Nepal

See the Department of State Fact Sheet on Nepal for information on U.S.-Nepal relations.

Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions significantly worse than those found in the United States.  The information below is provided for general reference and may not apply in every situation.

Nighttime Travel:  You should avoid nighttime road travel should outside the Kathmandu Valley and minimize nighttime travel within Kathmandu because of insufficient street lighting and hazardous road conditions. 

In Nepal, vehicles are driven on the left-hand side of the road.  Travel via road in areas outside the Kathmandu Valley can be dangerous.  In general, roads in Nepal are in poor condition and lack basic safety features, resulting in significant numbers of accidents and fatalities. 

Motorcycle Travel:  Deaths from motorcycle accidents have risen dramatically in recent years, and U.S. citizens should consider avoiding riding motorcycles in Nepal, particularly on highways. 

Buses:  It is dangerous to travel on the roofs of buses as live electrical and other communications wires hang low in many places.  Traffic police also impose fines and detain individuals for riding on the roofs of buses.  Long-distance buses often drive recklessly, and bus accidents involving multiple fatalities are not uncommon.

Taxis:  Visitors throughout Nepal, including in Kathmandu, are encouraged to use metered taxis and avoid public buses and microbuses.  Many taxi drivers will refuse to use the meter, insisting on negotiating the price instead.  In addition, there have been instances of taxi drivers tampering with the meters in an attempt to charge higher than normal fares.  If you believe that you are being overcharged, you may wish to file a complaint with the traffic police on the street or at the nearest local police station.

Traffic:  In the Kathmandu Valley, traffic jams are common on major streets.  Traffic is poorly regulated, and the volume of vehicles on the roads is increasing faster than improvements in infrastructure.  Many drivers are neither properly licensed nor trained, vehicles are poorly maintained, and public vehicles are often overloaded. 

Pedestrian Travel:  Sidewalks are nonexistent in many areas, and drivers generally do not yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.  Pedestrians account for a considerable portion of traffic fatalities in Nepal. 

Please refer to our Road Safety  page for more information.  Also, we suggest that you visit the website of Nepal’s national tourist office and national authority responsible for road safety.

Aviation Safety and Oversight:  As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Nepal, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the government of Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards.  Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page.

Domestic air safety continues to be of concern.  In recent years, there have been a number of fatal plane crashes on domestic routes in Nepal, including some in which U.S. citizens have been killed.  The incidence of such crashes is not concentrated with one carrier, but rather has occurred among various domestic carriers.  As a result of Nepal’s poor aviation safety record, in December 2013 the European Union (EU) banned all Nepali airlines from flying into or within EU countries.  Although Nepali domestic flights are insured, payments to the families of victims of a plane crash are minimal compared to what would normally be paid in the United States.  Domestic air travelers may want to consider flight insurance that will cover domestic flights in Nepal before leaving home.

Safety and Security

All U.S. citizens who travel to Nepal should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (“STEP”) to register their planned itinerary with the U.S. Embassy, and to monitor the security situation before traveling. 

U.S. government employees must seek approval before traveling outside of Kathmandu Valley.

BANDHS:

• Bandhs (general strikes) are a common form of political agitation and force schools and businesses to close as well as stop traffic.
• They are unpredictable, and may include violent incidents and can occur with little  any notice. 
• Individuals not complying with the bandhs may be harassed by organizers/supporters.
• Avoid all unnecessary travel where bandhs are occurring.
• If you plan air travel to or from Nepal during a scheduled bandh, please note transportation may be affected.  Usually bandh organziers allow specially marked buses operated by the Nepal Tourism Board to travel between the airport and major tourist hotels.
• If you must travel during a bandh, you can check with the U.S. Embassy, with local police by dialing “100,” or with traffic control by dialing “103.”  The police can advise which routes and forms of transportations are most appropriate.  
• Consult the U.S. Embassy Kathmandu website for security-related messages for U.S. citizens, as well as the Nepal Ministry of Tourism for the latest security information.

IEDs:  In the past, there have been periodic small-scale improvised explosive device (IED) incidents in various parts of the country, particularly during periods of heightened political tension.  These reported incidents were not directed toward westerners or western interests.

Crime:  Although still relatively low, crime in Kathmandu and throughout the country has risen in some categories. 

Financial Crimes and Theft: 

• Criminals use sophisticated scams, such as ATM skimming, particularly in Kathmandu. 
• You should consider only exchanging money only at banks and hotels.
• Valuables, including passports and cash should be stored in the hotel safety deposit box and not carried.  The Nepal Tourist Police recommend that you carry a copy of your passport when going out.
• Pick-pocketing and bag-snatching may occur at major tourist sites, including the Thamel district of Kathmandu.
• Avoid walking alone after dark, carrying large sums of cash and wearing expensive jewelry. 

Violent Crimes:

• There are reports of sexual assaults involving foreigers, including in the popular tourist districts of Thamel and Bouddha in Kathmandu.
• Foreigners have occasionally had sedative drugs placed in their food or drink by individuals who seek to rob or otherwise take advantage of them.
• Nepali police forces may have limited resources to deter and investigate crimes.  Their services are not up to Western standards.  Many cases reported to the police remain unresolved.

Political-Related Violence:  Violent political activity remains higher in the Terai, the southern plains region of Nepal bordering India, than the rest of the country.  Demonstrations have on occasion turned violent, although these activities generally are not directed at U.S. citizens..

Scams:  See the Department of State and the FBI pages for information on scams.

Victims of Crime:  If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime abroad, you should contact the local police and the U.S. embassy.  We can:

• help you find appropriate medical care
• assist you in reporting a crime to the police
• contact relatives or friends with your written consent
• explain the local criminal justice process in general terms
• provide a list of local attorneys
• provide our information on victim’s compensation programs in the U.S.
• provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical
• support in cases of destitution
• help you find accommodation and arrange flights home
• replace a stolen or lost passport

The local equivalent to the “911” emergency line in Nepal is “100,” which is manned 24/7 by the local police.  While many Nepali police officials understand and speak English, when calling the emergency number, you should speak slowly and enunciate so that your message gets across to the official clearly and without misunderstanding.  Remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crime.

See our webpage on help for U.S. victims of crime overseas.

Domestic Violence:  U.S. citizen victims of domestic violence may contact the Embassy for assistance.

For further information:

•  Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. 
• Call us in Washington at 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts.
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. 
• See traveling safely abroad for useful travel tips.