DOI starts issuing trekking route permits online

KATHMANDU: Department of Immigration (DoI) has started issuing route permits for domestic and foreign tourists travelling to restricted zones via an online system.

Previously, the DoI was granting permits to tourists travelling to restricted zones through physical means, following the completion of necessary procedures and paperwork. However, as of last week, provisions have been made to issue route permits electronically.

With the introduction of online route permits, it will now be more convenient for tourists to travel to Upper Mustang, Upper Dolpa, Tsum and Nuvri Valley of the Manaslu region in Gorkha, Simkot, Changkheli and Namkha of Humla district, as well as the Kanchenjunga region of Taplejung, stated Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) General Secretary Binod Sapkota.

In addition, TAAN President Neelhari Bastola expressed that the more we can facilitate tourists, the more they will be inclined to visit Nepal. "I am confident that this online service will contribute to the promotion of the trekking industry," he said.

Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of the Department of Immigration, Krishna Bahadur Katwal, announced that with the new system in operation, tourists can now effortlessly obtain permits online by making a 'QR payment' from a trekking company or their personal accounts.