Travel Information

Getting Into Nepal

Traveling by air

You can fly directly to Kathmandu from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai, Dhaka, Karachi, Munich, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Paro, Lhasa, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Calcutta and Varanasi. Charter flights can also be arranged for large movements. All flights feature business class and amenities of international standards. Many a time, the Captain offers a guided sightseeing of the Himalaya for no extra charge!

Nepal Airlines, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Indian Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Biman Bangladesh, Gulf Air, Indian Airlines, Air Sahara, Jet Airways, Austrian Air, Martin Air, Air China, Druk Air fly to Nepal regularly.

Airfares fluctuate with the changes in exchange rates and are to be paid in foreign currency by foreign nationals. Only Nepalese and Indian nationals are permitted to pay in rupees for air passage between Nepal and India. Departure flight tickets should be reconfirmed three days in advance to avoid inconveniences by possible flight cancellation or changes in the flight schedule. Overweight luggage charges are levied in foreign exchange.

Traveling by road
All visitors entering Nepal by land must use no other entry points other than:

Nepal-India border
•    Kakarbhitta
•    Birgunj
•    Belhiya, Bhairahawa
•    Nepalgunj
•    Dhangadi
•    Mahendra Nagar

Nepal-China border
•    Kodari

The overland tourists entering the Kingdom with their vehicles must possess an international carnet.

Communication Facilities

Postal Services: The Central Post Office located near Dharahara Tower, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The counters are open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and provide stamps, postcards and aero grams. Post Restate is available Monday through Friday from 9 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, fax, telex and telegraph services are available at the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation at Tripureshwar. Hotels and private communications centers provide long distance telephone. For calling from outside, country code for Nepal is 977 and the area code for Kathmandu is 1.

Internet Services: Several Internet cafes and communication centers have opened up in the Valley and around the country in the past few years. Visitors only have to find a place they are most comfortable in to use the facilities to keep in touch with home. E-mail and Internet services are also offered by hotels.

Entry Procedures & Visa Rules

Free visa for all tourists who visit Nepal for 3 days or less.

Free visa for tourists of SAARC countries and People's Republic of China.
Visa Fee:

Single entry - US$ 30 days for 60 days
Multiple entry - US$ 50 + US$ 30.

Visa will be extended subsequently for 30 days each upon payment of US$ 30 for a maximum period of 150 days in a visa year (Jan-Dec). Visa can be obtained either on arrival in Nepal or from Nepalese Embassy or Consulate or other Mission offices abroad. Two passport size photographs required. Indians do not require visa to visit Nepal. However, they require being in possession of any one of the following documents while traveling between the two countries.

Valid national passport

Photo identity card issued by the government of India/any State Government or Union Territory/Administration in India/Identity Cards issued by the Election Commission of India. (Except Tatkal Identity Cards issued by the Ministry of Railways).

Children between 10-18 years age group are allowed to travel by air on the strength of a passport or photo identity card issued by the Principal of their school or college.
Emergency Certificate issued by Embassy of India, Kathmandu to Indian nationals in case of emergent conditions.

Children up to the age of 10 years will not require the above-mentioned documents for traveling between India and Nepal, by air.

For further information please refer:
Dept. of Immigration, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu
Tel: 00-977-1-4223681/4470650 Website:

SOME DOS AND DON'TS

The form of greeting in Nepal is "NAMASTE" and is performed by joining the palms together.

Before entering a Nepalese home, temple, and stupa remember to remove your shoes.
Be careful not to use your spoon, fork or a hand being used for your eating to touch other's food, plate, cooking utensil or the serving dish. Do not eat from other people's plate and do not drink from other people's bottle or glass. It is considered impure by the Nepalese.

Never touch anything with your feet. This is considered an offence among Nepalese.
While traveling dress appropriately. Women should specially avoid dressing in skimpy outfits.

Seek permission first before entering a Hindu temple. Many Hindu temples do not allow westerners or non-Hindus to enter.

Leather articles are prohibited to be taken inside the temple precinct.
Walking around temples or stupas is traditionally done clockwise.
Take photographs only after receiving permission for the object or person being photographed.

Public displays of affection between man and woman are frowned upon. Do not do something that is totally alien to our environment.

Remember, many times, when a person shakes his head from left to right, he may mean "Yes".
Develop a genuine interest to meet and talk to Nepalese people and respect their local customs.

Custom Formalities

Customs: All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on arrival at the entry. 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 free of duty cigarette (200) or cigars (50), 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: binocular, 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 like sacred images, paintings, manuscripts that are valued for culture and religious reasons. Visitors are advised not to purchase such items as they are 's cultural heritage and belong here.

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 the exchange counters at Tribhuvan 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 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are found in denominations of 10, 25 and 50 paisa. 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 9 am to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday in the Kathmandu Valley. Outside the Kathmandu Valley it opens on Sunday also. Banks are open from Sunday through Friday from 10 am to 3.30 pm. open until 12 pm only on Friday. 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 vValley: 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. 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.

Holidays: Nepal observes numerous holidays, at the least a couple in a month. So please check the holiday calendar. Government offices observe all the national holidays and banks observe most of them. Businesses observe major holidays only.