Nepal to restrict Everest permits to experienced climbers

Nepal is preparing to introduce a new law that would block climbers from attempting Mount Everest unless they have previously summited at least one 7,000-metre peak within the country, in an effort to improve safety and reduce overcrowding on the world’s highest mountain

The change is part of the Integrated Tourism Bill, proposed in Nepal’s upper house of Parliament on 18 April. 

If passed, the law would represent one of the most significant shifts in Himalayan mountaineering policy in years. 

Under the new rules, climbers would reportedly be required to show a certificate proving they have climbed a 7,000m peak in Nepal before being granted an Everest permit.

Mount Everest, which stands at 8,848.86 metres (29,031.7 feet), has faced growing criticism over safety risks, especially in the so-called “death zone” near the summit, where oxygen levels are too low to sustain life for long and queues of climbers frequently form.

Nepal has long been accused of issuing too many climbing permits, including to inexperienced climbers, creating bottlenecks, increasing the danger of fatal accidents, and contributing to the mountain’s worsening pollution problem. 

More tourists on Everest’s upper slopes have reportedly led to growing levels of garbage, human waste, and environmental degradation.

According to The Independent, the new rules would also make medical certification mandatory, with climbers required to submit a recent fitness assessment from a government-approved institution. 

Climbers attempting a record would reportedly be required to declare this in advance.

Guiding teams would also be affected, with both the sardar (lead local support) and mountain guide reportedly required to be Nepali citizens under the new framework. 

International expedition operators have expressed concern over the restrictions, arguing that experience on similar peaks elsewhere should also be recognised.

Nepal’s government, however, is pushing ahead with reforms in response to mounting pressure over Everest’s growing commercialisation. 

The country, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, relies heavily on tourism revenue from climbing and trekking. 

Permits to summit Everest — currently priced at £8,249 — are set to increase to £11,248 in September, the first fee hike in nearly a decade.

The 2025 Everest climbing season began in April. Nepal has already issued more than 400 permits, with that number expected to pass 500 by the time the main summit window opens in May.

The bill is expected to pass in the National Assembly, where the ruling coalition holds a majority.

Photo, Grisha Grishkoff/Pexels