Entry/Exit Requirements

Requirements for Entry:

• Passport valid for at least six months
• Visa

Tourist Visas: Either apply for a visa at a Nepalese embassy or consulate before traveling, or purchase a tourist visa upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu) or at the following land border points of entry:

• Kakarvitta, Jhapa District (Eastern Nepal)
• Birgunj, Parsa District (Central Nepal)
• Kodari, Sindhupalchowk District (Northern Border– for group tourists only)
• Belahia, Bhairahawa (Rupandehi District, Western Nepal)
• Jamunaha, Nepalgunj (Banke District, Mid-Western Nepal)
• Mohana, Dhangadhi (Kailali District, Far Western Nepal)
• Gadda Chauki, Mahendranagar (Kanchanpur District, Far Western Nepal)

You may request:

• 15-day multiple-entry tourist visa (25 USD)
• 1-month multiple-entry tourist visa (40 USD)
• 3-month multiple-entry tourist visa (100 USD)

Tourists may stay no more than 150 days in any given calendar year.

See the Embassy of Nepal’s website for further visa information.

Extending Your Visa: The Department of Immigration (DOI) in the Kalikasthan neighborhood of Kathmandu, and the Immigration Office in Pokhara are the only two offices that can extend visas. 

The Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport is not authorized to extend visas.  Some U.S. citizens who have tried to extend their visa at the airport have been sent to the Immigration Office in Kathmandu to pay the extension fee and, as a result, have missed their flights.

Be sure to leave Nepal before your visa expires; otherwise, you face heavy fines and possible arrest.

If you obtain a new U.S. passport from our Embassy in Kathmandu, request the Department of Immigration to transfer your Nepali visa into the new passport.  See the Government of Nepal’s Department of Immigration website for further immigration information.

Surrogate Births: Surrogacy is prohibited in Nepal. Prospective parents should not begin surrogacy procedures where any part of the process—from in vitro fertilization (IVF) to birth of the child—takes place in Nepal.  This includes plans that rely on IVF in a third country with birth in Nepal. 

Newborn non-Nepali infants will not be able to depart Nepal without visa documentation after birth. 

U.S. Military Personnel and D.O.D. Contractors: Active duty U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense contractors must have a country clearance request from their parent unit forwarded to the Defense Attaché’s Office at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu for both official and unofficial travel to Nepal.

Other Visa Categories: See the website of the Nepal Department of Immigration for visa details and the online application for various types of visas, including student and work visas. Your purpose of travel will dictate what category of visa you will need to obtain. 

Travel across the Nepal-China border: You may encounter immigration difficulties with Chinese authorities when  traveling across the Nepal-China border on land in either direction.  Chinese authorities often require U.S. citizens and other foreign tourists to organize "group" tours through established travel agencies as a prerequisite for obtaining visas and entry permits into Tibet. 

The Chinese authorities have occasionally closed the border, especially around the anniversary of significant events in Tibet.  For current information on border crossing status, check with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nepal.   Please read the Department of State’s travel information for China and check for current regulations on entry into Tibet.

HIV Restrictions: The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors or foreign residents of Nepal.

Find information on dual nationality, prevention of international child abduction, and Customs Information on our websites.