Nepal is a landlocked country, so the majority of tourists arrive in Nepal by air. Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu is the only active international airport in the country at the moment.
There are also two other international airports in Nepal - Pokhara International Airport and Gautam Buddha International Airport.
These two international airports are still in the process of connecting flights and establishing management, so they are not active.
We have seen a few Chinese flight operations at Pokhara International Airport. However, the airport largely remains unoperated.
Therefore, Tribhuvan International Airport is the only international airport that connects Nepal with the rest of the world at the moment.
The Department of Immigration in Nepal has been facilitating on-arrival visas for tourists flying to Nepal for recreational purposes. On-arrival visa is a quick process and easy to obtain.
You can apply for the on-arrival Nepal tourist visa online. If you are traveling during the peak seasons (spring and autumn), there can be some queues.
To avoid it, you can apply for a tourist visa at the Nepalese Diplomatic Mission Station (Nepalese Embassy or Consulate Office) in your country.
An on-arrival tourist visa is available at the Tribhuvan International Airport and at all land border entry points.
You can choose the duration of your visa depending on the length of your stay in Nepal.
At the moment, you can get a maximum of 90 days of tourist visa at a single time and can extend your visa further.
Note that travelers from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Somalia, Iraq, Swaziland, Liberia, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Syria, and refugees with travel documents are not eligible for the on-arrival tourist visa in Nepal.
If you hold a passport from these countries, you must obtain a visa from the Nepalese Embassy or Consulate Office in your country.
Nepal tourist visa requirements
To obtain the Nepal tourist visa, you will need the following documents:
- Valid passport with at least six months of validity remaining from the day you enter Nepal.
- Complete the online Tourist Visa application form (or fill it out upon arrival at the airport using Kiosk).
- Obtain the receipt for the visa fee payment from the concerned counter at the airport.
- Arrival card (filled out upon arrival).
How to obtain a Nepal tourist visa on arrival?
Please follow the below steps to apply for Nepal tourist visa on arrival:
Step I:
Fill in the Arrival Card
- Complete the online tourist visa form. You will get a submission receipt with a barcode. You have to print it and bring it along to acquire a visa. After the issue of the barcode, it is valid for 15 days and then expires. You can also fill out the on-arrival visa form using the Kiosk machine upon landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
Step II:
- Make the visa fee payment. You can use Nepali currency or US dollars to pay the visa fee. You can use different modes of payment at the visa fee collection counter. Still, carry some cash to be on the safe side.
- Get the receipt.
Step III:
- Proceed to the Immigration Desk and hand over your online form, passport, and visa payment receipt.
- The visa officer will process your visa if everything seems fine.
Nepal tourist visa cost
15 Days – 30 USD
30 Days – 50 USD
90 Days – 125 USD
Visa extension fee
- You can extend your tourist visa for a minimum of 15 days, which costs USD 45. After that, you have to pay USD 3 per day.
- In the case of a delay of less than 150 days, an additional USD 5 per day is a late fine.
*Note: Tourist visa extensions can be done from both Pokhara and Kathmandu immigration offices, but for non-tourist visa extensions, you must visit the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu.
Gratis Visa (Visa for free)
Gratis visa is issued free of cost for the following categories:
- If you have children below 10 years (except US citizens).
- Up to 30 days for SAARC citizens (except Afghanistan). Note that it is only applicable if you are visiting for the first time in a given year. Afghan citizens are only eligible for a Gratis visa upon recommendation of the Department of Immigration. We advise Afghan citizens to talk to the concerned institution to invite them to Nepal for the necessary paperwork for their Gratis visa on arrival.
- Non-residential Nepalese (NRN) cardholders (issued by MoFA /Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad).
- Up to 150 days for Chinese passport holders.
If you are an official from the below countries, you will get the following exemption:
- Vietnam - Exemption up to 90 Days
- State of Israel - Exemption up to 90 Days
- Georgia - Exemption up to 90 Days
- Cambodia - Exemption up to 30 Days
- Myanmar - Exemption up to 90 Days
- Russian Federation – Exemption up to 90 Days
- Jordan - Exemption up to 90 Days
- State of Qatar - Exemption up to 90 Days
- People’s Republic of China – Exemption up to 30 Days
- Mongolia - Exemption up to 90 Days
- Thailand – Exemption up to 90 Days
- The Federal Republic of Brazil – Exemption up to 90 Days
Arriving in Nepal by land
Travelers can enter Nepal by land borders that connect Nepal with India and China.
From India, we have six main transit points - the Raxual border, the Mahendranagar border, the Bhairahawa border, the Biratnagar border, the Nepalgunj border, and the Kakarvitta border.
Likewise, from China (Tibet), you can enter Nepal through the Kerung Rasuwa border or Hilsa as part of the trekking/tour group.
Compared to Tribhuvan International Airport, obtaining an on-arrival tourist visa at the land border can be a little chaotic.
However, the process and requirements are the same as if you enter Nepal by air.
If you are planning to enter Nepal via land border, please talk to the concerned department in your country in advance.
