Tourist Visa Information

The foreign tourist visiting Nepal shall be granted the tourist visa. The tourist visa shall be granted for a period in maximum of 150 days in a visa year (Visa years means January to December).

A tourist who has departed before the expiry of the period specified in the visa issued in a visa year shall not be allowed to use the visa by adding the remaining period to another visa year.

If any foreigner who has entered into Nepal towards the end of a visa year desires to spend even the period during which he may stay in Nepal with the tourist visa of the other visa year, he may use such facility.

TOURIST VISA FEES to be levied while issuing tourist visa by the Mission or entry point:

• US Dollars 25 or other convertible foreign currency equivalent there to for 15 days multiple entry visa.
• US Dollars 40 or other convertible foreign currency equivalent thereto for 30 days multiple entry visa.
• US Dollars 100 or other convertible foreign currency equivalent there to for 90 days multiple entry visa.

Not withstanding anything written in clause (a) and (b), no visa fee shall be applicable to the passport holder of member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for 30 days.

Fees to be levied for RENEWAL OR REGULARIZATION OF TOURIST VISA

Nepalese currency equivalent to 2 US dollars per day to renew the validity of tourist visa.

In case where request has also been made for the facility of multiple entry, just valid for the renewal period an additional amount in Nepalese currency equivalent to U. S. Dollars 20 to the fee as referred to in Clause (a).

In regularizing visa of any foreigner stayed without renewal of validity of the tourist visa, Nepalese currency equivalent 3 US dollars per day shall be levied in addition to the normal amount to be paid for renewal of the validity of visa as per these Regulations.

Foreigners, who have already been overstayed more than 150 days without renewing the tourist visa shall be levied the fees referred in clause 2(c) and penalty amount as referred to in section 10(4) of Immigration act in addition.

Not withstanding anything written in clause 2(a), the period of visa fee shall be levied, for the purpose to renew tourist visa for up to15 days if the visa be of a period less than 15 days and as referred to in clause 2(a) for more than this.

Customs

All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on arrival at the entry point. Personal effects are permitted free entry. Passengers arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) without any dutiable goods can proceed through the Green Channel for quick clearance without a baggage check. If you are carrying dutiable articles, you have to pass through the Red Channel for detailed customs clearance.

Import and Export

Import
Apart from used personal belongings, visitors are allowed to bring to Nepal free of duty: cigarettes (200 sticks) or cigars (50 sticks), distilled liquor (one 1.15 liter bottle), and film (15 rolls). You can also bring in the following articles free of duty on condition that you take them out with you when you leave: binoculars, movie or video camera, still camera, laptop computer, and portable music system.

Export
The export of antiques requires special certification from the Department of Archeology, National Archive Building, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu. It is illegal to export objects over 100 years old, such as sacred images, paintings, manuscripts that are valued for culture and religious reasons. Visitors are advised not to purchase such items as they are Nepal's cultural heritage and belong here.

Visa and Master Card

Nepal has modern banking facilities and some international banks even have offices in Kathmandu. Almost all foreign currencies along with credit cards such as American Express, Visa, and Mastercard are accepted in Nepal.

All visitors are required to exchange their money through the bank or authorized agents. In Kathmandu banks with money exchange counters are found everywhere and most hotels also have exchange counters. These facilities to change money are quick and convenient. It is necessary to ask for receipts when money is changed. On the return journey, if one is left with Nepalese rupees they can be exchanged for 15% of the amount on these receipts into any foreign currency at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

It is generally not possible to change foreign currency/travelers checks (except in Namche Bazaar, Jomsom, Salleri, Okhaldunga, Pokhara etc.) in the mountains. One must therefore change required money in Kathmandu before the trek starts. When cashing money for the trek, always ask for small denominations (ones, twos, fives, twenties and some in fifties ,hundreds, five hundreds and thousands, and be careful about torn or damaged bank notes. The people in the village may not accept them.

Major banks, hotels and exchange counters at Tribhuvan International Airport provide services for exchanging foreign currency. Exchange rates are published in English dailies such as The Rising Nepal, The Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times. Nepalese Rupees are found in denominations of Rupees 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are found in denominations of Rupees 5, 2 and 1. One rupee equals 100 paisa.

Time and Business Hours

Nepal is five hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT.

Business hours within the Valley:
Government offices are open from 10 am to 5 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday and close at 3pm on Friday in the Kathmandu Valley. During the winter, they close at 4 pm. Most Business offices are open from 10 am to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Embassies and international organizations are open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Most shops open after 10 am and close at about 8 pm and are usually closed on Saturdays.

Business hours outside the Valley:
Government offices outside Kathmandu valley open from 10 am to 5 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday. On Fridays they remain open until 3 pm. Banks are open from Sunday through Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm. On Fridays, banks remain open until 12 pm only. Business offices are open from 10 am to 5 pm Sunday through Friday. Recently many private banks have re-organized to have different branches open at various different times making banking hours longer. If one branch is closed another will be open.