Nepal Visa Guide for Trekkers

Do you need a visa to trek in Nepal?

Yes. Almost every nationality needs a visa to enter Nepal, trekking or otherwise. The only exception is Indian citizens, who can enter with a valid passport or an approved ID document and stay without a visa. Everyone else — including US, UK, EU, Australian, and Canadian passport holders — needs a Nepal tourist visa before they can start a trek.

The good news: for the vast majority of nationalities, this visa is issued on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, and at select land border crossings. There's no need to apply in advance through an embassy unless you hold a passport from one of a short list of exempted countries (currently including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Zimbabwe, and Palestine — check with your nearest Nepali diplomatic mission if this applies to you).

Nepal tourist visa fees (2026)

Nepal offers three standard tourist visa lengths, all multiple-entry, priced in US dollars and payable in cash on arrival:

Bring clean, undamaged USD notes. Card payment machines at the airport counter are improving but still unreliable — carry the exact fee in cash as a backup. A passport photo and a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date are also required. You can fill out the arrival form in advance at the official immigration portal to save time at the kiosk, but payment itself still happens on arrival.

Trek the Manaslu Circuit Trek

A remote and off-the-beaten-path Himalayan adventure in Nepal. The trek covers roughly 160 km (100 miles) and involves 5–7 hours of hiking per day through villages, forests, and the Larke high pass.

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How many visa days do you actually need? (By trek)

This is the question that matters most, and it's the one most visa guides get wrong by only quoting trek duration. Your visa clock starts the moment you land — not the day your trek begins. Book enough days to cover your Kathmandu arrival, any pre-trek buffer, the full trek itself, and a few extra days for flight delays, altitude-related rest days, or a flight from Lukla getting weathered in (which happens more often than travelers expect).

Notice that a 30-day visa is our default recommendation across almost every route — even the shorter ones. The 15-day visa only costs USD 20 less, and it leaves you almost no room for a delayed Lukla flight, an extra acclimatization day, or a few nights in Kathmandu or Pokhara before and after the trek. We rarely recommend it unless your total Nepal itinerary, door to door, is under two weeks with no flexibility built in.

What if your trek runs longer than planned?

Visa extensions are straightforward and available at the Department of Immigration offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Extensions cost USD 3 per day for the first block beyond your initial visa (minimum extension charge USD 45), rising to USD 5 per day if you're extending close to or beyond the 150-day annual cap. You'll need your passport, your current visa, a passport photo, and the extension fee in cash. Extensions cannot be processed once a visa has already expired, so apply before your current visa runs out.

Trek the Everest Base Camp Trek

This classic trek takes you through the heart of the Khumbu region, past vibrant Sherpa villages, ancient monasteries, and towering Himalayan peaks.

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Getting your visa at Kathmandu Airport: what to expect

• •  Self-service kiosks in the arrivals hall let you enter passport and flight details and take a webcam photo — or use the online pre-form at nepalimmigration.gov.np beforehand to skip data entry.
• •  Take your printed kiosk receipt to the bank counter and pay in USD cash.
• •  Bring your stamped receipt, passport, and photo to the visa officer's desk for the visa sticker.
• •  Proceed to immigration for your entry stamp.

Off-peak mornings, the whole process takes 15–20 minutes. During peak trekking season (March–May and September–November), arrivals can be heavier and the queue can run 45–90 minutes — one more reason to build a buffer night in Kathmandu before your trek starts rather than flying to Lukla the same day you land.

Trek the Short Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Join the 6-day Short ABC Trek, offering breathtaking views of the Annapurna range, vibrant villages, and rich culture.

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Cash matters — no ATMs on the trail

Beyond gateway towns like Lukla, Besisahar, or Syabrubesi, there are no ATMs. Bring enough Nepali rupees in cash for the entire trek — teahouses, snacks, hot showers, and charging fees are cash-only once you're on the trail.

Quick answers

Can I get a visa on arrival for any Nepal trek? Yes — your trekking permits are separate from your tourist visa, and are handled by our team once you arrive. The visa itself is the same regardless of which trek you're doing.

Do children need a visa? Children under 10 are exempt from visa fees, though they still need an entry stamp. Children aged 10–15 pay half the adult fee.

Is a 90-day visa worth it for a two-week trek? Only if you're combining your trek with extended time elsewhere in Nepal, or in the wider region, and don't want to deal with an extension later.