Entry Procedures & Visa Rules
a. Tourist Visa
Visa Facility Duration Fee
Multiple entry 15 days US$ 25 or
equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 30 days US$ 40 or
equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 90 days US$ 100 or
equivalent convertible currency
b. Gratis (Free) Visa
• Gratis visa for 30 days is available only for nationals of
SAARC countries. However, for extension of visa for SAARC nationals, the rule is
same as that of other nationals.
• Indian nationals do not require visa to enter into Nepal.
For Visa Extension:
Tourists can stay for a maximum of 150 days in a visa year (Jan 1 to Dec 31)
extending the visa at the rate of 2 US $ per day. However, a minimum amount of
30 US$ has to be paid for a period of 15 days or less.
(For further information, please, contact Department of Immigration, Maitighar,
Impact Building, Kathmandu, Tel: 00977-1-4221996/ 4223590/ 4222453, Web:
www.immi.gov.np )
Custom Formalities
Customs:
All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on arrival at the
entry point. Personal effects are permitted free entry. Passengers arriving at
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) without any dutiable goods can proceed
through the Green Channel for quick clearance without a baggage check. If you
are carrying dutiable articles, you have to pass through the Red Channel for
detailed customs clearance.
Import:
Apart from used personal belongings, visitors are allowed to bring to Nepal free
of duty: cigarettes (200 sticks) or cigars (50 sticks), distilled liquor (one
1.15 liter bottle), and film (15 rolls). You can also bring in the following
articles free of duty on condition that you take them out with you when you
leave: binoculars, movie or video camera, still camera, laptop computer, and
portable music system.
Export:
The export of antiques requires special certification from the Department of
Archeology, National Archive Building, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu. It is illegal
to export objects over 100 years old, such as sacred images, paintings,
manuscripts that are valued for culture and religious reasons. Visitors are
advised not to purchase such items as they are Nepal's cultural heritage and
belong here.
For more information on customs matters, contact the Chief Customs
Administrator, TIA Customs Office (Phone: 4470110, 4472266).
Foreign Currency and Credit Cards
Payment in hotels, travel agencies, and airlines are made in foreign
exchange. Credit cards like American Express, Master and Visa are widely
accepted at major hotels, shops, and restaurants. Remember to keep your Foreign
Exchange Encashment Receipt while making foreign exchange payments or
transferring foreign currency into Nepalese rupees. The receipts may be needed
to change left-over Nepalese Rupees into hard currency before leaving the
country. However, only 10 percent of the total amount may be converted by the
bank. ATM is widely in use in Kathmandu.
Major banks, hotels and exchange counters at Tribhuvan International Airport
provide services for exchanging foreign currency.
Exchange rates are published in English dailies such as The Rising Nepal, The
Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times. Nepalese Rupees are found in
denominations of Rupees 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are found
in denominations of Rupees 5, 2 and 1. One rupee equals 100 paisa.
Time and Business Hours
Nepal is five hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT.
Business hours within the Valley: Government offices are open from 10 am
to 5 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday and close at 3pm on Friday in the
Kathmandu Valley. During the winter, they close at 4 pm. Most Business offices
are open from 10 am to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Embassies and international
organizations are open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Most shops open
after 10 am and close at about 8 pm and are usually closed on Saturdays.
Business hours outside the Valley: Government offices outside Kathmandu
valley open from 10 am to 5 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday. On Fridays they
remain open until 3 pm. Banks are open from Sunday through Thursday from 10 am
to 3 pm. On Fridays, banks remain open until 12 pm only. Business offices are
open from 10 am to 5 pm Sunday through Friday. Recently many private banks have
re-organized to have different branches open at various different times making
banking hours longer. If one branch is closed another will be open.
Holidays: Nepal observes numerous holidays, at the least a couple in a
month. So please check the holiday calendar. The longest holiday in Nepal is
during the Dashain festival in late September or October. Government offices
observe all the national holidays and banks observe most of them. Businesses
observe major holidays only.
Communication Facilities
Postal Services: The Central Post Office located near Dharahara
Tower, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday. The counters are
open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and provide stamps, postcards and aerograms. Post
Restante is available Sunday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Express Mail
Service (EMS) is available at GPO and at Thamel, Basantapur and airport postal
counters.
Telephone Services: Telephone and fax services are available at
the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation at Tripureshwar. Hotels and private
communications centers provide long distance telephone and fax facilities. For
calling from outside, country code for Nepal is 977 and the area code for
Kathmandu is 1.
Internet Services: There are countless Internet cafes and
communication centers have opened up in the Valley and around the country.
Visitors only have to find a place they are most comfortable in to use the
facilities to keep in touch with home. Internet services are also offered by
hotels.
Media: Nepali media has made a gigantic leap ahead in just a
few years time and what used to be a controlled and tight knit community, is no
more. The government audio and television news networks are Radio Nepal and
Nepal Television respectively. However, numerous FM radio stations and regional
television stations are dominating the market. Major Nepali daily newspapers are
Gorkhapatra and Kantipur, while the English dailies are The Rising Nepal, The
Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times. A number of other newspapers and
magazines are also available.
Electricity: Major towns have electricity and the voltage
available is 220-volts and 50 cycles. Load shedding is a seasonal phenomenon
during the dry season and eases off once it begins to rain. However, most major
hotels have uninterrupted power supply through their own generators.