Planning to Nepal? Everyone needs a visa (except Indian nationals), but luckily it’s an easy process. Here’s the latest information on obtaining a tourist visa and how it works for visa-on-arrival. Once you land at the Tribhuvan International Airport, you can get the visa on arrival. Following certain regulations and formalities, you can get a visa for Nepal (90 days) in less than an hour.

Documents You Need for visa

Check your Passport.

Make sure that your passport is valid for six months within arrival in Nepal.

Passport Photos.

You only need a single photo for your visa application, but you’ll need a lot of them if you plan to go trekking and do other activities in Nepal. Keep your passport-size photos in person for accessibility. There are also photo booths at the airport in case you forget to bring. Keep at least 4 copies of your passport-size photos. Nepal visa photo size is not specified so just bring the regular passport size photo that you use in your country.

Immigration Papers (Arrival card).

Typically, you will get the immigration papers while on the plane before you land. Make sure to fill out these forms right away to pass immigration upon arriving.

Tourist Visa.

All foreigners entering Nepal, except Indians, require a visa. You can acquire a visa from the Nepali embassy in your country or upon arrival at the airport. Tourists visas are valid for 3-6 months within your travel to Nepal. Single entry visas are valid for 15/ 30 and 90 days which respectively costs $30, $50 and $125. You will get a multiple-entry visa.

Visa Application Process at the Airport

A lot of foreigners opt to get their Nepalese visa at the airport upon arrival. Bring your documents to the visa registration machines. Scan the barcode of your passport and take your photo. Get the slip of paper that the machine generates and bring this to the counter, along with the payment. Finally, have your passport stamped and get your visa.

Online Nepal Visa Application Form.

You can fill out the application form online at home before traveling to Nepal. You can visit this site to fill out your immigration papers: https://online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa and print the confirmation. You can submit the printed confirmation at the immigration desk. This is valid for 15 days only.

Extending Your Visa.

You can extend your Nepal visa for up to 150 days at the Immigration Department in Kathmandu or Pokhara. It costs $30 for 15 days and $2 per day after that. Usually, the turn-around is the same day, and you’ll need to submit your passport, extension fee, one photo, and the application extension form to complete the process.



Permits.

Many remote rural areas, especially those close to the Tibet border, require a restricted area permit. This applies to those trekking in the Manaslu, Mustang, Nar-Phu, Tsum Valley, Dolpo, Humla and Kanchenjunga regions. Permits range from US$10 to US$500 per week and you will need the help of a registered trekking agency to secure one.

Final Notes.

In the arrivals’ hall, you’ll find electronic registration machines that read your passport, take your photo, and print out a completed form to submit to immigration. Be sure to have the following items handy:

  • Cash to pay the visa fee (USD is best, especially at land crossings, but you can also pay with EUR, CHF, GBP, AUD, CAD, HKD, SGD, and JPY).
  • A passport that is valid for at least six months.

Please note that the following nationalities cannot obtain a visa-on-arrival:
AFG, IRQ, CMR, GHA, SOM, SWZ, PSE, ZWE, NGA, ETH, and LBR.