# Nepal Visa on Arrival: The Complete 2026 Guide

_How Nepal's visa on arrival works in 2026: the Kathmandu airport steps, current fees, cash vs card, extensions, and a timing trick for a near-300-day stay._

How Nepal's visa on arrival works in 2026: the Kathmandu airport steps, current fees, cash vs card, extensions, and a timing trick for a near-300-day stay.

### Quick summary

- **Most nationalities get a tourist visa on arrival** at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and at major land borders — no embassy visit before you fly. A short list of nationalities must apply in advance, so confirm yours before booking.
- **On-arrival fees (USD):** 15 days **$30**, 30 days **$50**, 90 days **$125**.
- **Bring US-dollar cash.** The counter is priced in USD and advises carrying cash; card machines work _sometimes_, not always.
- **You can stay up to 150 days per visa year**, and the visa year is the calendar year — it resets every **1 January**. Time it right and you can legally chain close to **300 days** across two visa years.
- **A few days' overstay** after a delayed trek is a minor pay-at-the-counter matter (about **$8/day**). A long overstay is a different story.
- Travelling with us? **Visa guidance, airport pickup and a pre-trip briefing are part of the package** — [plan a custom trip](/contact).

### Do you need a visa for Nepal?

Yes — but for the vast majority of travellers the visa is issued **on arrival**, so there is nothing to organise with an embassy beforehand. You fill a form, pay a fee in cash, and walk to the immigration desk for a stamp. The whole thing is usually quick; the only reliable way to slow it down is to arrive without dollars in your pocket.

The fee buys a **multiple-entry tourist visa** for the number of days you choose (15, 30 or 90), so you can pop out to a neighbour like India and come back without buying a new visa.

### The arrival process at Kathmandu (TIA), step by step

The airport runs the on-arrival visa as a simple three-desk flow:

1. **Fill the forms.** Complete the Arrival Card and the online Tourist Visa application — either on the Department of Immigration website _before_ you fly (the barcode receipt is valid 15 days) or at the **kiosk machines** in the arrivals hall. Doing it beforehand skips the kiosk queue.
2. **Pay at the bank counter.** Take your receipt to the visa-fee counter and pay. Official guidance is that several payment modes are accepted but carrying some cash is advised. In practice, **US-dollar cash is the safe default** — it sidesteps card-machine outages and poor counter rates.
3. **Get the stamp at immigration.** Hand the officer your passport, the completed form and the payment receipt. Stamp, and you are in.

> The single biggest time-saver is having the **exact fee in USD cash** ready before you reach the counter. Everything else is just paperwork.

![Travellers at Kathmandu's international airport after landing](https://amplify-ecotournepal-saru-ecotournepalmediabucketf-2rwlchiydjqx.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/media/people-standing-in-airport-for-boarding.avif)

### How much does the Nepal visa cost in 2026?

On-arrival tourist-visa fees are charged in **US dollars**:

- **15 days — $30**
- **30 days — $50**
- **90 days — $125**

Children under 10 are typically exempt, and SAARC nationals get separate terms. Fees can change, so treat these as current-as-checked and re-confirm on the official [Department of Immigration site](https://www.immigration.gov.np/visa-information) before you travel.

### Which visa length should you choose?

A simple rule: **buy a little more than your planned itinerary**, because mountain logistics slip. If a Lukla flight or a pass closure pushes your [Everest Base Camp trek](/mountain-treks/everest-base-camp-trek) or [Annapurna Base Camp trek](/mountain-treks/annapurna-base-camp-trek) by a few days, you do not want to be racing your own visa to the airport.

- **A two- or three-week trip:** the 30-day visa ($50) is the comfortable default.
- **A long trek plus city and culture time:** many of our guests run **20–25 days** end to end, so the 30-day visa still fits with room to spare.
- **A season-long stay or a workcation:** go straight for the 90-day visa, then extend.

### The 150-day cap — and the ~300-day "straddle"

Here is the rule most guides miss. A tourist visa is capped at **150 days per visa year**, and the **visa year is the calendar year (1 January–31 December)**, counted across all your entries. The cap **resets every 1 January.**

That reset is the trick. If you **arrive around August** and use your 150 days, then on **1 January** the counter resets and you can extend again into the new calendar year. Timed well, a plain tourist visa gives you close to **300 continuous days** in Nepal across two visa years — no special long-stay visa required. It is the single most useful thing a long-stay traveller or [remote worker in Nepal](/work-from-nepal) can know.

### Extending your visa

Extensions are handled in person at the **Department of Immigration in Kalikasthan, Kathmandu** or the **Pokhara Immigration Office** (there is also an online portal). It mirrors the airport: a kiosk to fill the form, then a counter to pay.

- **Cost:** **$3/day**, with a **15-day minimum** (so $45 is the smallest extension).
- **Multiple re-entry:** add about **$25** if you need it.
- **Ceiling:** you still cannot exceed **150 days** in the visa year.

### What happens if you overstay?

Be honest about the two very different cases:

- **A short overstay** — the classic "my trek ran two days long" — is settled at the counter: you pay the **extension ($3/day) plus a late fine ($5/day)**, roughly **$8/day**. Mildly annoying, not a crisis.
- **A serious overstay** falls under the **Immigration Act 2049**, which allows fines up to **NPR 50,000** and, at the extreme, deportation and a re-entry ban.

If a flight delay threatens your visa window, sort the extension _before_ the expiry date, not after.

### How we make the visa a non-event

Book a trip with EcoTourNepal and the visa stops being something you worry about:

- A **pre-trip briefing** tells you exactly how many dollars to carry and which visa length to buy for your itinerary.
- **Airport pickup is included** — after a long flight, a named driver and a vehicle with water and snacks beats haggling for a taxi in a new language.
- If your plan needs an **extension**, our admin team handles the legwork; you only appear in person where the law requires your signature.

Ready to plan? [Talk to a Nepal travel expert](/contact) or [build a custom Nepal trip](/contact) and we will handle the rest.

## FAQ

### Can I get a Nepal visa on arrival, or do I need to apply in advance?

Most nationalities get a tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport and major land borders. Only a short list of countries must apply beforehand, so check your nationality before you fly.

### How much is the Nepal tourist visa in 2026?

US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, and US$125 for 90 days, paid in US dollars on arrival. Children under 10 are usually exempt and SAARC nationals get separate terms.

### Should I bring cash or can I pay by card?

Bring US-dollar cash. The fee counter is priced in USD and advises carrying cash; card machines sometimes work but are not guaranteed, so cash is the safe default.

### How long can I stay in Nepal on a tourist visa?

Up to 150 days per calendar year. Because the cap resets on 1 January, a well-timed entry can chain close to 300 continuous days across two visa years without a special long-stay visa.

### What happens if I overstay my Nepal visa by a few days?

A short overstay is handled at the airport counter for about US$8 per day (a US$3/day extension plus a US$5/day fine). Long overstays fall under the Immigration Act and can mean large fines, so extend before your visa expires.

## Next step

- **Plan a Custom Nepal Trip:** /contact
- Talk to a Nepal Travel Expert: /contact

---

Canonical: https://www.ecotournepal.com/blog/nepal-visa-on-arrival-2026
Last updated: 2026-06-19