Getting a Tourist Visa for Nepal

Previously, the information on tourism in Nepal has been presented. In this series, you will get information about the procedure for applying tourist visa of Nepal and the necessary documents for Online Visa on On arrival visa. It will saves you time and alert you to check the travel documents before traveling to Nepal. 

If you are traveling to Nepal for the first time, then you need clear information about the visa procedure of Nepal. If you are traveling via air, then you will firstly touch Nepal at Tribhuvan International Airport which is the only International Airport. The Department of Immigration at the Airport will regulate the services of Online Visa process and the Visa on Arrival system which will be easy for you. However, at the high season, to avoid the queues at the Immigration Department, you can fill up the online visa application where you have enough time to fill up the mandatory information. It is advisable that you fill-up the disembarkation card in the aircraft itself before disembarking to avoid wasting time filing it at the arrival counter.

Apply for Online visa

You can get an online visa application on the website of the Immigration Department of Nepal. It will be easy for you at the airport to do the airport formalities.

To apply online: http://online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa

Information for Online Visa Applicants

1. While filling the application, you must fill the mandatory field as per your passport. 
2. Ready a recent digital photograph (size: 1.5” x 1.5”) in your removable device to upload your photograph for the application.
3. You must provide information about detailed permanent residence address, and detailed address in Nepal.
4. You need to provide telephone numbers—land-line and mobile and email address.
5. If you fill the online application, you will get a submission Receipt on your email address with a bar-code which you need to print out and bring it along for acquiring a visa. In your email, you will get the deadline too.   
6. It is valid for fifteen days only, i.e. the system will detect your information within 15 days. After its expiration, you need to re-fill the application.
7. Before you contact the Immigration Authority, please make sure you have the receipt and proper documents with you including the necessary fee.

Tips: For the detailed address in Nepal, you can either ask the hotel or text on Whatsapp if you need it here. 

Special Notes

1. Visa can be obtained at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal on arrival except for the nationals of Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Syria. The nationals of these 12 countries are requested to submit their application to the Embassy and wait for the approval of the relevant authorities of Nepal.
2. Gratis visa is issued free of cost for children below 10 years except for US citizens.
3. Up to 30 days for SAARC Citizen (except Afghanistan) visiting Nepal for the first time in a given visa Year. If you are an Afghan citizen, you can request a concerned institution inviting you to Nepal for necessary paperwork with the Department of Immigration to get you Gratis Visa ‘On Arrival’. 
4. Officials from China, Brazil, Russia, and Thailand do not need Entry Visa based on reciprocal visa waiver Agreement
5. You must have the passport which is valid for at least 6 months.
6. You might need the passport size photos during the formalities at the airport, it’s better to bring 5-6 passport size photos with the 2-3 photocopies of passport.

Apply for On-Arrival Visa at the airport 

If you want to apply for the visa-on-arrival at the airport, then you have to fill up the information using the Kiosk Machine, which reads your details of passport and take a photo. And provide the complete form. The kiosk machines are limit in number. Sometimes, malfunctions in the kiosk machine may occur, so, bring some passport size photos and scan copies of passport and the amount required for the visa. In this situation, you must submit the written up of the written form.

Visa Fee

Before submitting the visa application at the Department of Immigration (DoI), you just need to pay the amount for the visa. The visa fee for the citizen of SAARC countries is free for 30 days. However, Indian passport holders don’t need a visa to visit Nepal. The changes on tourist visa fee have been in effect from 17 July 2019 which is as follows:

Visa Extension

If you need to extend your visa, then you must visit the Department of Immigration (DoI) of Kathmandu or Pokhara. If you want to extend your visa, then you can either extend before the valid visa period or after the visa expiration. You have to pay USD 3 per day to extend the visa if before a valid visa period. Otherwise, after visa expiration, you need to pay USD 5 per day for the visa extension. If you would like to extend the visa with multiple entries, then the additional cost will be USD 25. 

Special Note:

1. Visa can be obtained only through payment of cash in the following currency: Euro, Swiss Franc, Pound Sterling, US Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Singapore Dollar, and Japanese Yen.
2. Credit card, Indian currency, and Nepali currency are not accepted as payment of visa fees.

CIP Lounge

This is available for a Commercially Important Person who on arrival may wish to rest while someone takes care of their formalities i.e. custom, immigration, and collecting of the luggage. You can avail of this room after paying NPR 500 per hour per person including VAT.

Getting Visa at the land borders 

If you are getting entry via land, then you need to submit the same documents, however you need to pay on USD. These borders are facilitated by the Department of Immigration. 

The major entry and exit border of Nepal

With India are: 

1. Kakarbhitta, Jhapa
2. Biratnagar Morang
3. Birgunj, Parsa
4. Belhia, Bhairahawa (Rupandehi)
5. Jamunaha, Nepalgunj (Banke)
6. Mohana, Dhangadhi (Kailali)
7. Gadda Chauki, Mahendranagar (Kanchanpur)

With Tibet, China are:

1. Kodari, Sindhupalchok
2. Kerung, Rasuwa

If you have to enter or exit Nepal by land, then don’t forget to have the entry and exit stamp from the Department of Immigration. After exiting from Nepal, you have to do formalities of the other country. So make sure you have all the necessary documents to submit at the Immigration department of India or China.

If you have any queries or need any support, please comment here. If you are planning to make your trip to Nepal, I shall be grateful to help you to organize your trip to Nepal. Please connect via Whatsapp, +977-9860804860.

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