Kathmandu

• Tourist visa

  On arrival. 15 days USD 30; 30 days USD 50; 90 days USD 125. USD 3 per day with a minimum of 15 days (i.e. USD 45 minimum), per the DoI fees table ('Extension $3/day (min. 15 days)'). Late fine USD 5 per day. Extension up to 150 days total per visa year (January–December).

• Arrival

  Fill the Arrival Card and online tourist visa form (online before arrival or on TIA kiosks; receipt valid 15 days), pay at the bank counter, then go to the immigration desk. ETA/visa fee can also be paid online via mobile banking, ConnectIPS, eSewa, Khalti or debit/credit card.

• Work

  DoI: 'Only foreign nationals holding a Working Visa are allowed to accept employment and work in Nepal.' DoI pages do not address remote work for foreign employers.

• Residential visa

  DoI lists a Residential visa for foreigners living in Nepal without business (income ≥ USD 20,000/yr, proof of age ≥ 60 or retirement, health certificate, etc.). Fee shown as USD 1,200/year on the fees table but 'New: USD 700/yr, Renewal: USD 1,200' on the Visa Information page — inconsistent on the official site. Not a nomad visa.

• Digital nomad visa

  Proposed in the Office of the Prime Minister's Economic Reform Implementing Work Plan 2025 (reported 28 May 2025): a one-time five-year multiple-entry digital nomad visa with income > USD 1,500/month or bank balance > USD 20,000, health insurance ≥ USD 100,000, 5% income tax after 186 days in a calendar year; 'expected to be implemented within a year'. As of 2026-09-26 the Department of Immigration's visa-fees and visa-information pages list no digital nomad category (only Diplomatic, Official, Tourist, Working, Press, Relation, Marriage, Study, Business, NRN, Residential, Transit and US-reciprocity visas). No enacted policy, gazette notice or application process was found.

Rules change. Check the Department of Immigration before you travel.

• Ncell · TouristPro Sprinter

  NPR 595 for 7 days, Unlimited (Fair Usage Policy). As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Ncell · TouristPro Explorer

  NPR 995 for 14 days, Unlimited (Fair Usage Policy). As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Ncell · TouristPro Voyager

  NPR 1995 for 28 days, Unlimited (Fair Usage Policy). As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Nepal Telecom · Prepaid SIM

  NPR 90 for null days, 300 MB included. As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Nepal Telecom · Data Pack 5GB / 7 days

  NPR 109 for 7 days, 5 GB. As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Nepal Telecom · Data Pack 20GB / 7 days

  NPR 199 for 7 days, 20 GB. As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Nepal Telecom · Data Pack 11GB / 30 days

  NPR 329 for 30 days, 11 GB. As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Nepal Telecom · Data Pack 1GB/day / 30 days

  NPR 349 for 30 days, 1 GB per day. As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Nepal Telecom · Data Pack 20GB / 30 days

  NPR 399 for 30 days, 20 GB. As of 26 Sep 2026.

• Season

  October–December (autumn, per Wikivoyage Nepal) About 1,400 m elevation. Average summer temperature 28–30 °C, average winter 10.1 °C; about 65% of rainfall falls June–August; about 1,400 mm annual rainfall (Wikivoyage). Nomads.com monthly median rainfall peaks at 665 mm in August and is 2–29 mm Nov–Mar. Nomads.com AQI data shows October–May as the worst air-quality months, so the dry season has worse air than the monsoon.

• power

  Scheduled load-shedding ended: NEA declared Nepal 'load-shedding free' from 14 May 2018 (domestic load-shedding had ended mid-April 2017). Unscheduled outages still happen — Nomads.com rates the power grid 'Bad' in both cities, a 2024 Pokhara guide says 'Pokhara does experience regular power outages' and advises asking hosts about backup, and a 2026 Kathmandu café guide says generator backup 'matters more than people expect'.

• payments cash

  Nomads.com marks both cities 'No, cash only (esp. for foreigners)'. Wikivoyage: not all Thamel ATMs accept foreign cards and most that do charge Rs 650 per transaction; Standard Chartered and Nabil ATMs have the highest limit (Rs 35,000 per transaction).

• payments qr

  Since 28 Aug 2025, visitors using Alipay+ wallets (Alipay, KakaoPay, GCash, Touch 'n Go, AlipayHK, TrueMoney, Tinaba; 11+ countries including China, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Germany and Italy) can scan and pay at eSewa Business / Fonepay QR merchants. Indian visitors can pay the same QR codes with UPI apps (PhonePe, BHIM, Google Pay). The sources do not say whether foreigners can open their own eSewa/Khalti wallets.

• visa fee payment

  DoI accepts ETA/visa-fee payment via mobile banking, ConnectIPS, eSewa, Khalti, debit/credit card, or at the TIA bank counter, and advises carrying some cash. A Way Abroad (Mar 2024) recommends bringing US dollars in cash for the on-arrival fee.

• ride apps

  Wikivoyage: Pathao and Tootle work in Kathmandu and Pokhara but need a Nepali mobile number; inDrive supports international numbers (check the pickup pin). A 2025 Pokhara guide says inDrive only accepts cash. Nomads.com lists Sarathi as the 'Best taxi app'.

• air quality

  Nomads.com monthly median AQI for Kathmandu is 'bad' Oct–May (107–158 US AQI) and cleanest Jun–Jul (16 and 9); annual average 86 US AQI. Pokhara's annual average is 44 US AQI, with 'bad' months Nov–Feb (102–126). Wikivoyage: Kathmandu air quality 'has been very poor since the 2015 earthquake, particularly around the ring road. Buying a dust mask is advisable.'

• sim at airport

  Tourist SIM counters are between immigration and customs at Tribhuvan International Airport (Wikivoyage); Ncell sells its TouristPro SIMs at TIA and offers tourist eSIMs online.

• festival closures

  Tiny Living (2026): during Dashain (October) and Tihar (November), most independent cafés close for 2–10 days.

• water

  Nomads.com: tap water not drinkable in Kathmandu or Pokhara.