If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you already know that Nepal is our favourite country in the world.
From the rabbit warren of Kathmandu to the dramatic peaks of the world’s tallest mountains, the friendly smiles of locals to the deliciously belly-warming food; there’s just so much to love about this beautiful country.
But before you start planning your own epic Nepal travels, it can help to know a little more about what to expect – especially from those who have been before!
From how to get around and where to stay to how to organise your visa and what to eat, see and do, plus tips for how to travel respectfully and responsibly here; here’s everything we wish we had known before our own Nepal travels.
Use the Nepal travel tips in this guide to help you plan the best trip ever!
ALL TOURISTS REQUIRE A VISA TO ENTER NEPAL
UPDATED 17/7/2019 | Nepal tourist visas are are available on arrival at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International airport as well as all land border crossings. If you’re worried you can also apply for a visa online up to 15 days before your arrival (you must travel to Nepal within six months of visa being approved).
NOTE | Make sure you’re applying for your visa on the official government site, rather than scam sites like iVisa who charge you exponentially more to complete the very same form that you do.
NEPAL VISA FEES
Visa fees for Nepal were increased on the 17/7/2019 and are now as follows:
15 day Nepal single-entry visa | US$30
30 day Nepal single-entry visa | US$50
90 day Nepal single-entry visa | US$125
You’ll need to ensure you have a passport photo with you and at least six months left on your passport.
NEPAL VISA ON ARRIVAL STEPS
We can vouch that the on-arrival process is a fairly smooth one, however, it can take time, especially in peak tourism seasons such as Sept – Dec, and Feb – May.
The steps for arranging your Nepal tourist visa on arrival at Tribhuvan Airport are as follows:
Fill in the Nepal immigration ‘Arrival Card’
Fill in online ‘Tourist Visa’ form. This can be filled out prior to arrival by visiting our official website Department of Immigration. If you apply online, you will get submission receipt with barcode, which you’ll need to bring with you to acquiring the Nepal visa. It works for fifteen days prior to arrival, and becomes invalid thereafter. Alternatively, fill it up using Kiosk machines upon your arrival at the airport)
Make a payment at the counter to the right of the visa kiosks to your visa requirement ( 15/30/90 Days). While you can pay with your bank card, we advise you to carry some cash to be on the safe side (USD is best)
Get the receipt (don’t forget this!)
Pass through passport control, showing your passport, visa receipt and
–
YOU CAN EXTEND YOUR NEPAL VISA PRETTY EASILY
It only took a couple of days before we realised we’d fallen head over heels for the country and wanted to extend our 30-day visa to spend more time exploring the best things to do in the Nepal. If you need to do the same, the process goes a little something like this:
Fill in this visa extension form on the Nepal Immigration website
Print the confirmation
Take the confirmation, a copy of your passport, a passport photo, and your passport with you to the Immigration office (we went to the one in Pokhara, but there’s also one in Kathmandu too).
Be prepared to wait, particularly if there are other people being served to. Our whole process took a few hours in total!
Quick interview with an immigration officer, pay US$40 for a 15-day extension (longer options are also available), wait a little longer, then…
You’re set!
Note: you’ll probably come across many backpackers who are tempted to simply overstay their visa as the fine is quite cheap at US$5 per day, plus a US$2 per day extension fee (so $7 altogether) – however we definitely don’t recommend risking an overstay on your record, in case it causes further issues down the line (like say, you want to come back again another time!).
