How to Apply for Nepal Visa On Arrival?

Getting a Nepal Visa On Arrival is the most convenient way for international travelers entering Nepal with the required visa. With a mutual Freedom of Movement agreement between Nepal and India, the nationals of both countries can travel over their joint border without the need for a visa, using only standard identification cards or passports.

Here we are going to introduce you what the Nepal Visa On Arrival is and how to apply for it when you travel to Nepal from Tibet either by air or by land.

What is Nepal Visa On Arrival

For Nepal, one of the most popular ways to get the visa to get into the country is to make the application on your arrival at the airport or at one of the many border crossing checkpoints into the country from India and Tibet.

The Visa on Arrival system, which allows visitors to process their visa when they get to the immigration desk, means that pre-approved visas are no longer required for most travelers, making it much easier and faster to get the visa.

It is convenient to get Nepal Visa On Arrival for Your Nepal Tour.

Requirements for Nepal Visa On Arrival

The requirements for a visa to get into Nepal are relatively simple, and include a valid passport with at least six months validity remaining at the time of travel; a completed application form; the relevant fee in one of the valid currencies; and a passport-sized photo, although even this is not actually required if you do not have one.

Nepal Visa On Arrival Fee

The visa fee for entry to Nepal depends on your length of stay, and visas can be issued for 15, 30, and 90 days. The cost of the visa is currently US$ 25 for the 15-day visa, US$ 40 for the 30-day visa, and US$ 100 for the 90-day visa.

Nepal Visa fees are always paid in cash, and while the Tribhuvan International Airport immigration desk will sometimes accept payment in a number of foreign currencies (except rupees, which is not permitted), several of the overland border crossing checkpoints require the visa fee to be paid in US dollars.

While most countries will pay a fee for the visa, there are exceptions to this rule. Citizens of several South Asian countries, including China, do require a visa to enter Nepal, but are not required to pay for the visa if they are only entering once in a calendar year.

A visa fee will only be required for subsequent visits to Nepal. The relevant countries are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Validity of Nepal Visa On Arrival

Nepali visas are usually valid for three or six months from the date of issue, depending on which visa you have applied for. As most visas issued on arrival in Nepal are single entry visas, the validity period is really irrelevant, but is there anyway.

For an extra 20 US dollars, you can upgrade to a multiple entry visa, which means you can come and go several times within the validity period of your visa. 15 and 30 day visas are valid for three months from the date of issue, while 90-day visas are valid for six months from the date of issue. Upgrading to a multiple entry visa from a single entry visa can be done for the same additional 20 dollars at the Central Immigration Office in Kathmandu’s Thamel District.

Do I need a visa to Travel to Nepal?

If you are from most countries in the world, you will need a visa to travel to Nepal, and while the visa on arrival is a great way to get the visa, not everyone can avail of this option.

Which countries can get visa on arrival in Nepal?

Almost any national can get a visa on arrival at the airport or border crossing, with a few exceptions.

Firstly, holders of refugee travel documents are not permitted to obtain their visa on arrival, and are required to obtain a visa from the embassy in their resident country first.

Similarly, holders of temporary passports are also not permitted to use the Visa on Arrival service, with the exception of temporary passports issued to any member state of the European Union (EU).

For the rest of the world, only the citizens of the following 12 countries are required to obtain their visa prior to traveling from the embassy in their home or resident country, or the nearest country with a Nepali Embassy:

● Afghanistan
● Cameroon
● Ethiopia
● Ghana
● Iraq
● Liberia
● Nigeria
● Nigeria
● Somalia
● Somalia
● Syria
● Zimbabwe

Which countries are visa free to Nepal?

While there are several countries that can get a visa free of charge, only citizens of India have the ability to travel into Nepal without the need for a visa. Since the treaty between India and Nepal was signed in 1949, which is known as the “1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship”, Indian nationals have the right of freedom of movement into and within Nepal, and can live and work permanently in the country. This is also true of Nepali citizens, who can also travel freely into India with no visa requirement, and live and work in India permanently.

Indian citizens do not even need a passport, as the passport is just one of several documents that can be used as identification when crossing the border in to Nepal.

Those documents include: valid passport; Voter’s ID with recent photograph; Registration certificate issued by the Indian embassy to the Indian citizen residing in Nepal; and a temporary identity card issued by the Indian embassy to the Indian citizen in the event of emergency.

>> See our latest India Nepal Tibet Tours

For travelers entering Nepal through the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, traveling from Lhasa, a Visa on Arrival can be issued as long as you are one of the eligible nations for the service.

On your arrival at the airport, you will need to complete the visa application form. While this was once done by hand, now you will need to use one of the kiosks in the arrivals area to make the application on the website that the terminal provides. The visa application form is completed using the kiosk, and a visa slip is issued by the kiosk.

Once you arrive at the Kathmandu Airport, you need to complete the Visa On Arrival application form.

You then need to proceed to the Visa Fees Collection Counter, to make the payment for your visa according to your length of stay, and get the valid receipt, which you then take to the immigration desk, along with your passport and photos. If you do not have any passport-sized photos, the immigration officers will scan the photo on your passport, and use that for a fee of just two dollars.

Once you have made the application, you can sit down and wait for your name to be called once your visa has been stamped into your passport. It is essential that you pay attention to the official handing back the passports, as the immigration officers sometimes have trouble pronouncing western names, and instead will just hold up the passport with the photo and name facing outwards, and let you work out if it is your passport.

If you are wise, it pays to make your visa application in advance of actually arriving at the airport. There are only three kiosks in the airport for use to complete your application, and if there are a lot of travelers, you may find yourself waiting several hours to get to use them.

The visa application form can be done online at the official website of the Nepal Immigration Department. When you use the website to make the visa application, you will get a receipt with a barcode, which you need to print and bring with you when you enter Nepal.

The online visa application is valid for 15 days from the date of submission, so it is advisable not to fill it out too early, or you may find it has already expired when you get to Nepal. The same procedure then applies once you reach the airport, from payment of the fees to issuing the visa.

How to Apply for Nepal Visa On Arrival at the Border if You Go Overland from Lhasa to Kathmandu

While the same requirements for the Visa on Arrival at the airport apply to travelers taking Tibet Nepal tours

Our local guide will wait for you passing through the border with your passport and your visa.

The main difference is that the visa application form must be completed by hand, as the border checkpoint does not have a kiosk, and the online system does not apply to travelers using the land border crossings.

You will also find that you will need to pay the fee direct to the immigration officials that are handling your visa, so it is important that you get the receipt for the visa fee, and be prepared to ask for it, especially if it is not given right away when you pay. And while the airport may accept payment in a variety of currencies, and even with some cards, the border checkpoints usually insist of payment in US dollars only. As the fee is still just 40 US dollars, it is advisable to carry small dollar bills with you, as the immigration officers will not give you change.

Conclusion

While it is possible, and even preferable for some, to get the visa from the embassy or consulate before traveling to Nepal, the Nepali Visa on Arrival is a much easier and better option, especially if your trip is a spur-or-the-moment thing, or you are traveling through several different countries before getting to Nepal. And with the new online application process, getting through immigration and getting your Visa on Arrival has become even easier.