Nepal Travel General Information

Entry Procedures & Visa Rules

a. Tourist Visa
Visa Facility      Duration     Fee
Multiple entry    15 days     US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry    30 days     US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry     90 days    US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency
b.    Gratis (Free) Visa  
•    Gratis visa for 30 days is available only for nationals of SAARC countries. However, for extension of visa for SAARC nationals, the rule is same as that of other nationals.
•    Indian nationals do not require visa to enter into Nepal.

For Visa Extension:
Tourists can stay for a maximum of 150 days in a visa year (Jan 1 to Dec 31) extending the visa at the rate of 2 US $ per day. However, a minimum amount of 30 US$ has to be paid for a period of 15 days or less.

Custom Formalities
Customs:
All baggage must be declared and cleared through the customs on arrival at the entry point. 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 Nepal free of duty: cigarettes (200 sticks) or cigars (50 sticks), 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: binoculars, 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, such as sacred images, paintings, manuscripts that are valued for culture and religious reasons. Visitors are advised not to purchase such items as they are Nepal's cultural heritage and belong here.
For more information on customs matters, contact the Chief Customs Administrator, TIA Customs Office (Phone: 4470110, 4472266).

Accommodation In Nepal
Nepal has every category of accommodation facilities that range from international standard star hotels to budget hotels and lodges. To ensure quality service, it is advisable to use the facilities and services of government registered hotels, lodges, travel agencies, licensed tour guides only and engage an authorized trekking guide or porter only through a registered travel and trekking agency. 

In the last few decades, Kathmandu and Pokhara with the rest of Nepal has seen the mushrooming of world class hotels. During spring and fall, the better hotels work at near full capacity and are booked well in advance. There are, however, plenty of less glamorous but decent hotels to suit everyone's fancies and finances. Most hotels offer a choice: bed and breakfast; bed, breakfast and one other meal; or room and full board. Rates listed however, are for room only, unless otherwise indicated. Toilets and showers in this case are generally communal and heating is extra. These small hostelries are located in the older parts of Kathmandu and in the Thamel district.  With the boom of tourism in Nepal since the early 1970s, even Nepalis living in remote parts of the country have improved the standard of local tourist facilities. Hence accommodation and meals for tourists are more easily available than ever before.