Nepal visa & passport guide
Everything Indian passport holders need to visit Nepal — visa type, fees, processing time, documents, and the step-by-step application process.
Nepal Visa for Indian Passport Holders
Indian passport holders do not need a visa for Nepal. Under the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950, Indians can enter, stay, work and travel in Nepal without a visa and without any time limit for tourism. You do need a valid photo ID, and a passport is the most trouble-free option, especially if you are flying in.
Visa Type
Visa-free (no visa required, no stay limit for tourism)
Visa Fee
Free
Processing Time
Not applicable, walk-in entry at the border or airport
Stay Duration
No fixed limit for Indian nationals; visits beyond 30 days require registration with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu if you plan to stay long term
Passport Validity
If using a passport, keep at least 6 months validity from date of entry. Nepal does not enforce this for Indians, but airlines and hotels prefer it
Documents Required
- Valid Indian passport (best option, mandatory if arriving by air on an international sector)
- Alternatively, Election Commission voter ID card for land border crossings
- Alternatively, Emergency Certificate or Identity Certificate issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu
- For travellers aged 15 to 18: photo identity certificate issued by the principal of their school or college
- Children below 15 travelling with parents do not need separate photo ID but carry Aadhaar or birth certificate anyway
- Confirmed return or onward ticket and hotel booking (asked for occasionally at Tribhuvan Airport)
- TIMS card and trekking permit if you plan to trek in Annapurna, Langtang or Everest regions
How to Apply
- 1No visa application is needed. Book flights to Kathmandu or Pokhara, or plan a land crossing via Sunauli (UP), Raxaul-Birgunj (Bihar), Kakarbhitta (West Bengal) or Banbasa (Uttarakhand).
- 2Carry your passport or voter ID. Aadhaar card, PAN card and driving licence are not accepted as valid ID for entry into Nepal.
- 3At the airport or land border, fill the arrival card and get your entry recorded by Nepal Immigration. There is no fee and no visa sticker for Indians.
- 4If trekking, obtain the TIMS card and area permit from the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu (Bhrikutimandap) or Pokhara. Indians pay lower permit rates than other foreigners.
- 5Declare Indian currency if you are carrying above the permitted limit. Only notes of Rs 100 and below are officially allowed to be taken into Nepal, with Rs 200, 500 and 2000 notes restricted.
Good to Know
- Rs 500 and Rs 2000 Indian notes are not legal tender in Nepal. Carry Rs 100 notes or use ATMs in Kathmandu and Pokhara to withdraw Nepali rupees. The exchange rate is fixed at roughly NPR 1.60 to INR 1.
- Indian mobile numbers work on international roaming but it gets expensive. Buy an NCell or Nepal Telecom tourist SIM at Tribhuvan Airport with a passport copy and photo.
- Best months are October and November for clear Himalayan views after the monsoon, and March to April for rhododendron blooms. December and January in Kathmandu drop to around 2-4 degrees at night.
- Time your trip with Dashain (September-October) or Tihar (October-November) for the festival atmosphere, but book hotels well ahead as domestic travel peaks then.
- Indian vehicles can enter Nepal but need a Bhansar (customs permit) at the border, valid for a set number of days, plus valid insurance and pollution certificate.
- Flights from Delhi to Kathmandu take about 1 hour 45 minutes and typically cost Rs 12,000 to Rs 22,000 return depending on season. The Gorakhpur to Sunauli road route is the cheapest way in from North India.
- Domestic flights to Lukla for the Everest region are frequently cancelled due to weather. Keep two buffer days in your itinerary.
- Travel insurance is not mandatory but strongly recommended if you are trekking above 3,000 metres, since helicopter evacuation costs can run into lakhs.
Visa rules and fees change — verify with the official embassy or immigration website before booking travel.
