KATHMANDU: Nepal's Department of Tourism has issued a sweeping set of directives to all trekking and expedition agencies ahead of the Spring 2026 mountaineering season, seeking to streamline administrative processes while improving safety standards across the country's high-altitude peaks.

The directives take immediate effect as the Spring Season commences.

According to the ciruclar, agencies are now required to submit a detailed application — as prescribed under Schedule-1 of the Mountaineering Regulations 2059 (Sixth Amendment) — at least two days before the requested permit date. Crucially, all applications must include complete details of support staff, and the appointment of a sardar (expedition leader) is mandatory at the point of application. Any additional support staff must be added only after receiving prior departmental approval, with explicit reasons, dates and full details provided in writing.

Under Rule 21 of the Mountaineering Regulations 2059, sardars, mountain guides and high-altitude workers who accompany a team to its final camp are entitled to attempt the summit — but only once the expedition's own members have themselves reached that final camp.

A significant operational change concerns photograph requirements: recent photos of all expedition members and support staff must now be uploaded to the official online permit system before a permit is issued, and these same images will be used on the official climbing certificates.

The department has also revised documentation requirements. Physical files need only contain the original application, proof of payment of royalty and garbage fees, original insurance documents, and copies of passports or citizenship certificates. All other supporting documents must be certified by the agency and uploaded digitally to the mountaineering permit system.

Both the company and the worker must fully complete the prescribed will and contract form for all support staff, as per the regulatory format.

Briefing sessions will be conducted jointly every working day in the Department's conference room at 3:00 PM (2:00 PM on Fridays), attended by the team leader, agency representative and liaison officer.

All rescue operations conducted during an expedition must be formally reported to both the Tourism Department and the Tourist Police office at Bhrikutimandap.

Agencies that conducted expeditions up to and including the Winter Season 2025 and have not yet reclaimed their garbage deposit refunds are urged to submit the necessary documents to the department immediately. Refunds will be processed within a mixmum of seven working days from the date of application, the notice mentioned in the postscript.