Obtaining your tourist visa to Nepal is one of the easiest visa applications you will ever go through. All you need to do is arrive at the international airport in Kathmandu and the airport officials will guide you through the visa application process. Most tourists visiting internationally can use this visa-on-arrival system but there are some countries that fall outside of this privilege.

Citizens from Syria, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Somalia, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Iraq, Liberia, and refugees with travel documents are unfortunately not able to take benefit of this easy visa procedure.

Detailed guide for Visa-on-arrival

After you land at the airport, you should head to the Immigration area where you will find an arrival form. You will have to fill in this form.

Alternatively, you can also fill in an online form before arrival. You can do this in order to avoid waiting in line during the peak travel season. If you are opting for an online form, you will get a barcode after you are done, which you should print and bring along with you. This barcode is only valid for 15 days, so make sure that you get this code 15 days prior to your arrival in Nepal.

Regardless of whether you fill out an online form or a physical one, the next step is to make the payment to the bank. You do not actually have to go to a bank, you can pay at the counter within the airport. Here’s your visa fees based on days:

• 15 Days – 30 USD

• 30 Days – 50 USD

• 90 Days – 125 USD

After you have deposited the correct amount based on the duration stated in your arrival form, you need to get the receipt and present it at the immigration desk. You will need to have your passport, visa fee receipt, and arrival form, in order to get your tourist visa approved.

Although there are several forms of payment, we recommend that you carry some cash with you as technical issues might occur time and again.

Gratis Visa

A free Gratis Visa is granted to the following types of visa applicants:

• Children under the age of ten

• Bearer of a Non-Resident Nepalese (NRN) card

• Chinese citizens

• For citizens from SAARC nationals (except from Afghanistan), up to thirty days are permitted once within a single visa year. Citizens of Afghanistan may get a Visa upon Arrival only with the Department of Immigration’s endorsement. In the event that you are an Afghan national, you can ask the organization that invited you to Nepal to submit the required documentation to the Department of Immigration so that you can obtain a free visa.

Because of the reciprocal visa waiver contract, executives from Brazil, China, Thailand, and Russia do not require an entry visa.

All types of visas, including “Gratis” given at the terminal, are classified as tourist visas. To change the classification of your visa or prolong it, you need to contact the Department of Immigration. You may also extend your tourist visa at the Immigration Office in Pokhara. Extensions of non-tourist visas are only available at the Department of Immigration, subject to eligibility, and are valid for no more than one year. This does not apply to business visas.