Visa Requirements

Most foreign travellers can enter Nepal on a tourist visa obtained on arrival — at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, and at the main land border crossings with India and Tibet. A small number of nationalities are not eligible for a visa on arrival and must apply in advance at a Nepali embassy or consulate, so it is worth checking your own situation before you book flights. Indian nationals do not need a visa to enter Nepal.

Getting the visa on arrival

At the airport you fill in an arrival form, submit it with your fee at the visa desk, and receive a visa sticker in your passport. You can speed this up by completing the online application on the Department of Immigration website within about two weeks of travel and bringing the printed confirmation with you. There are self-service kiosks at the airport for the arrival form, and photo booths if you need one.

What to bring

• A passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry, with a blank page for the visa sticker.
• One recent passport-sized photograph (a spare is useful; the airport photo booths can also produce one).
• The visa fee in cash. US dollars are the most widely accepted; other major currencies are usually fine, and card payment is sometimes available but not reliable, so carry enough cash to be safe.
• The address of where you are staying for the first night, for the arrival form.

Length and extensions

Tourist visas are normally issued for 15, 30 or 90 days and are multiple-entry, so you can leave and re-enter within the validity period. If you decide to stay longer, tourist visas can be extended at the Department of Immigration offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara, up to a maximum total number of days per calendar year. Extensions are charged per day with a minimum, and overstaying carries a fine, so plan your dates with a little margin.

Trekking permits are separate

Your visa lets you enter the country; it does not cover trekking. Every trek needs its own permits — typically a TIMS card plus the entry fee for the relevant national park or conservation area. Restricted regions such as Upper Mustang, Upper Dolpo, Manaslu and Nar–Phu require a special restricted-area permit that can only be arranged through a registered trekking agency, with a minimum group size. We handle all of these for the trips we run; if you are trekking with us you do not need to organise permits yourself.

Confirm before you travel

Visa fees, the list of eligible nationalities, extension limits and entry rules are set by the Government of Nepal and can change at short notice. Treat everything above as general orientation only, and confirm the current details with Nepal's Department of Immigration (immigration.gov.np) or your nearest Nepali embassy or consulate before you travel. If you are trekking with us, ask our team and we will point you to the latest information.