Nepal now lets tourists apply online before they travel. The Department of Immigration calls it an eTA (electronic travel authorisation); it has been fully in force since 17 August 2026 and is converted into your visa when you land. It is optional — visa on arrival still works — and it comes with a few catches that the official page doesn't spell out: a daily cap on applications, a card fee, and approval emails that sometimes arrive without the document attached.
The short version
What matters before you apply.
- Apply only at nepaliport-new.immigration.gov.np. Fees are the same as on arrival: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, USD 125 for 90 days.
- A card fee of 3.5% (minimum the rupee equivalent of USD 1) is added, and fees are non-refundable.
- Allow several days for approval, not minutes, and apply early: the portal stops taking applications when its daily limit is reached.
- Use it within six months of issue; your stay counts from the day you enter. Carry a printout.
- Not in a hurry to apply online? Visa on arrival at Kathmandu is still available to most nationalities.
eTA or visa on arrival?
The eTA's advantage is certainty: you land with your visa already approved. Its drawbacks are the card fee, the wait, and a portal that can be slow or full. Visa on arrival costs the same, needs no advance planning, and at Kathmandu you can pay by card with US dollars as a backup.
| eTA (online) | Visa on arrival | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | USD 30 / 50 / 125 + card fee (3.5%, min USD 1) | USD 30 / 50 / 125 |
| When | Before travel; use within 6 months | When you land |
| Waiting | Hours to a few days; daily cap on applications | Queue at the airport, busiest in Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr |
| Refund | Non-refundable once paid | — |
| Best for | Planners who want certainty before flying | Anyone who prefers to keep it simple |
How to apply for Nepal's eTA, step by step
You don't need an account. Have your passport (valid at least six months), a good scan of its photo page, a recent passport-style photo on a plain white background, your Nepal address (hotel), and a card that works for online payments with bank verification.
- 1. Open nepaliport-new.immigration.gov.np and choose New Application.
- 2. Enter your nationality, visa type (Tourist), passport number and date of birth. A one-time code is sent to your email — double-check the address, because it can't be changed after you submit.
- 3. Fill in your details: name, occupation, passport type and expiry, purpose of visit and address in Nepal.
- 4. Upload the passport scan and your photo. Each file can be up to 2 MB.
- 5. Pay by card on the government payment gateway (connectIPS). Expect a bank verification step.
- 6. Watch your inbox and spam folder. If the approval email has no document attached, download it from the portal's visa tracking section and print it.
Only pay on .gov.np sites. The Department of Immigration warned in June 2026 about fraudulent websites collecting visa fees; payments made elsewhere may not be recognised.
After approval: validity, arrival and extensions
Use the eTA within six months of issue. Your 15, 30 or 90 days start on the day you enter Nepal, the visa allows multiple entries, and tourists can stay up to 150 days in a calendar year. Overstaying costs USD 5 a day.
Bring the printout. Official information doesn't yet name a separate eTA counter at Tribhuvan airport, so show it at immigration and follow staff directions. Visa on arrival is also offered at Pokhara and Gautam Buddha airports and at land entry points; if you plan to enter anywhere other than Kathmandu with an eTA, confirm it is accepted there first.
Staying longer? Extensions cost USD 3 a day with a 15-day minimum (USD 45) at the immigration offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Who can't use it, and who gets a free visa
Citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria can't get a visa on arrival and must apply through a Nepali embassy; visa on arrival for Iranian citizens was suspended in March 2026. Indian citizens don't need a visa, and Chinese nationals get a free visa through a separate process.
Children under 10 get a free visa, except US citizens. Citizens of SAARC countries (except Afghanistan) get a free visa for up to 30 days once per calendar year, and still fill in the online form at no charge.
For Bangladeshi citizens
As SAARC citizens, Bangladeshis get their first visit of each calendar year free for up to 30 days. Later visits, or a 90-day visa, are paid. You can use the online eTA, get a visa on arrival, or apply at Nepal's embassy in Dhaka, which now issues visas as an eTA.
Flights: Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Himalaya Airlines fly Dhaka–Kathmandu, roughly 1½ hours. US-Bangla announced a restart of the route for September 2026 — check that it is operating. Going overland means crossing India, which needs an Indian visa; India resumed tourist visas for Bangladeshis in June 2026.
| Visa | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 15 days | BDT 3,630 | Multiple entry |
| 30 days | BDT 6,050 | First visit each calendar year is free |
| 90 days | BDT 15,125 | Multiple entry |