How To Obtain A Visa On Arrival In Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM)

Nepal has only one international airport–Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM)–and from that airport, you can easily obtain a visa on arrival in Nepal.

Guide: Visa On Arrival At Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) In Kathmandu, Nepal

First, virtually every citizen of the world can obtain a visa on arrival in Nepal. There are only the following exceptions:

Nigeria
Ghana
Zimbabwe
Swaziland
Cameroon
Somalia
Liberia
Ethiopia
Iraq
Palestine
Afghanistan
Syria
Refugees with travel documents

Citizens of the People’s Republic of China and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) citizens are granted free visas.

Second, you can choose one of three visa on arrival:

15 Days – 30 USD
30 Days – 50 USD
90 Days – 125 USD

Third, there are two ways to secure a visa. First, you can just obtain one on arrival (using your phone or a kiosk to fill out this form) or you can fill out the form in advance (but no more than 60 days in advance) and even theoretically pre-pay your visa fee (though the pre-payment system failed for me…).

Once you generate the arrivals form, you can print it out or just snap a picture of it (the immigration official will simply require the reference number).

On the ground, you can pay via cash in many major foreign currencies or credit card, though it is recommended to bring cash in case the credit card processing system is down. There’s a currency exchange booth and ATM available.

Do expect long lines:

But don’t be daunted by this…the bottom line is theoretically you don’t have to do anything in advance…you can take care of all of it once you arrive. But save yourself some time and potential stress by getting the initial form filled out online prior to arrival.