Proposed Bill in Nepal: Mountaineers to climb mountain above 7000m in Nepal before seeking permission for Mt. Everest Expedition

Every mountaineer aspires to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, towering 8,848.86m high.

As per the official data, approximately 9,000 mountaineers have successfully scaled Mount Everest whereas more than 300 have lost their lives on Mount Everest, since 1953’s Hillary-Norgay summit.

As per the data at the end of April, Nepal has already issued climbing permits to 402 climbers for 2025 spring season and the number is expected to cross 500.

Nepal has sharply increased Everest climbing permit fees recently, as per the amendment to the mountaineering regulations.  It has made it mandatory for every 2 climbers to hire a guide to climb any mountain over 8,000m which includes Mount Everest.

The Kathmandu post published about an Integrated Tourism Bill which was proposed in Nepal’s upper house of Parliament on 18^th April 2025, mentioning various amendments pertaining to Tourism in Nepal including Mountaineering. The bill is still in a draft form and must pass through debates in both houses of Parliament of Nepal.

Let’s have a quick glance of the main features of the proposed bill (click for original pdf) which will grab the attention of most of the mountaineers.

Highlights of Integrated Tourism Bill proposed in Nepal’s upper house of Parliament:

1. It has been proposed to issue permit to climb Mount Everest only after submitting a record of climbing at least one mountain peak in Nepal that is higher than 7000 meters. (Chapter-3, Mountaineering related arrangements). It is worth noting that previously in 1995-96, the Nepal government had made it compulsory for the aspiring climbers to summit a 6,000-metre peak before attempting Mount Everest but that rule didn’t last as the number of climbers declined rapidly. Thereafter, the pressure from the expedition operators and the foreign mountaineers forced the government to withdraw the policy.
2. Health checkup has been proposed to be made mandatory for all the climbers who will need to obtain a certificate from a government-approved medical institution, issued within the past month, to confirm their medical fitness for the expedition. The climbers with health complications will be denied to participate in Mount Everest expedition.
3. It has been proposed in the bill that the climbers planning to attempt a record must declare in advance.
4. The bill proposes that the climbers will not be allowed to transfer their paid permit to someone else.
5. If the expedition is disrupted by war, disaster, or events beyond human control, as per the proposed bill the mountaineers won’t get a refund—but their permit will be valid for 2 years or they can choose to get their fee adjusted for another peak.
6. As per the drafted bill, the climbers who want to embark a new path up the mountain must seek permission from the Department of Tourism. In the case of emergency, the climbers can reroute only with the approval of a government liaison officer who interestingly are funded by the climbers themselves.
7. The proposed bill mentions that the ‘sirdar’ (head Sherpa), high-altitude guides, and helpers on every expedition must be Nepali citizens.
8. Dead body management insurance with the coverage for minimum 3 months is proposed to be added to the existing policies for accidents, health, and search and rescue as retrieving bodies of those who die on Mount Everest is not only risky but a costly affair. The expense can be anywhere between $20,000 and $200,000.
9. The bill proposes to replace the existing garbage deposit of $4,000 (refundable) with a non-refundable garbage fee to be collected at the time of permit issuance.
10. The drafted bill proposes to punish the Nepali climbers for violating the law by banning from climbing for 10 years, imposing fine of the equivalent of their climbing permit, or both. Foreigners may face the same punishment along with getting banned for five-years from entering Nepal.
11. The bill proposal mentions that a climber missing for more than a year with remains unfound will be declared legally dead.
12. Search and rescue proposed in the bill will be the legal responsibility of the travel and tour companies managing the foreign climbers.
13. It has been proposed that the certificates for the  successful climbs be issued within 3 months. The climbers will need to submit photographs and other evidence of their summit.

According to you, how will it impact the way mountaineers climb Mt. Everest, if the bill is passed ?