving at one without the paperwork ends the trek there.
Process both permits in Kathmandu before travelling east. The KCAP can technically be collected at the checkpost on arrival, but doing everything in Kathmandu removes a point of failure at a trailhead a long way from any office.
Permits people wrongly think they need
TIMS card. Not required. When a trek falls inside a restricted area, the TIMS requirement is waived automatically. Your RAP and KCAP are the only two permits for this route.
A separate Makalu Barun permit. Only if your itinerary crosses into that conservation area, which the standard circuit does not.
A note on spelling
You will see this trek written as Kanchenjunga, Kangchenjunga, Kanchanjunga and Kanchanjangha. They all refer to the same mountain and the same permits. Agencies and government offices use the spellings interchangeably, so a permit issued under one spelling is not a problem.
Getting the permits
Both must go through a government-registered trekking agency. When choosing one, ask two questions: are they registered with the Department of Tourism, and have their guides worked the Kanchenjunga circuit specifically? It is a long, lightly travelled trail with limited rescue infrastructure, and the permit rules exist largely because of that.
(Planning the wider trip? See our Kanchenjunga Circuit trek guide for itinerary and costs, and our Nepal trekking permits overview for how this compares to other restricted areas.)