Nepal Entry Requirements 2026: Passport, Customs, Health Rules and the Visa in Brief

• PassportValid 6+ months from arrival, with a blank page for the visa
• VisaUSD 30 / 50 / 125 for 15 / 30 / 90 days, on arrival or e-visa
• No visa neededIndian citizens (passport or voter ID)
• Free visaSAARC first visit (30 days), Chinese citizens, children under 10 (not US)
• Cash to declareForeign currency above USD 5,000
• Restricted itemsDrones and satellite phones need permits
• Vaccines requiredYellow fever only if arriving from a risk country
• Longest stay150 days per calendar year

Visiting Nepal is straightforward for citizens of most countries. Nepal issues tourist visas on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and at the designated land border crossings, and since 17 August 2026 you can also get a full e-visa online before you fly, which makes it one of the more accessible Himalayan destinations for international travellers. This guide covers everything you need to get through the door: your passport, the visa in brief, customs rules, restricted items, health and insurance. For the visa itself in full detail, see our Nepal tourist visa guide and the step-by-step visa on arrival and extension guide.

Do I Need a Visa for Nepal?

Most nationalities require a visa to enter Nepal. There are a few exceptions:

• Indian nationals do not need a visa and can enter Nepal freely. The two countries share an open border under the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, and Indians flying in only need a passport or an Election Commission voter ID. Our guide to travelling to Nepal from India covers the border crossings and documents.
• Chinese nationals do need a tourist visa, but it has been issued free of charge since 2016.
• Citizens of the other SAARC countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) receive a free 30-day visa on their first visit in a calendar year. Afghan citizens need a prior recommendation arranged through the Department of Immigration.
• Children under 10 get a free visa, except US citizens.

For all other nationalities, including travellers from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, the European Union, Canada, and most of Asia, a paid tourist visa is required. Twelve nationalities cannot get one on arrival and must apply in advance at a Nepali embassy: Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria, along with holders of refugee travel documents.

Nepal Tourist Visa Options

Visa on Arrival (VOA)

The simplest option for most visitors. You can obtain a tourist visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, and at the designated land crossings: Kakarbhitta, Birgunj, Belahiya (Bhairahawa), Jamunaha (Nepalgunj), Mohana (Dhangadhi) and Gaddachauki (Mahendranagar) on the Indian border, and Kodari on the Tibet border. Rasuwagadhi, the other Tibet crossing, has been closed since the 26 August 2026 flood destroyed its customs post, and Kodari has shut for weeks at a time after landslides, so check the current status before planning an overland entry from Tibet (see our flood update).

Current fees (USD or equivalent):

• 15 days: USD 30
• 30 days: USD 50
• 90 days: USD 125

You will need: a passport with at least six months' validity from your arrival date, a recent passport-size photograph, the online arrival form (filled at a kiosk in the arrivals hall or before you fly), and the visa fee. Tourist visas issued on arrival are multiple entry, so you can leave for India or Tibet and come back within your visa period. If you later extend the visa and want to keep re-entry, that adds USD 25. The counters take US dollars and usually euros and pounds. Cards are accepted at the TIA counter in principle, but the machines fail often, so cash in US dollars is the safe plan.

E-Visa (Online Application)

Nepal's Department of Immigration runs its online services through the NepaliPort portal, and since 17 August 2026 that includes a full e-visa for tourists, officially called the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) or eVisa. There is no separate trekking visa. Applying online before departure means you skip the fee counter on arrival, which is particularly useful in the busy autumn season when queues at TIA can be long.

To apply online, use the official portal at nepaliport.immigration.gov.np, upload a scan of your passport photo page and a passport-size photograph, and pay the same USD 30, 50 or 125 by card, connectIPS or NepalPay QR, with a 3.5% payment fee on top. The approved visa arrives by email and must be used within six months of issue. The department warns that third-party visa websites charge extra and are not official, so apply only on its own sites.

Processing time: officials have quoted about 72 hours, but the department publishes no guaranteed time, so apply at least a week before you fly. Visa on arrival is still available, so the e-visa is optional for most travellers. Our e-visa and online application guide walks through the forms.

Visa Extension

If you want to stay longer than your initial visa allows, you can extend at the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu (Kalikasthan) or the Immigration Office in Pokhara. Extensions cost a minimum of USD 45 (which covers up to 15 days), then USD 3 per day beyond that. Tourist visas can be extended up to a total stay of 150 days per visa year (January to December). The Pokhara office can only take you to 120 days, so the final 30 must come from Kathmandu. Offices take the rupee equivalent of the dollar fee, and online extensions are paid by card. The full process is in our extension guide.

What Documents to Carry on Arrival

• Valid passport (6+ months remaining validity)
• Your e-visa email or printout if you applied online, or the arrival form barcode receipt
• Return or onward ticket details (immigration rarely asks, but airlines sometimes check at departure)
• Proof of sufficient funds (not always checked, but good to have)
• Accommodation details for your first night

Nepal Entry Checklist at a Glance

Everything Nepal can ask for at the border, and who it applies to:

Item	Status	Who it applies to	Notes
Passport, 6+ months valid	Required	Everyone except Indians with a voter ID	Airlines enforce it at check-in. Keep a blank page for the visa.
Tourist visa	Required	All but Indian citizens	On arrival, e-visa or embassy. Free for SAARC first visits, Chinese citizens and most children under 10.
Online arrival form	Required	Visa-on-arrival travellers	Kiosk at the airport or nepaliport.immigration.gov.np. The barcode receipt is valid for 15 days.
Passport photo	Bring spares	Everyone	Needed if the kiosk camera fails, and again for trekking permits and SIM cards.
Yellow fever certificate	If applicable	Arrivals from or transiting a yellow fever risk country	Not needed if you fly in from Europe, North America or Australia.
Customs declaration	If applicable	Anyone carrying over USD 5,000 in foreign cash, or goods above the allowance	Use the red channel and declare on arrival.
Onward ticket	Recommended	Everyone	Rarely checked by immigration.
Travel insurance	Recommended	Everyone, essential for trekkers	Not checked at the border. Trekking agencies ask for cover to 6,000 m with helicopter rescue.

Customs Rules: What You Can Bring In

Nepal's customs rules are simple for most visitors, but the published allowances differ between sources, so treat the figures below as a guide and check with Nepal Customs if you are near a limit. Go through the green channel if you have nothing to declare and the red channel if you do.

Item	Allowance or rule
Foreign currency cash	Declare anything above USD 5,000 (or the equivalent) to customs on arrival, a Nepal Rastra Bank rule. Keep the declaration if you plan to take the cash out again.
Alcohol	About one litre of spirits, or a little more of wine or beer. Sources give 1 to 1.15 litres.
Tobacco	200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco
Personal effects	Clothes, trekking gear, a camera, a laptop and a phone for your own use come in duty free
Indian rupee notes	Restricted. Notes above INR 100 were long banned, and a recent change reportedly allows post-2016 INR 200 and 500 notes up to INR 25,000 per person. Check the current Nepal Rastra Bank notice.
Banned	Narcotics, weapons and ammunition, and wildlife products such as ivory, fur or tiger and rhino parts

The same rules work in reverse when you leave. Antiques and religious objects that look old need a clearance certificate from the Department of Archaeology before they can be exported, so ask the shop for one when you buy, and keep receipts for carpets, thangkas and jewellery.

Drones, Satellite Phones and Other Restricted Items

A few items that pass without comment in other countries need permits in Nepal:

• Drones. A drone has to be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, and flying one inside a national park such as Sagarmatha needs written permission from the park authorities as well. Getting both takes weeks, and a drone without them can be confiscated at a checkpoint.
• Satellite phones and internet terminals. Satellite communication is licensed in Nepal, so you cannot simply bring or rent a satellite phone or hotspot and use it on the trail. Starlink has no licence in Nepal, and in May 2025 the Nepal Telecommunications Authority warned against unlicensed terminals at Everest Base Camp.
• Satellite messengers. Many trekkers carry a two-way messenger such as a Garmin inReach for emergencies. Our guide to internet and phones on the Everest trek covers the options.

For what to pack, and what to leave at home, see our trekking packing guide.

Trekking Permits Are Separate

Your tourist visa gives you entry into Nepal and access to most cities and lowland areas. To trek in national parks, conservation areas, or restricted zones, you need additional trekking permits. These include:

• TIMS Card (Trekkers' Information Management System), NPR 2,000, issued only through a licensed trekking agency. It is not used in the Everest region, where a Khumbu municipality card replaces it, or in restricted areas.
• National Park / Conservation Area Entry Permits, for Sagarmatha NP (EBC trek), Annapurna Conservation Area, Langtang NP, etc.
• Restricted Area Permits, for Upper Mustang, Manaslu Circuit, Dolpo, Nar Phu, and other controlled regions. These require a licensed guide and are only issued through registered agencies. Since 22 March 2026 a single trekker can get one, but the guide is still required.

All permit logistics are handled by your trekking agency if you travel with a company like Swotah Travel. Since 1 April 2023 a licensed guide has been required on most trekking routes, though the Khumbu (Everest) municipality does not enforce the rule. The national park and conservation area fees can be paid at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu (Bhrikutimandap) or Pokhara (Damside), or at the park entry points. Our 2026 trekking permits guide lists every fee, and this explainer covers the guide rule.

Avoid These Common Visa Mistakes

A few errors come up again and again at Kathmandu immigration, and all of them are easy to avoid:

• Overstaying. Overstay fines are USD 5 per day plus the visa extension fee, and a long overstay can lead to a ban on re-entry. Check your stamp before you leave the counter.
• Forgetting the 150-day cap. Tourist visas cannot exceed 150 days in total within a single visa year (January to December), no matter how many extensions you buy.
• Arriving without cash backup. Cards are accepted at the TIA visa counter, but the card terminals occasionally go down. Carry the visa fee in USD cash as a backup, in reasonably new, undamaged notes.
• Mixing up the arrival form and the e-visa. The free online arrival form gives you a barcode receipt, valid for 15 days, but it is not a visa, and you still pay at the airport. The full e-visa (ETA) is paid online and arrives by email.
• Booking through a visa agent website. Apply only on the Department of Immigration's own sites. Third-party sites charge extra and are not official.
• Working on a tourist visa. Volunteering or working, even unpaid, is not permitted on a tourist visa and can result in deportation.

Money and SIM Cards on Arrival

Once through immigration, there are ATMs and currency exchange counters in the arrivals hall at Tribhuvan International Airport. Exchange a small amount for the taxi and your first day, then change larger sums in Thamel where rates are better. Ncell and Nepal Telecom both run SIM-card counters at the airport: bring a passport photo and a copy of your passport photo page, and you can be online with a tourist data package within minutes of landing.

Health Requirements on Arrival

Nepal has no yellow fever, and the only certificate it can ask for is proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers arriving from, or transiting through, a country with yellow fever risk, mainly parts of Africa and South America. If you fly in from Europe, North America or Australia, you need no vaccination certificate. Travel health clinics strongly recommend Hepatitis A and Typhoid, along with routine vaccines such as tetanus and measles, and some travellers also need rabies or Japanese encephalitis vaccines depending on their plans. Consult your GP or a travel health specialist 6 to 8 weeks before departure, and see our health and safety guide for water, food and dengue advice.

Do You Need Travel Insurance to Enter Nepal?

Immigration does not check insurance at the border. If you plan to trek, though, every licensed agency will ask for a policy that covers trekking to your highest altitude, up to 6,000 m on most routes, including helicopter evacuation, because a rescue flight can cost several thousand dollars. Our guide to travel insurance for trekking in Nepal explains what to look for in a policy.

Ready to Start Planning?

Nepal's visa process is one of the simpler ones in the region. Getting through immigration at Tribhuvan takes 20 to 90 minutes depending on the season and time of day, and the October to November and March to April peaks bring the longest queues. The key is to have the right documents ready and to fill in the arrival form, or apply for the e-visa, before you fly. Our guide to your first arrival at Tribhuvan Airport covers what happens after the immigration desk.

If you have questions about permits, restricted areas, or documentation for a specific trek, our team is happy to help. We handle all permit and entry logistics for every Swotah Travel trip.

Frequently Asked Questions