Kailash Mansarovar Permit from Nepal: Visa and Documents

Mount Kailash is in Ngari, in the far west of Tibet, and reaching it takes more paperwork than any trek in Nepal. You need a Chinese visa and three Tibet permits, and on the Nepal routes a Nepal restricted area permit as well. None of them can be filed by a traveller. A registered Tibet agency files the Tibet permits, and a Nepal operator arranges the visa in Kathmandu and the Nepal side of the route.

This page covers the current status of the route, which permits you need for your passport, the documents we need from you, and how to check an operator before you pay.

Kailash Permit Status, 31 October 2026

• Kathmandu overland via Rasuwagadhi and Kerung: closed. On 26 August 2026 an ice and rock collapse on the Lhende Khola sent a flood down the Bhote Koshi corridor into Rasuwa and Gyirong County. Australia's Smartraveller advised on 27 August to postpone overland travel between Nepal and Tibet, including the Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar circuits. No reopening date has been announced.
• Kailash kora permits: reported suspended until spring 2027. Explore Tibet, a Lhasa agency, reported on 21 October 2026 that Tibet Travel Permits for the Mount Kailash kora are suspended from 20 October 2026 and expected to resume on or after 1 April 2027. It also reported entry to Tibet over the Nepal land border suspended, with no confirmed reopening date. We have not seen an official notice of either.
• Weather closure in September. The Purang Cultural and Tourism Bureau closed the kora and the Kailash scenic area on 26 September 2026 after heavy snow.
• Kathmandu to Lhasa by air: open. Permits for Lhasa, Everest Base Camp, Shigatse and Gyantse remain available.

We update this section when the status changes. The wider picture for Nepal is on our post-flood status page.

Which Permits You Need for Mount Kailash

Can You Get a Kailash Permit Yourself?

No. Tibet permits are filed only through registered Tibet travel agencies, and independent travel to Mount Kailash is not permitted. You travel on an organised tour with a guide, and your Nepal operator works with a Tibet agency that files the permits in Lhasa.

Kailash Visa by Passport

• Visa-free entry to China does not cover Tibet. Even if your passport enters mainland China without a visa, the Tibet permits are still required.
• The passport you travel on decides the route. A traveller of Indian origin on a US, UK or Australian passport follows the foreign passport row.
• Indian passport holders: the Embassy of India in Kathmandu states that the Chinese visa must come from the Embassy of China in New Delhi, not Kathmandu.

The Chinese Group Visa in Kathmandu

The group visa is a single document listing everyone in the group, issued by the Embassy of China in Kathmandu through your operator.

• Plan to arrive in Kathmandu a few working days before the group crosses into Tibet. The visa is issued in Kathmandu, so it cannot be done before you fly.
• Foreign passport holders give fingerprints in person at the Chinese Visa Application Centre in Kathmandu.

Documents Required for Kailash Permits

• Passport valid at least six months beyond the end of your trip.
• Colour scan of your passport photo page, clear and uncropped.
• Two passport photos.
• Travel insurance that covers high-altitude rescue and helicopter evacuation.
• Your travel dates and the trip you have booked.

Send the passport scan as soon as you book. The Tibet permits cannot be filed without it.

How Long Kailash Permits Take

Kailash takes longer than a Lhasa trip because Ngari needs the military permit as well as the Tibet Travel Permit and the Alien's Travel Permit. Lhasa agencies quote 20 to 30 working days for the full Ngari permit set. The Chinese group visa is issued in Kathmandu after that, once you arrive.

Book early, and send your passport scan when you book.

How to Check a Kailash Operator in Nepal

• Company registration. Ask for the registration number with the Office of the Company Registrar, Nepal.
• Trekking agency licence. Ask to see the licence and who issued it. Ours is from the Valley Tourism Office, Bagmati Province.
• TAAN membership. Ask for the member number of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal.
• The Tibet agency. Ask which registered Tibet agency files your permits.
• The Nepal restricted area permit. Ask whether the operator holds it for your route.
• Payment terms in writing. Ask what you pay before the permits are issued, and what happens to your money if a permit is refused or the route closes.

Himalayan 360 Registration and Licences

The certificates are on our legal documents page.

Kailash Trips from Kathmandu

We arrange the Chinese group visa and every Tibet-side permit for each of these trips. Every group travels with an English-speaking leader.

• Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. 14 days overland from Kathmandu.
• Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar Yatra. 10 days overland.
• Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by Helicopter. 11 days via Nepalgunj, Simikot and Hilsa.
• Lhasa, Everest, Kailash and Kathmandu. 14 days, flying into Lhasa.

Make an enquiry with your dates and passport nationality.

More on Kailash: the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra guide · what it costs