Unless you are a citizen of Nepal (or India), you'll need a Visa to enter the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. The Nepali government issues Visas to almost all nation's citizens at its embassies and consulates abroad, at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and at the main crossing points along its borders [Kakarbhitta, Birgunj, Sunauli, Nepalgunj, Dhangadi and Mahendranagar]. Entry to Nepal by air is only permitted at Tribhuvan Airport, Kathmandu.

To obtain a Visa you must present a valid passport (with at least 6 months left before it expires), 2 passport-sized photos and a payment per adult of 25.00 US Dollars for a Single Entry Visa valid for 60 days. A Visa can be extended by 30 days for a surcharge of 25.00 US Dollars. If you are planning to visit Tibet or Bhutan during your visit to Nepal, you will need a double entry Visa, for which there is a surcharge of 40.00 US Dollars or for multiple entries, the surcharge is 60.00 US Dollars. If you are making a connection at Kathmandu, a Transit Visa can be obtained for 48 hours at a cost of 5.00 US Dollars. Children below 10 years are exempted from visa fees.

Since the immigration authorities have begun distributing visa application forms so that visitors can complete them on the plane before they land, the process of issuing new Visas at Kathmandu Airport has speeded up. If you aready have a Visa issued by a Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate in your own country or another country en-route, you will pass through Immigration at Kathmandu with little delay. If you need to apply for a Visa on arrival, you will need funds to cover the Visa Fees in US Dollars (cash) together with your passport (with at least 6 months left before it expires), two passport-sized photographs and the completed Visa Application Form. Having a pen with you helps. Strictly speaking only US Dollars in cash is permitted for payment of the Visa Fees. There is a Currency Exchange in the Immigration Hall where you can usually change US Dollar traveller's cheques or other hard currencies for US Dollar notes. However, the Currency Exchange Office is not always open - particularly for evening and night flights. There are presently no facilities to process payment by credit card and although ATMs (Automatic Telling Machines) are available in the main tourist areas, they have not yet reached the Airport complex.

It is at the discretion of the Head of Immigration to decide whether other hard currencies can be accepted in place of all or part of the Visa Fee in US Dollars. If you are lucky, Indian Rupees may be accepted although 500 IRs notes almost certainly won't be accepted at the airport or elsewhere in Nepal because of the number of counterfeit notes in circulation. The requirement for two passport photos per person appears to have been relaxed somewhat in recent years although it is still advisable to have them with you to ensure a smooth passage through the airport.

Visas can be extended up to 90 days at the Department of Immigration, Tridevi Marg, Thamel, Kathmandu (Tel. Kathmandu 412337 / 418573) or at the Immigration Office in Pokhara.

Travellers arriving without the necessary currency or paperwork have to wait until the other passengers on the plane have been processed to find out whther the Head of Immigration is prepared to exercise discretion. The passport and Visa fee are the most important items. If you've a valid passport and the dollars but no extra photos and politely make your apologies, you will probably be allowed entry. If you've got the passport, no photos and not the dollars but Euros or other hard currency of equivalent value plus a respectful attitude, you'll probably be allowed through. If you are travelling with children, you're likely to get a more sympathetic treatment as you enter and travel throughout Nepal. If you arrive without the proper documents or fee and treat the immigration staff without respect - as some have done - your problems are likely to get worse.

Airport Tax