Entry and Exit, Getting into Nepal $ Visa information.
Nepal makes things easy for foreign travelers. Visas are available on arrival at the international airport in Kathmandu and at all land border crossings that are open to foreigners, as long as you have passport photos to hand and can pay the visa fee in foreign currency (some crossings insist on payment in US dollars). Your passport must be valid for at least six months and you will need a whole free page for your visa.
Customs Regulations
All baggage is X-rayed on arrival and departure, though it’s a pretty haphazard process. In addition to the import and export of drugs, customs is concerned with the illegal export of antiques.
You may not import Nepali rupees, and only nationals of Nepal and India may import Indian currency.
There are no other restrictions on bringing in either cash or travellers cheques, but the amount taken out at departure should not exceed the amount brought in.
Officially you should declare cash or travellers cheques in excess of US$2500, or the equivalent, but no one seems to bother with this, and it is laxly enforced.
All foreigners, except Indians, must have a visa.
Antiques
Customs’ main concern is preventing the export of antique works of art, and with good reason: Nepal has been a particular victim of international art theft over the last 20 years.
It is very unlikely that souvenirs sold to travelers will be antique (despite the claims of the vendors), but if there is any doubt, they should be cleared and a certificate obtained from the Department of Archaeology in central Kathmandu’s National Archives building. If you visit the department between 10am and 1pm, you should be able to pick up a certificate by 5pm the same day. These controls also apply to the export of precious and semiprecious stones.
You can go for overland travel to enter Nepal from both India and Tibet.
If you are in Tibet, you can enter Nepal by crossing the border at Kodari. Thereafter, take a bus to Kathmandu. This will take you 7 to 12 hours depending on the road conditions.
The easiest and hassle free overland route to Nepal from India is via Gorakhpur using train and the Sunauli/Belahiya border post. The only direct buses from this route to Kathmandu run at night and take approximately 9 hours. Raxaul/Birgung border post can also be used to visit Nepal. But this may not leave you with a pleasant travelling experience. If you are in West Bengal State of India you can come to Nepal via Karkabhitta and Pashupatinagar.
By Land : Driving into Kathmandu Nepal.
Entry points between Nepal and India
Kakarbhitta and Jogbini – eastern part of Nepal
Birgung – Central part of Nepal
Belari, Nepalganj, Dhangadi and Mahendranagar in Western part of Nepal
Entry points between Nepal and Tibet China
Kodari and Kerung in central part of Nepal
BY AIR
Kathmandu is the only international airport in Nepal. There are a number of International Airlines with direct flights to Kathmandu.
Thai Airways International operates daily flight between Bangkok and Kathmandu.
Qatar Airways flies daily between Doha and Kathmandu with connecting flights to/from Europe and America.
Air China flies between Lhasa, with connecting flights to/from mainland China, thrice a week.
Indian Airlines have frequent flights between Delhi, Calcutta,Mumbai and Kathmandu.
Turkish Airline, Malaysian Airlines, Ethiad Airways, Himalayan Airlines, Dragon Sir, China Southern, Korean Air, Oman Air, Air Arabia, Fly dubai, are some of the major airways to reach Nepal.
Nepal Airlines (RA) Fly –
between Hong Kong and Kathmandu.
between Bangkok and Kathmandu.
between Singapore and Kathmandu via Bangkok.
between Delhi and Kathmandu.
between Mumbai and Kathmandu.
Beside these there are Biman Bangladesh, Jet Airways, Pakistan Airlines, connecting Kathmandu with many countries.
Visas
Tourist visas (15-, 30- and 90-day) available on arrival; bring two photos and cash in US dollars
Nepali Visas
Nepali embassies and consulates overseas issue visas with no fuss. You can also get one on the spot when you arrive in Nepal, either at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport or at road borders at Nepalganj, Birganj/Raxaul Bazaar, Sunauli, Kakarbhitta, Mahendranagar, Dhangadhi and even the funky Kodari checkpoint on the road to Tibet.
A Nepali visa is valid for entry for three to six months from the date of issue. Children under 10 require a visa but are not charged a visa fee. Your passport must have at least six months of validity. Citizens of South Asian countries (except India) and China need visas, but, if you’re only entering once in a calender year then these are free.
To obtain a visa upon arrival by air in Nepal you must fill in an application form and provide a passport photograph. For people with electronic passports there are now visa registration machines in the immigration hall which, after inserting your passport, will automatically fill out the visa form for you. However you do it, getting through immigration can take up to an hour, depending on the numbers. A single-entry visa valid for 15/30/90 days costs US$25/40/100. Visa application forms are available on a table in the arrivals hall, though some airlines provide this form on the flight. At Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport the fee is payable in any major currency, but at land borders officials require payment in cash US dollars; bring small bills.
Multiple-entry visas are useful if you are planning a side trip to Tibet, Bhutan or India. You can change your single-entry visa to a multiple-entry visa at Kathmandu’s Central Immigration Office for US$20.
Don’t overstay your visa. You can pay a fine of US$3 per day at the airport if you have overstayed less than 30 days (plus a US$2 per day visa extension fee), but it’s far better to get it all sorted out in advance at Kathmandu’s Central Immigration Office, as a delay could cause you to miss your flight.
It’s a good idea to keep a number of passport photos with your passport so they are immediately handy for trekking permits, visa applications and other official documents.
Visa Extensions:
Visa extensions are available from immigration offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara only and cost a minimum US$30 (payable in rupees only) for a 15-day extension, plus US$2 per day after that. To extend for 30 days is US$50 and to extend a multiple-entry visa add on US$20. If you’ll be in Nepal for more than 60 days you are better off getting a 90-day visa on arrival, rather than a 60-day visa plus an extension.
You can extend a tourist visa up to a total stay of 150 days within a calendar year, though as you get close to that maximum you’ll have to provide an air ticket to show you’re leaving the country.
You can get up-to-date visa information at the website of the Department of Immigration (www.nepalimmigration.gov.np)
