River Callahan
Nepal gives most tourists the same visa through two different doors, and choosing the right door is mostly about queue management at Kathmandu. Route one is the online application: you complete the tourist visa form on the Department of Immigration’s NepaliPort portal before you fly, print the barcode receipt, and finish the process at Tribhuvan International Airport. Route two is the classic visa on arrival: you complete the same form at a self service kiosk in the arrival hall, pay at the bank counter, and receive the visa at the immigration desk. The visa itself is identical either way: a multiple entry tourist visa costing US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days or US$125 for 90 days. This guide separates the two routes step by step, then covers gratis visas, extensions and the travellers who cannot use either route. Fees verified against the Department of Immigration on November 14, 2026.
Quick Facts
- Visa fees: US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days, all multiple entry.
- Online route: Form on the official NepaliPort portal, nepaliport.immigration.gov.np, receipt valid 15 days.
- On arrival route: Kiosk form in the Tribhuvan arrival hall, payment at the bank counter, visa at the immigration desk.
- Gratis visas: SAARC nationals except Afghanistan get up to 30 days free on a first visit in a visa year; children under 10 are free except United States citizens; Chinese nationals receive gratis visas for up to 150 days.
- Stay cap: Tourists may stay a maximum of 150 days in a visa year, the calendar year from January 1 to December 31.
- Extensions: US$3 per day with a 15 day minimum of US$45, handled in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
- No visa on arrival: Citizens of 12 listed countries must arrange a visa through a Nepali mission in advance.
- Indian nationals: No visa is required at all.
Route one: the online application, step by step
The online form is a pre application, not a visa in your inbox. On the Department of Immigration’s NepaliPort system you enter your passport details, travel dates and a recent photograph, then submit and save the confirmation receipt with its barcode. That receipt stays valid for 15 days, after which the application is deleted from the system, so the form should be completed inside the two weeks before departure rather than months ahead. On arrival at Tribhuvan you present the printed or saved receipt, pay the fee for your chosen duration, and the immigration officer issues the visa. A separate Electronic Travel Authorization style online payment route on the same official portal lets some travellers pay the visa fee by card in advance, which removes the bank counter stop; the Department warns that payments made through third party websites, apps or agents are not its responsibility and government payments are not refunded, so the official .gov.np portal is the only safe channel.
Route two: visa on arrival at Kathmandu, step by step
The on arrival route uses the same form, completed standing up. After landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, travellers fill in the arrival card and the tourist visa form at the self service kiosks in the immigration hall, then pay the fee at the bank counter inside the hall and receive a payment receipt. With the receipt, passport and photograph, the traveller proceeds to the immigration desk for the visa itself. The process is straightforward outside peak arrival banks, but several international flights landing together can stretch the kiosk and bank counter queues, which is exactly the friction the online pre application exists to remove. Paying in United States dollars or another major convertible currency, or by card where the counter supports it, keeps the bank stop short. Our first time in Kathmandu itinerary picks up the trip from the airport door.
Which route should you choose?
Choose the online form if you are landing in a busy bank of arrivals, travelling with children, or connecting onward to a domestic flight the same day: the saved minutes are real and the cost is zero. Choose the kiosk route if your trip was booked inside the form’s 15 day validity window in a way that makes pre completion awkward, or if you simply prefer paper in hand; the visa, fee and stay rights are identical. What neither route changes is eligibility: both are the same tourist visa issued under the same rules.
Who gets a gratis visa, and who gets none at the airport?
Gratis, meaning free, visas are issued to defined categories. Citizens of SAARC countries other than Afghanistan receive up to 30 days free when visiting Nepal for the first time in a given visa year; Afghan citizens qualify for a gratis visa on arrival only on the Department of Immigration’s recommendation. Children below 10 years are free, except United States citizens, who are excluded under visa reciprocity. Holders of a Non Resident Nepali card receive gratis visas, and Chinese nationals receive gratis tourist visas for up to 150 days. Indian nationals sit outside the system entirely and need no visa. At the other end, citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria cannot obtain a visa on arrival and must apply through a Nepali embassy or consulate before travelling.
How do stay extensions work?
A tourist visa can be extended at the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu or the immigration office in Pokhara, up to a hard ceiling of 150 days in a visa year, which runs with the calendar year. Extensions cost US$3 per day with a minimum charge covering 15 days, so the first extension block costs US$45. Applying after the existing visa has expired adds a late fee of US$5 per day on top of the extension charge, so the economical habit is to extend while the current visa is still valid. The extension form can be started on the same official portal before visiting the office, and a multiple entry facility for the extended period carries its own additional charge under the Department’s fee schedule. Trekkers pairing a visa extension with a longer Himalayan season can plan the city days with our Kathmandu coverage linked above. Travellers combining Nepal with a wider Asia itinerary can compare the region’s other online systems in our Vietnam 90 day e visa guide, which works on a fully online model rather than Nepal’s hybrid of online form and airport issuance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the online Nepal visa a real eVisa?
The standard online form is a pre application: it produces a barcode receipt valid for 15 days, and the visa is still issued by the immigration officer when you arrive. A separate online payment and Electronic Travel Authorization route on the official portal completes more of the process in advance. Both sit on the Department of Immigration’s own system.
How much does a Nepal tourist visa cost?
US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days or US$125 for 90 days. All three durations are multiple entry tourist visas, and the same fees apply whichever route you use.
Do SAARC nationals really travel free?
SAARC citizens other than Afghans receive a gratis visa for up to 30 days on their first visit in a visa year. Repeat visits in the same visa year are charged at the normal rates.
How long can a tourist stay in Nepal in total?
A maximum of 150 days in a visa year, counting the initial visa and all extensions together. The visa year is the calendar year, January 1 to December 31.
What does an extension cost?
US$3 per day, with a 15 day minimum of US$45, processed in Kathmandu or Pokhara. Extending after expiry adds a US$5 per day late fee.
Which nationalities cannot get a visa on arrival?
The Department lists Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria. Citizens of those countries must obtain a visa from a Nepali mission before travel.
