List of Banks in Nepal: Every NRB-Licensed Bank & Financial Institution

Every bank and financial institution (BFI) in Nepal is licensed and supervised by the central bank, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB, established 1956). The governing statute is the Bank and Financial Institution Act, 2073 (BAFIA, enacted 2017), supplemented by the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2058 (2002). Under BAFIA, deposit-taking BFIs are sorted into four licence classes plus a separate infrastructure category, based on the scope of activities each is allowed to perform and the minimum capital it must hold.

Class A institutions are commercial banks, which offer the widest range of services and can operate nationwide. Class B are development banks, Class C are finance companies, and Class D are microfinance financial institutions (laghubitta) that serve low-income and rural borrowers. A fifth, distinct category is the infrastructure development bank, created to finance large projects such as hydropower and transport; Nepal Infrastructure Bank Limited (NIFRA) is currently the only licensee in this group.

The classes are tiered by minimum paid-up capital. A commercial bank must hold at least NPR 8 billion, a national-level development bank NPR 2.5 billion, a finance company NPR 800 million, and a microfinance institution roughly NPR 30 million to NPR 120 million depending on its working area. A lower-class institution can, in principle, apply to NRB to upgrade to a higher class if it meets the required capital and prudential standards.

According to NRB's official 'List of Banks and Financial Institutions Licensed by NRB' as of mid-July 2025 (end of Asar 2082 BS), Nepal had 107 licensed BFIs in total. This breaks down into 20 commercial banks (Class A), 17 development banks (Class B), 17 finance companies (Class C), 52 microfinance institutions (Class D), and 1 infrastructure development bank.

The number of commercial banks has fallen sharply because of a deliberate, decade-long consolidation drive. NRB used capital-increase requirements and merger incentives to reduce fragmentation in the sector: the count of commercial banks dropped from 32 in 2012 to 20 by mid-2025. The aim was to build fewer but stronger, better-capitalised institutions capable of financing larger projects and withstanding shocks.

Because mergers and acquisitions continue, these figures change over time. Always treat the totals here as accurate to the NRB list of mid-July 2025 (Asar 2082 BS); check NRB's current published list for the latest position before relying on a specific count.

Commercial banks are the backbone of Nepal's financial system, holding the bulk of deposits and lending. All 20 are national-level institutions, and the great majority are headquartered in Kathmandu. Two are majority state-owned (Nepal Bank Limited and Rastriya Banijya Bank Limited), one is a specialised agricultural lender turned commercial bank (Agriculture Development Bank), and several are joint ventures with foreign partners (for example Standard Chartered Bank Nepal, Nepal SBI Bank, Everest Bank and Himalayan Bank).

The list below reflects NRB's mid-July 2025 register. Several names carry the marks of recent mergers — Nepal Investment Mega Bank (Nepal Investment Bank + Mega Bank, unified January 2023), Laxmi Sunrise Bank (Laxmi Bank + Sunrise Bank), and Prabhu Bank (which absorbed Century Commercial Bank) among them. Global IME Bank, after acquiring Bank of Kathmandu, is generally regarded as the largest commercial bank by branch network and balance sheet.

The following are the 20 licensed commercial banks, all national-level and (unless noted) headquartered in Kathmandu Valley:

For each institution, the most useful durable reference data are its class, its head-office location, its NRB operation date, its paid-up capital, and its SWIFT/BIC code for international transfers. Below are verified profiles of the four most-searched commercial banks. Note that where a bank has merged, NRB records a 'joint operation date' from the date unified operations began, which is more recent than the original founding year.

Nabil Bank Ltd. is Nepal's first foreign joint-venture commercial bank, incorporated as Nepal Arab Bank Limited and beginning operations on 12 July 1984. Its head office is at Beena Marg (Durbar Marg area), Kathmandu, and its SWIFT/BIC code is NARBNPKA. It is consistently among the most profitable private-sector banks.

Nepal Bank Ltd., inaugurated on 15 November 1937 (Kartik 30, 1994 BS), is the oldest bank in the country and marked the start of formal banking in Nepal. It is majority government-owned, headquartered at Dharmapath, Kathmandu, with SWIFT/BIC code NEBLNPKA. Rastriya Banijya Bank Ltd., established in 1966 as the first fully state-owned commercial bank, is headquartered at Singha Durbar, Kathmandu; its SWIFT/BIC code is RBBANPKA. Global IME Bank Ltd., headquartered in Kamaladi, Kathmandu, uses SWIFT/BIC code GLBBNPKA and is widely cited as the largest commercial bank by branch count following its mergers.

Beyond the commercial banks, three further deposit-taking classes serve narrower niches. As of mid-July 2025, NRB licensed 17 Class B development banks, 17 Class C finance companies, and 52 Class D microfinance financial institutions. Development banks and finance companies may operate nationally or be restricted to a province or a set of districts, which is stated on their licence.

Development banks (bikas bank) provide deposit and lending services with a development orientation, often concentrated outside the largest cities; examples include Muktinath Bikas Bank, Garima Bikas Bank, Jyoti Bikas Bank, Shine Resunga Development Bank and Kamana Sewa Bikas Bank. Finance companies — such as Pokhara Finance, Goodwill Finance, Manjushree Finance and Central Finance — sit a rung below in permitted scope and capital.

Microfinance institutions (laghubitta bittiya sanstha) are the most numerous class by far, reflecting their role in extending small loans, group savings and financial inclusion to low-income households, women's groups and rural communities. Large players include Nirdhan Utthan Laghubitta, Chhimek Laghubitta, Deprosc Laghubitta and Sana Kisan Bikas Laghubitta. NRB has also encouraged mergers among microfinance institutions to strengthen the class.

All classes of BFIs answer to Nepal Rastra Bank, which issues licences, sets prudential rules, runs inspections, and can intervene in troubled institutions. Depositors are protected up to a limit through the Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund, and NRB maintains and periodically republishes the master list of licensed institutions — the single most authoritative reference for whether a bank is legitimate.

SWIFT/BIC codes shown in this directory are used to route international wire transfers and remittances into a specific bank. An eight-character code (for example NARBNPKA) points to a bank's head office; some transfers append 'XXX' or a branch suffix. Always confirm the exact code and any intermediary-bank instructions with your bank before sending funds from abroad.

Because Nepal's banking landscape is still consolidating, names, head offices and even the total number of banks change from year to year. Use this page as a classified snapshot of the mid-July 2025 (Asar 2082 BS) NRB register, and verify any single critical fact — a licence status, a capital figure, a SWIFT code — against NRB's current published list or the bank's own website before acting on it.