Here's some good news for anyone planning to explore Nepal's temples, villages, and mountains… Getting a visa for Nepal is one of the simplest parts of the whole Nepal trip.
For most travellers, a tourist visa on arrival is available right at the airport, the process is quick, and the costs are reasonable.
Here's exactly how it works.
Nepal Visa Quick Answer
The Visa on Arrival Process in Nepal
Nepal Visa Costs and Durations
What You'll Typically Need for the Nepal Visa
A Note on Insurance for Nepal
Practical Tips for the Nepal Visa
Nepal Visa FAQs
Most visitors enter Nepal on a tourist visa on arrival, obtained at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (or at other official entry points).
You can also apply in advance through the online pre-arrival system or at a Nepali embassy if you prefer to have it sorted before you fly.
The visa fee depends on the length of stay you choose.
Because visa rules and fees can change, always confirm the current requirements for your nationality before travelling, and if you're booking through a tour operator, lean on them for the latest guidance.
The visa on arrival in Nepal is the standard, straightforward route into Nepal for most travellers, and it's genuinely easy. When you land at Kathmandu's airport, the process runs roughly like this.
You complete an arrival form (there are often electronic kiosks to fill in your details and generate a submission), you pay the visa fee at the payment counter, and you present your passport, the receipt, and a passport photo at the immigration desk to receive your visa.
To speed things up, many travellers fill in the online application form in the days before arrival, which generates a receipt that shortcuts the airport process.
Have a passport photo and the fee ready, and the whole thing is usually quick and painless, leaving you free to start your Nepal adventure.
Nepal's tourist visa is issued for different lengths of stay, and the fee scales accordingly.
The standard options are typically a 15-day, 30-day, or 90-day multiple-entry tourist visa, with the fee increasing for longer stays.
For a week-long cultural tour, the shortest-duration visa is usually sufficient, but choose the option that comfortably covers your full time in the country, including any add-on trekking.
On organised tours, the Nepal visa fee is generally excluded from the tour price and is your responsibility, so budget for it separately. The fee is payable on arrival, and it's wise to have it ready in cash.
While exact requirements depend on your nationality, applicants for a visa on arrival generally should prepare a passport valid for at least six months beyond the travel dates with blank pages, a recent passport-style photograph, the completed arrival or online application form, and the visa fee (US dollars cash is widely accepted and convenient at the airport).
Having these ready makes the arrival process smooth and fast.
While sorting your visa, don't forget travel insurance, which is strongly recommended for Nepal and typically excluded from tour prices.
Personal travel insurance covering medical care, accidents, and trip cancellation is genuinely important, and even more so if you plan to add trekking or adventure activities, which may require specific coverage (including for higher altitudes).
Arrange a suitable policy early, alongside your visa planning.
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