Kathmandu

Passport validity requirements

To avoid problems at immigration, make sure your passport has an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after your date of entry into Nepal.

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Checks at border control

At border control, you may need to show:

• a travel insurance document which has cover for healthcare costs including repatriation and other emergencies while you are in Nepal
• confirmation of where you will spend your first night, for example, a hotel booking

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

Visa requirements

You must have a visa to visit Nepal for up to 90 days.

Applying for a visa

You can apply online for a visa on arrival up to 15 days in advance of your arrival. Using your submission receipt, you then collect and pay for your visa at the airport. You can also apply using the forms or terminals available at the airport, then queue up to get the visa. You can pay by card, but you should have cash as a back-up, with US dollars being the preferred currency.

Alternatively you can apply for a tourist visa in advance and collect it from the Nepal Embassy in the UK or in another country. Applying in advance can reduce the time it takes to pass through immigration.

Visas are available for several lengths of stay at various costs. Look on the immigration department website for the options.    

You can extend your visa online to up to a total of 150 days in one year.

Overstaying your visa in Nepal is a serious crime and can lead to significant fines or imprisonment.

Vaccine requirements

To enter Nepal, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had:

• a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk
• a polio vaccine, if you’re coming from certain countries with a transmission risk

For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Nepal guide.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Nepal. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Bringing precious metals into Nepal is strictly regulated. You can carry gold ornaments up to 50 grams and silver ornaments up to 100 grams. If you bring in undeclared gold or silver, you may:

• get a fine equivalent to the value of the goods
• go to prison for between one month and 5 years depending upon the value of the goods
• have the goods confiscated
• be detained during the proceedings

Taking money into and out of Nepal

You must declare on a customs form on arrival any amount above the value of 5,000 US dollars in banknotes or 10,000 dollars in notes and travellers cheques combined. Customs will give a certified declaration, which you must keep.

You will need to convert all your Nepali currency before you leave Nepal, and the bank or exchange counter at the airport may ask you for the declaration.

ATMs are not reliable outside main tourist sites.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Nepal. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Bringing precious metals into Nepal is strictly regulated. You can carry gold ornaments up to 50 grams and silver ornaments up to 100 grams. If you bring in undeclared gold or silver, you may:

• get a fine equivalent to the value of the goods
• go to prison for between one month and 5 years depending upon the value of the goods
• have the goods confiscated
• be detained during the proceedings

Taking money into and out of Nepal

You must declare on a customs form on arrival any amount above the value of 5,000 US dollars in banknotes or 10,000 dollars in notes and travellers cheques combined. Customs will give a certified declaration, which you must keep.

You will need to convert all your Nepali currency before you leave Nepal, and the bank or exchange counter at the airport may ask you for the declaration.

ATMs are not reliable outside main tourist sites.

Emergency services in Nepal

Police: 100

Tourist police (good English language skills): 1144

Fire: 101

Ambulance: 102

Nepal tourist police

Tourist police in Kathmandu : 01 5347041

Tourist police for incidents in Thamel (Kathmandu): 009 77 9851289453

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

• finding English-speaking lawyers, funeral directors and translators and interpreters in Nepal
• dealing with a death in Nepal
• being arrested or imprisoned in Nepal
• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO 

Help abroad  

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency. 

Help in the UK  

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.  

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)  

Find out about call charges

Get travel advice updates  

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO: 

• travel advice on X
• travel advice on Facebook

Risk information for British companies

The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating in Nepal on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

Flash flood in the Rasuwa district and the Nepal-China border area

On 26 August 2026, major flooding in Rasuwa district and the Nepal-China border area caused widespread damage. Buildings, roads, other transport and communications infrastructure have been severely damaged. Other areas in Nepal, including Gorkha, Nuwakot and Dhading, have also been affected.

The Nepalese authorities and emergency services are responding. The authorities have warned of the risk of further flooding. Areas affected by flooding and landslides may remain unstable. Further heavy rainfall or an earthquake could trigger additional landslides, rockfalls and other hazards, particularly in mountainous areas. The situation may change rapidly.

If you are travelling in the region, follow the advice of the Nepalese government and local authorities, be alert to the changing situation and monitor local media for updates. The Nepalese government has established a toll-free emergency Nepalese language number, 1234, and a dedicated hotline 1144 accessible in Nepal.

The Family Assistance Centre at the British Embassy Kathmandu remains available to support the family and friends of affected British Nationals. 

In-person support at the Centre will be available Monday to Thursday, between 9am and 5pm and on Friday, between 9am and 1pm.

Consular assistance remains available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone affected who requires support from the UK Government.

If you are affected and need assistance from the UK Government call:

• from Nepal +977 (0)14237100
• from India +91 11 2419 2100
• from the UK +44 (0) 207 008 5000

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. See the ‘Getting Help’ page for further information.

Global travel impacts due to escalation in the Middle East

Escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights. 

Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East. Before you travel:

• check travel advice for any countries or territories you are transiting through
• check for the latest updates from your airline or tour operator  
• review your travel insurance policy for coverage 
• monitor local and international media for the latest information and sign up for travel advice email alerts

If your visa has expired as a result of travel disruption, the Nepal Immigration Department have indicated that affected foreign nationals will receive a visa extension without cost until flights are rescheduled. This should be arranged at the airport.

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:

• see general advice for women travellers
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
• read about safety for solo and independent travel
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.

Get travel advice updates

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. 

Follow FCDO:   

• travel advice on X

• travel advice on Facebook

• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences

Personal ID

You should carry your passport with you. Leave a copy in a safe place or with friends and family in the UK.

Visiting holy places

Avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless tops in temples and other holy places. Remove shoes before entering certain holy places. Non-Hindus are not permitted inside certain parts of Hindu temples.

Illegal drugs and prison sentences

Penalties for drugs related offences are severe. If you are caught with even small amounts of marijuana, you can go to prison for over 5 years, usually after a long and expensive legal process.

Some skincare products and e-cigarette refills may contain ingredients that are illegal in Nepal such as cannabidiol (CBD). If the police find you with products containing CBD, they may seize them and charge you with drug possession.

LGBT+ travellers

Nepal is generally open and tolerant to LGBT+ issues, and same-sex relations are not illegal. However, showing affection in public, irrespective of sexuality or gender, is viewed by Nepalis as inappropriate.

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.

Wildlife, animal products and souvenirs

It’s illegal to buy, sell, kill or capture any wild animal or trade its parts without a licence. Nepal is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which bans trade of wildlife products without a permit. If you are caught buying or trafficking such goods, or knowingly assisting anyone to do so, you will get a fine or a prison sentence.