Business Customs
Nepal is ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse. Generally traditional and conservative by nature, Nepalis are congenial people who take pride in their national and ethnic heritage. Foreigners must be prepared to obtain the appropriate introductions and spend time on confidence-building before entering into serious business negotiations. Visitors are normally greeted by saying “Hello” or “Namaste” followed by a handshake. An exchange of business cards follows. Nepalis like conversing briefly before commencing business negotiations. Normal business attire is appropriate.
Travel Advisory
For information on travel warnings, visit the State Department’s page for travelers to Nepal.
Visa Requirements
A passport with at least six months’ validity remaining at the time of entry and a visa are required for entry. Tourists may apply for a visa at a Nepali embassy or consulate before traveling or purchase a tourist visa upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu) or at official land border points of entry.
Tourists may request:
- 15-day multiple-entry tourist visa ($30)
- 1-month multiple-entry tourist visa ($50)
- 3-month multiple-entry tourist visa ($125)
Visa fees are payable in U.S. dollars. Money-changing and ATM services are available at the airport, but credit card payment is not a reliable option. The official land entry points only accept U.S. dollars for visa fees. Tourists may stay no more than 150 days in any given calendar year. U.S. citizens are also able to apply for a five-year tourist visa at the Nepal Department of Immigration or at the Embassy of Nepal in Washington, DC, or the Consulate General of Nepal in New York City. With the five-year tourist visa, a tourist can stay up to 180 days in Nepal.
It is important to note that regardless of the purpose of your travel to Nepal (employment, school, business, etc.) you must enter Nepal on a tourist visa, as you cannot apply for other types of visas from overseas. Your category of visa will change from “tourist” to “non-tourist” once all the necessary paperwork is submitted to and approved by the Department of Immigration in Nepal.
Check with the Nepal Department of Immigration for details of other types of visas, including student and work visas. Your purpose of travel will dictate what category of visa you will need to obtain. It has been noted by several businesses that the process can be complicated and time consuming. It is best to plan far in advance and engage an attorney early on.
The Department of Immigration (DOI) main office in the Kalikasthan neighborhood of Kathmandu and the Immigration Office in Pokhara are the only two offices that can extend visas. It is generally not difficult to extend your visa a few days after the printed expiration date. However, long overstays can result in heavy fines and the very real possibility of arrest and detention pending formal deportation proceedings, followed by a seven-to-ten-year ban on re-entry.
You must have a valid visa before you will be allowed to depart Nepal. The Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport is not authorized to extend visas. U.S. citizens who have tried to extend their visa at the airport have been sent to the Immigration Office in Kathmandu to pay the extension fee and, as a result, have missed their flights. You will not be allowed to depart Nepal until the visa is properly extended.
If you renew or replace your passport from the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, you will need to ask the Department of Immigration to transfer your Nepali visa by pasting a new visa into the new passport. See the Government of Nepal’s Department of Immigration website for additional immigration information.
Travelers can obtain additional information by contacting the Embassy of Nepal at 2131 Leroy Place, NW, Washington, DC 20008; Telephone: 202-667-4550; or the Nepali Consulate General in New York: Telephone - 917-675-6783; Email – cgnnewyork@mofa.gov.np.
U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States are advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process. Visa applicants should go to the following link(s): State Department Visa Website.
Currency
Since 1993, Nepal’s currency has been pegged to the Indian rupee at a rate of 1.6 Nepalese rupees (NPR) to 1 Indian rupee (INR). In recent years the dollar has strengthened against the INR, causing the NPR to depreciate. As of November 2025, the exchange rate is approximately 141 NPR to $1.
Telecommunications/Electricity
Telecommunications facilities are fairly good in Kathmandu and other major towns, such as Pokhara, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, and Nepalgunj. The quality of telephone service outside major cities can be spotty, although improving. Large hotels in Kathmandu have business centers with 24-hour service available for telephone, fax, email, and internet. Collect call service is not available in Nepal. Internet accessibility is largely through broadband connections, which can be slow at times. It is easy and affordable to obtain pay-as-you go cellular telephone plans. Telecommunication services in the Kathmandu Valley are generally cheaper than in the United States. However, in more rural areas outside the valley, service may be poor. Nepal has made remarkable progress in expanding electricity access, reaching 99% of its population by mid-2025 and eliminating the chronic, scheduled power cuts that once plagued the country. The nation now generates surplus electricity during the wet season, even exporting some to India. However, persistent challenges remain: frequent unscheduled outages continue due to technical faults, aging infrastructure, and significant delays in building high-capacity transmission lines. These issues, combined with reduced hydropower generation in the dry season and lower supply quality in rural areas, undermine reliability and force industries to rely on costly backup generators. While access has improved dramatically, ensuring consistent and reliable electricity supply across Nepal remains an ongoing challenge.
Transportation
Nepal is a landlocked country and transportation – both internal and across borders – is a major hurdle to doing business. When traveling to Kathmandu, U.S. business visitors can take either the Pacific route or the Atlantic route. U.S. airlines do not fly directly to Kathmandu, but some have alliances with other foreign airlines operating in Nepal. Nepal has international airports in Kathmandu, Lumbini, and Pokhara, though regular service has not yet commenced at the latter two airports. Nepal also has three regional airports, nine all-weather airports, and twenty-one seasonal domestic airports throughout the country. Domestic air services are available for traveling to major cities and business centers. Nepal has neither a seaport nor a railway system. Road transportation is limited and in poor condition, with frequent landslides often cutting off access. One east-west highway passes through the southern areas of Nepal.
Language
The official language of Nepal is Nepali, which – like Hindi – is written in the Devanagari script. The main language of business is Nepali, although many businesspeople also speak English and Hindi. All internal documentation and correspondence in government establishments is done in Nepali. Correspondence with foreign government agencies, international organizations, and private businesses is generally done in English. In the private sector, English is used for most documentation and correspondence.
Health
Medical care is limited and generally not up to Western standards. Serious illness often requires treatment in Singapore, Bangkok, or New Delhi. Doctors and hospitals in Nepal expect immediate cash payment for health services. In general, U.S. medical insurance is not valid in Nepal. The Medicare/Medicaid Program does not provide for payment overseas. Supplemental health insurance that specifically covers overseas treatment and air evacuation to the nearest adequate medical facility is strongly recommended. Illnesses and injuries suffered while trekking in remote areas often require rescue by helicopter; the cost is typically $3,000 to $10,000. The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends that visitors obtain travel insurance to cover such emergencies.
Local Time, Business Hours, and Holidays
Nepal’s Standard Time is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 10 hours and 45 minutes ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Nepal does not observe daylight saving time. All government offices and banks operate a six-day workweek from Sunday to Friday. Typical business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Government offices operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most businesses (including stores) close on Saturday, but this is gradually changing. Sunday is a workday in Nepal for the business community.
The Nepali calendar, referred to as Bikram Sambat (B.S.), starts in mid-April. The current year is 2082 B.S., which runs April 14, 2025, to April 14, 2026. Nepal’s cultural and religious diversity results in numerous holidays throughout the year. The Dashain Festival, celebrated in mid-to-late October in 2026 is the biggest holiday of the year, followed by the Tihar festival in mid-November. As many people return to their villages during these festivals, most businesses and government offices will be closed. It is therefore advisable to avoid business trips during these holidays.