But to enter the country, you have to obtain a visa. Only the citizens of India do not need to get this entry document to get to the territory of Nepal. Almost all nationalities can obtain visas, but there are some differences, depending on your nationality (they are mainly related to fees). Not only tourists have to get Nepal visa. There are some types of visas that we will describe below.
Places of acquire Nepal visa
You can obtain the entry document for Nepal on arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and at the border entry points on the Nepal-India border (Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Gaddachowki, Kakadvitta, Nepalgunj) or on the Nepal-China border (Kodari).
Of course, the visa can also be obtained at the nearest Nepal Embassy or Diplomatic Mission outside of Nepal. If you get visa from Nepalese Diplomatic Missions, you have to enter the country within six months from the visa issued date (the total stay is counted beginning from the date you get Nepal).
Electronic visas are available since the beginning of 2014.
Visa requirements
To get visa you need a valid passport and a passport-size photo (35mm x 45mm) with a light background. The document can be paid in cash in the following currency: Euro, US Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Singapore Dollar, Pound Sterling, Japanese Yen or Swiss Franc. It is important to know that credit cards, Indian or Nepali currency are not accepted as payment of visa fees.
Tourist visa acquisition procedure on Arrival
1st Step. You have to fill in ‘Arrival Card’ and ‘Tourist Visa‘ form. You can fill the form before your arrival by visiting the official website of the Nepali Department of Immigration. You will get submission Receipt with barcode that has to be printed. Take it with you to acquire visa. You can also use Kiosk machines to get visa upon your arrival at the airport.
2nd Step. You have to make a payment at the bank according to your visa requirement (15-30-90 days) and get the receipt. The fee is 30 USD (for 15 Days Visa), 50 USD (for 30 Days Visa) or 125 USD (for 90 Days Visa).
3rd Step. You have to proceed to the Immigration Desk with your documents (valid passport and photo), your online form and payment receipts. Get your entry documents.
Visa acquisition procedure will differ according to the types of Nepal visa. There are 9 types of the entry documents to the country. To get all the necessary information about applying for a certain type of visa, contact the Nepal Embassy in your country.
Types of visas
- Tourist visa. You need this type of visa if you go to Nepal for sightseeing, mountaineering, trekking, travel or tour. Tourist visa can be obtained immediately on arrival. As you see, ‘On Arrival’ visa acquisition procedure is quick and simple. The extension of visa is done for minimum 15 days with USD 45 and USD 3 per day for additional days.
- Study visa. If you are going to obtain an academic degree or research in the territory of Nepal, you have to apply for this type of visa. It is issued by the Department of Immigration upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education. Teachers (professors) can also obtain student visa if they are involved in academic work (teaching) in Nepal.
- Non-Tourist visa. There are some subtypes of non-tourist visa to Nepal: working visa (for those who are going to work in the country), press visa (for journalists and press representatives), relationship visa (for the relative of Nepalese citizens), and marriage visa (for those foreigners who are married to Nepalese citizens).
- Business visa. This document is for investors and businessmen who invest or undertake business in Nepal. Visa fee depends on the amount of investment. It is issued for at least a month up to 1 year. Business visa regardless of time period requires multiple re-entry facility.
- Residential visa. This type of visa is necessary for those foreigners who are going to spend their life in Nepal. Persons with international reputation, investors (those who has invested minimum 1000 US dollars in industrial enterprise of the country), businessmen have to get a residential visa.
- Non-Residential visa. The no-residential visa holders can get tourist visa for free on arrival at the airport. Visa is issued for a given number of days (the Nepali Department of Immigration establishes the number of days). You can find the list of required documents on the official website of Department.
- Diplomatic visa. This document can be granted to a person holding a diplomatic passport. It is issued on the basis of reciprocity. The term of diplomatic visa can be extended at a time or from time to time for the period of the assignment on the territory of Nepal.
- Official visa. This type of visa is for a person who is on official visit to Nepal. It can be extended at a time or several times till the duration of official visit in the country. The members of family (spouse and minor children) are also eligible for the visa.
- Transit visa. This document is for a maximum period of 24 hours. But the foreigners can also acquire tourist visa due to untoward circumstances such as forced landing or emergency. Transit visa is granted by Immigration Officer.