Nepal General Information

Nepal Visa

All the travelers should have valid passport for at least six months and visa can be obtain from Nepalese embassy or consulate in your country, however visa is stamp at the time of arrival in Airport. Children bellow 10 years need not pay any visa fee. Travelers willing to get entry visa at the air port or at any entry points in Nepal are required to fill a visa form with passport and photographs while passing through the immigration.

Chinese citizen are requested to apply in the Nepalese embassy or other Nepalese diplomatic missions as there is no provisions of on arrival visa for them.

Transit visa
Transit visa can be obtained from the Airport Immigration Office for a period of 48 hours on presentation of confirmed air ticket.

Visa Fee

• Gratis visa for 30 days available only for tourists of SAARC countries
• 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

Visa Extension
.
It can be extended at the Department of Immigration, Maitighar, Kathmandu.

• Visa extension fee for 15 days or less is US $ 30 or equivalent convertible currency and visa extension fee for more than 15 days is US$ 2 per day
• Tourist visa can be extended for a maximum period of 150 days in a single visa year (January – December).

TIME
Nepal is 5 hrs 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard time and other time differences are presented separately.

ELECTRICITY 
Electricity is only found in major towns with 220 volts/ 50 cycles.

LOCAL CURRENCY 
In Nepal Nepalese Rupee is subdivided into 100 paisa. The denominations of currency notes are available in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 500, and 1000. Similarly, coins are available in 1, 2 and 5 rupees, which are in circulation.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE:
Foreign visitors other than the Indian nationals are required to pay in foreign currency. However, other payment must be paid in Nepalese currency. Exchange counter are available at the airport and local banks. There are also foreign exchange counters available at the different places of the cities. Tourists are advised to obtain and retained the foreign exchange encashment receipts so as to reconvert the unused Nepali currency into foreign currency. Visitors are required to fill the currency declaration form at the port of entry. Major national daily newspapers publish foreign exchange rates everyday.

OFFICIAL WEEKLY HOLIDAY
Government and most of the offices work six day a week. Saturday is the official weekly holidays in Nepal. Most of the shops are remains open from Sunday through to Friday, while Museum throughout the valley remains closed on Tuesday and other Government holidays. Other holidays are listed in the Nepalese calendar.

WORKING HOURS:
Government offices open from 10 A.M. to 17:00 P.M. during summer and till 16:00 P.M. in winter. On Friday, these offices are open till 15:00 P.M.

BANKS:
Banks are open between 09:00 A.M. to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

CUSTOMS FORMALITIES: 
Passengers arriving at Tribhuwan International airport (TIA) without any dutiable goods can pass through the Green Channel for quick clearance without a baggage check. If you are carrying dutiable goods and articles, you have to be declared at the Red Channel. It is illegal to export goods over 100 years old. The Department of Archeology has to certify for export any metal statues, sacred paintings and similar objects before being taken out of the country. All bags must be declared and cleared through customs inspection at the airport of entry. Visitors are allowed to import the following articles for their personal use. Tourist can bring dutiable goods such as tobacco and liquors free of duty and other taxes subject to the following limits

• Cigarettes 200 sticks
• Cigars 50 sticks
• Liquor, one bottle not exceeding 1.15 liter
• Beer 12 cans
• Binoculars
• One movie camera with 12 rolls of film or one video camera
• One ordinary camera with 15 rolls of film
• One tape recorder with 15 tape reels or cassettes
• One perambulator
• One tricycle
• One sleeping bag and one sock.

AIRPORT TAX:
An Airport tax of Rs. 770 + 565 tourism service charge per passenger is levied on departure to SAARC (South Asian) Countries and Rs. 1100 + 565 tourism service charge to other international destinations. Those flying within Nepal are required to pay Rs. 170 as the airport tax.

HEALTH:
International certificate of vaccination regarding current inoculation against cholera, typhoid and yellow fever is not required.

WATER: 
In Kathmandu, boiled and filtered water as well as mineral water is available in most of the hotels and restaurants. Elsewhere, it is advisable to use water sterilization tablets or stick to tea and soft drinks.

PAYING
Foreign visitors other than the Indian nationals are required to pay their hotel bills and air tickets in foreign currency.