Other visas

Other visas: work, study, business, residence, family

The tourist visa covers most trips. To work, study, invest, retire or join family, Nepal issues other, non-tourist visas. This page gives the broad outline; the exact file depends on the organisation sponsoring you. Situation as of 10 October 2026.

What to know first

No non-tourist visa is issued on arrival. Every visa issued at the airport and land borders is a tourist visa (except transit and diplomatic visas). You enter on a tourist visa, then apply for conversion at the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu; the tourist visa is cancelled once the new visa is granted.
You need a Nepali sponsor. Every non-tourist visa requires a recommendation from a ministry or department (Education, Industry, Labour, Information…), obtained by the employer, school or host organisation. A traveller cannot apply alone.
A tourist visa does not allow you to work, even unpaid: only the Working visa does. See the volunteering page on Visit Nepal.
Indicative fees. These visas are paid by the month or the year, and the Department of Immigration's own pages do not always give the same amount: the ranges below include all of them. Re-entry: about USD 20 (single) or USD 60 (multiple) extra.

The main visas

Working

Employees of a Nepali company, NGO or public body, and volunteers of organisations with an agreement with the state. The only visa that allows work.

Sponsor: the sector's ministry, a Department of Labour work permit and Ministry of Home Affairs approval; for an NGO, a general agreement with the Social Welfare Council
Duration: usually one year, renewable
Fee: USD 30 to 75 per month depending on the employer

Study

Students, researchers and teachers. Only teachers may work.

Sponsor: Ministry of Education; for teaching, also the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Labour
Duration: one year at most, renewable with a progress report
Funds: USD 3,000 per person per year, USD 2,000 per dependant
Fee: USD 20 to 75 per month depending on the type of study

Business

Foreign investors and managers of a company established in Nepal.

Sponsor: Department of Industry, with the foreign investment approval
Duration: one month to one year, or five years; multiple re-entry included
Fee: depending on the investment: USD 10 to 35 per month or USD 100 to 400 per year; free for very large investments

Residential

Retirees who want to live in Nepal without working, investors of at least USD 100,000, people of international reputation.

Retirees: aged 60 or retired, USD 20,000 in a bank account and USD 20,000 income per year, health certificate, police record and a letter from your embassy
Sponsor: Ministry of Home Affairs approval; Department of Industry for an investor
Duration: one year, renewable
Fee: USD 700 to 1,200 per year for a retiree, less for an investor

Family of a Nepali (Marriage, Relation)

Foreign spouse of a Nepali citizen (Marriage visa); other relatives of a Nepali (Relation visa).

Conditions: marriage or relationship certificate; the Nepali relative appears in person at every application
Duration: six months the first time, then up to one year
Fee: USD 15 per month (spouse), USD 5 to 25 per month (other relatives)
Work: not allowed without specific permission

Press

Journalists on assignment.

Sponsor: Department of Information, with a Nepal Press Council card
Duration: four months at most at a time
Fee: USD 10 to 15 per month

Non-Resident Nepali (NRN)

People of Nepali origin holding an NRN card, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an embassy.

Process: free tourist visa on arrival, then an NRN visa at the Department of Immigration
Duration: up to one year at a time, while the card is valid
Fee: free

Transit

Connecting passengers who need to leave Kathmandu airport.

Conditions: onward ticket
Duration: 24 hours
Fee: USD 5, at the airport

Special cases

No digital nomad visa. A five-year visa for remote workers was proposed in 2025 (income of USD 1,500 a month or USD 20,000 in savings), but it does not exist as of October 2026. Working remotely on a tourist visa remains a grey area.

No trekking or mountaineering visa. You enter on a tourist visa and add trekking or expedition permits: see permits on Trek Nepal.

Diplomats and official missions: free visas issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an embassy, or 30 days at the port of entry. Indian citizens: no visa needed; a passport or voter ID card is enough to enter by air.

A reform in preparation. A bill sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs at the end of September 2026 would take Nepal from 9 to 17 visa types (sports and adventure sports, medical treatment, spirituality…). It has not been passed: the rules above remain in force.

Sources: Nepal Department of Immigration (Visa Information, Visa Fees and Documents and FAQ pages, updated 7 October 2026); The Daily Star, from the Kathmandu Post (29 May 2025); Ratopati (1 October 2026). Checked on 10 October 2026.

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Getting your visa

Our recommendation Most travellers The visa on arrival Issued at Kathmandu airport, in Pokhara, Bhairahawa and at the land border posts. Nothing is mandatory before you leave, but two steps can be done online and save you time at the airport. 10 min to 1 h 30See the visa on arrival

The eVisa (ETA) Same form and same price as the visa on arrival paid online, with one difference: immigration reviews your file before you leave (a few hours to three working days) and sends you a QR-coded authorisation, valid 6 months. At the airport, the same direct walk to the immigration desk. Note: the number of eVisa applications accepted each day is capped, for all travellers combined. ≤ 3 working daysSee the eVisa steps

Mandatory for 13 nationalities The embassy visa Obtained before departure from a Nepalese embassy or consulate, in person or by post. Same price, about 5 working days. Visa sticker in the passport or QR-coded authorisation, depending on the embassy, valid 6 months. Essential if your passport is not eligible for visa on arrival, or if you want to leave with peace of mind. ≈ 5 working daysSee the embassy procedure