Nepal Tourist Visa & Visa-on-Arrival: Fees, Durations, Extension & Overstay Rules

Nepal operates a liberal visa-on-arrival (VOA) regime administered by the Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Citizens of almost all countries can obtain a tourist visa on arrival, so advance application at a Nepali embassy is generally optional rather than required. The system is governed by the Immigration Act, 2049 (1992) and the Immigration Regulations, 2051 (1994), which set out visa categories, fees, permitted durations and penalties.

A tourist visa permits sightseeing, trekking and other leisure travel only; it does not authorise employment, study, journalism or other paid or professional activity, which require separate visa categories. Travellers must hold a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry. The tourist visa is the most common category and the focus of this guide.

Tourist visa fees are tiered by length of stay and are paid in US dollars or another convertible currency (or by card at major airports). The fees are the same whether the visa is obtained on arrival or in advance at a Nepali diplomatic mission. The standard tourist visa is issued as a multiple-entry visa, allowing the holder to leave and re-enter Nepal during its validity, which is convenient for travellers combining Nepal with side trips to India, Bhutan or Tibet.

Visas on arrival are issued at Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu), Pokhara International Airport, Gautam Buddha International Airport (Bhairahawa/Lumbini) and at designated land entry points along the Indian and Chinese borders. Required items are a valid passport, a passport-size photo and the fee. It is wise to carry the exact fee in clean US dollar notes, as facilities at land borders can be limited.

A tourist may stay in Nepal for a maximum of 150 days within a single calendar year (1 January to 31 December). This cumulative ceiling counts the initial visa plus every extension combined, regardless of how many entries are made. The count resets on 1 January, so a traveller could, in principle, use up to 150 days late in one year and a fresh 150 days early in the next.

Because the 90-day visa is the longest single tourist visa issued, anyone wishing to stay longer in the same year must extend their visa at an immigration office, up to the 150-day annual limit. Stays beyond 150 days in a calendar year on a tourist visa are not normally permitted; longer residence requires a different visa category.

Tourist visas can be extended in-country before they expire. The minimum extension is 15 days and costs US$45, with each additional day charged at US$3. For example, a 30-day extension costs roughly US$90 (US$45 for the first 15 days plus 15 further days at US$3). Extensions are subject to the overall 150-day annual cap.

Extensions are processed by the Department of Immigration headquarters in Kathmandu (Kalikasthan, Dillibazar) and by the Immigration Office in Pokhara. The Pokhara office handles tourist visa extensions only, whereas the Kathmandu headquarters also processes business, study, work and other visa categories. Applications can be started online through the Department's NepaliPort portal, with the fee paid online or at the counter.

Staying beyond an authorised visa period is an offence under the Immigration Act and Regulations. A late fine of US$5 per day is charged for each day of overstay or delayed extension, payable in addition to the normal visa/extension fee for those days. Travellers are expected to settle any overstay penalty before departure, and immigration may decline to let a traveller exit until the fine is paid.

Beyond monetary penalties, serious or repeated violations can carry heavier legal consequences under the Act, including possible prosecution, additional fines, deportation and blacklisting that restricts future entry to Nepal. Travellers should therefore monitor their visa expiry carefully and extend in advance rather than rely on paying a fine.

Several categories of traveller are exempt from the tourist visa fee, receiving a gratis (free) visa. Indian nationals occupy a special position: under the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship they enjoy freedom of movement and do not require a visa to enter Nepal, travelling instead on a passport or other accepted proof of Indian nationality.

Other concessions reflect Nepal's regional and diplomatic ties, including reduced or free entry for citizens of fellow SAARC states and free visas for young children and certain other groups. Specific eligibility (such as the SAARC first-visit rule each year) is set by the Department of Immigration and can change, so travellers should confirm current terms before relying on an exemption.

To speed up arrival, the Department of Immigration offers an online tourist visa pre-application through its NepaliPort system. Travellers can complete the form before flying and receive a confirmation receipt by email; this is presented at the airport visa counter alongside the passport, photo and fee. The completed online application is held in the system for a limited window (about 15 days) before it is automatically deleted, so it should be filled in close to the travel date.

The pre-form does not by itself grant a visa or skip payment; the visa is still issued and paid for at the entry point. The Department warns travellers to use only its official portals and to avoid third-party or fraudulent websites that claim to collect Nepal visa fees online.