Tribhuvan International Airport is the only international airport of Nepal. Immigration Office, TIA (Tribhuvan International Airport) under Department of Immigration has been facilitating tourists flying to Nepal by providing Visa on Arrival. ‘On Arrival’ visa procedure is very quick and simple. You can expect some queues during peak Tourist season. If you wish to skip those queues, you can also consider getting Visa from Nepalese Diplomatic Missions stationed abroad prior to your arrival.

If you have obtained visa from Nepalese Diplomatic Missions, then you must enter Nepal within six months from the visa issued date. Your total stay is counted starting from the day you enter into Nepal.

Visas obtained on Arrival at the Entry and Exit points are ‘Tourist Visas’.  They bear multiple Re entry facility. Tourist Visa ‘On Arrival’ is the only entry visa to Nepal. If you are visiting Nepal for the purposes other than Tourism (sightseeing, tour, travel, mountaineering, trekking, visiting friends and families), you should still get ‘ Tourist Visa’ to get into the country.  However, you must change the category of visa as per your purpose and length of stay in Nepal from Department of Immigration by producing required documents.

However People of these countries do not get visa on arrival at the immigration entry points of Nepal: Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan.are requested to acquire Visa prior their arrival from their nearby Diplomatic missions (Embassies/consulates) of Nepal Government.

Please follow these simple procedures for Tourist Visa on Arrival at the airport (TIA)  if you have not acquired Visa prior to boarding the plane.

• 1^st  Step
  • Fill in ‘ Arrival Card ‘
  • Fill in Online ‘Tourist Visa ‘form ( you can fill it up  prior to your arrival  visiting our official website  Department of Immigration / fill it up using Kiosk machines upon your arrival at the airport).  If you fill it from the website, you will get submission Receipt with barcode, please print it out and bring it along for acquiring visa. It works for fifteen days and becomes invalid then after.  If so, you will have to fill it up again.

• 2^nd  Step  
  • Make payment  at the bank according to your visa requirement ( 15/30/90 Days)
  • Get the receipt

While you can use different modes of payments (at visa fees collection counter), we advise you to carry some cash to be on the safe side.

On Arrival Visa Fee

15 Days – 30 USD

30 Days – 50 USD

90 Days – 125 USD

• 3^rd Step  
  • Proceed to the Immigration Desk with your online form,  payment receipts and your passport
  • Hand in your documents to immigration officer for visa processing. He/she issues visa to you upon his/her satisfaction.

Visa Extension Fee 

• Tourist visa extension is done for minimum 15 days with USD 45 and USD 3 per day for additional days.
• In the case of delay less than 150 days additional USD 5 per day as late fine.

Gratis Visa (Visa for Free)

Gratis Visa is issued free of cost in case of following categories of Visa applicants:

• Children below 10 years
• Up to 30 days for SAARC Citizen (except Afghanistan) visiting Nepal for the first time in a given visa Year.  Afghan citizen are eligible for Gratis Visa on Arrival only upon the recommendation of Department of Immigration. If you are an Afghan citizen, you can request concerned institution inviting you to Nepal for necessary paperwork with Department of Immigration to get you Gratis Visa ‘On Arrival’.
• Non Residential Nepalese(NRN) card holder ( issued by MoFA /Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad)
• Chinese Nationals.
• Indian Nationals.
• Officials from China, Brazil, Russia and Thailand do not need Entry Visa based on reciprocal visa waiver Agreement

Visas of all kinds including ‘Gratis’ issued at the Airport are Tourist Visas. Contact Department of Immigration for extending your visa or changing the category of your visa. Tourist Visa extension can be done from Immigration Office, Pokhara too. Non tourist visa extension can be done only at Department of Immigration (if eligible) for a period of maximum one year (except business visa).

BY INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES TO NEPAL

Nepal Airlines of the national flag carrier of Nepal with flights to/ from Delhi, Kuala lumpur, Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Osaka. Other international airlines operating from/ to Kathmandu are Air Arabia (Sharjah), Air China (Lhasa, Chengdu), Biman Bangladesh(Dhaka), China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou), Cosmic Air (Delhi, Varanasi), Dragon Air (Hong Kong), Druk Air (Delhi, Paro), Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi), GMG Airlines (Dhaka), Gulf Air (Bahrain, Muscat), Indian Airlines (Delhi, Kolkata, Jet Airways (Delhi), Jet-lite (Delhi), Korean Air (Seoul), Pakistan International Airlines (Karachi), Qatar Airways (Doha), Silk Air (Singapore) and Thai Airways (Bangkok).

 BY LAND ENTRY FROM INDIA & CHINA –TIBET

All visitors coming to Nepal by land must enter only through one of these entry points (1) Kakarbhita (2) Birgunj (3) Belhiya, Bhairawaha (4) Jamuna, Nepalgunj (5) Mohana, Dhangadi (6) Gaddachauki, Mahendranagar in the Nepal-Indian border and (7) Tatopani, Kodari in the Nepal- China border. The overland tourists entering the country with their vehicles must possess an international carnet or complete customs formalities.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

ATM machines are easily available in Kathmandu and in all major cities to cash your money in Nepalese currency. All internationally known credit cards such as Master Cards, Visa Cards are accepted in major hotels, banks and travel/trekking agencies and some shops and supermarkets. Foreign currencies must be changed through the banks or authorized foreign exchange dealers. The receipts from such transaction are to be obtained and retained. Visitors can change money at the foreign exchange counter at the airport upon arrival also.

Link of currency converter: http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

CUSTOMS FORMALITIES

All baggage must be declared cleared through the customs on arrival at the entry. Personal effects are permitted free entry. A tourist may bring in dutiable goods (including tobacco and liquors) free of duty, but only within the prescribed quantity. Carrying narcotics, arms and ammunition are strictly prohibited (Tribhuban International Airport, Kathmandu, and Tel: 4470110, 4472266). Visitors can export souvenirs to their respective countries. The export of antiques, however, requires special permission from the Department of Archaeology (National Archive Building, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu, and Tel: 4250686/7).

Sources: (Department of Immigration Kalikasthan, Dillibazar, Kathmandu )