Of all the questions European travellers ask us before flying to Kathmandu, the visa is the most common, and, happily, one of the easiest to answer. Nepal makes things refreshingly simple for visitors from across Europe. There is no embassy appointment to chase, no months-long wait, and in most cases nothing you must arrange before you fly. For the vast majority of European passport holders, you can walk off the plane, fill in a form, pay a fee, and have your visa stamped the same afternoon.
That said, a little preparation saves time and stress, especially after a long-haul flight. This is our honest, up-to-date guide for European travellers heading to Nepal: what it costs, how to get it, and the small details that trip people up. Always confirm the current rules on Nepal’s official immigration portal before you travel, as fees and policies can change.
Do European citizens need a visa for Nepal?
Yes. Almost everyone except Indian citizens needs a tourist visa to enter Nepal, and that includes all European Union and Schengen passport holders, whether you are travelling from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Poland, or anywhere else in Europe, as well as UK travellers. The process and fees are exactly the same for every European nationality. There are no special restrictions or extra hurdles; you get the same simple process as visitors from the US, Canada, Australia and Japan.
Even better, you have two easy routes to get it: on arrival at the airport, or online before you fly. Both lead to the same visa.
Visa on arrival: the simplest option
For most European travellers, the easiest path is simply getting your visa when you land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (it is also available at Pokhara International Airport and at the main land border crossings). There is no need to apply in advance.
The process at the airport runs roughly like this:
1. Fill in the arrival details. Use one of the automated kiosks in the arrivals hall to complete your visa application and have your photo taken, or fill in a paper form. The kiosk prints a receipt with a barcode.
2. Pay your visa fee. Take your slip to the payment counter and pay for your chosen visa length. Cash is by far the smoothest option, and US dollars are the easiest currency, though euros and pounds are generally accepted. Some counters take cards, but do not rely on it; carry cash to be safe.
3. See the immigration officer. Hand over your passport, payment receipt and arrival card. The officer stamps the visa straight into your passport.
On a quiet arrival the whole thing takes around twenty to forty minutes. Be warned, though: when several international flights land together, especially on autumn afternoons in the peak October to November season, queues can stretch to an hour or more. If you can, having the correct fee ready in US dollars and a printed passport photo in your pocket will move you through faster.
Prefer to sort it before you fly? Use the online eVisa
If you would rather skip part of the airport queue, Nepal offers an online visa pre-application through its official immigration portal. You complete the form and upload your photo before travelling, then bring the printed approval to the airport, where you still pay the fee and collect your visa. It does not remove every step, but it can shorten your time at the desk.
This is entirely optional for European travellers. The eVisa is a convenience, not a requirement. Plenty of our guests simply do the whole thing on arrival without any trouble.
Nepal tourist visa fees and durations
Nepal offers three tourist visa lengths, and the fees are set by the Department of Immigration. The widely published visa-on-arrival fees are:
15 days, USD 30. Suitable only for a short, focused trip.
30 days, USD 50. The most popular choice, and the one we usually recommend.
90 days, USD 125. For long trips, multiple treks, or a relaxed pace.
All three are multiple-entry visas, meaning you can leave Nepal (for example, on a side trip) and return within the validity period without buying a new one. Fees are sometimes quoted slightly differently for the online eVisa, so check the exact amount when you apply, and always carry a little extra cash in case of any difference at the counter.
Which visa length should you choose?
For most European visitors, and especially trekkers, the 30-day visa is the safe default, even if your planned trip is shorter. Here is our honest reasoning.
A 15-day visa looks like enough on paper, but it leaves zero room for the things Nepal throws at you. Mountain flights to and from Lukla get cancelled by weather. Trekkers add acclimatisation days. Roads close. And, very often, people simply fall in love with a place and want to linger an extra few days. We have seen travellers cut an Everest Base Camp trek short purely because their visa was running out, an avoidable, frustrating way to end a trip of a lifetime.
The extra twenty dollars for a 30-day visa buys you breathing room. Unless you are certain you will be in and out quickly, take the 30-day. If you are planning to combine a major trek with Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, it is the natural fit.
What you need to bring
Keep these ready and your entry will be smooth:
A passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry, with a blank page for the stamp. This is the single most important requirement; an under-validity passport can mean being turned away, so check it well before you fly.
One passport-sized photo. The kiosks can take your photo, but carrying a spare printed one avoids any hold-up if the machines are busy or down.
Cash for the fee, ideally US dollars in the right amount. Exact change saves time and avoids awkward currency conversions at the counter.
Your accommodation and onward details, occasionally asked for on the arrival card.
Extending your visa once you are in Nepal
If Nepal works its usual magic and you want to stay longer, you can extend your tourist visa at the immigration offices in Kathmandu, Pokhara or Chitwan. Extensions are handled online first, through the official immigration website, before you attend the office in person. As a rough guide, an extension costs around USD 45 for a minimum of 15 days, plus a few dollars per additional day. Confirm the current rate at the time, as these figures are periodically updated.
One firm limit to remember: as a tourist you can stay in Nepal for a maximum of 150 days in a single calendar year, across all your visits combined. For almost every holiday or trekking trip, that is far more than you will need.
A few honest tips from us
Carry US dollars in cash for the visa fee, even if you plan to use cards elsewhere; the visa counter is the one place you really want them. Arrive with a printed photo as a backup. Choose the 30-day visa unless you have a strong reason not to. And check your passport’s six-month validity now, not at the airport.
Beyond that, Nepal’s visa process is genuinely one of the friendlier ones in Asia for European travellers. It rarely causes problems, and within an hour of landing you will usually be through and on your way into Kathmandu.
What about my specific country?
Whether you are flying in from Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Greece, Poland, or any other European nation, the rules are identical. Nepal applies the same standard tourist visa to all European passport holders, with the same fees, the same on-arrival and online options, and the same durations. So everything in this guide applies to you, wherever in Europe you are setting off from.
Let us take care of the details
The visa is the easy part. Where we come in is everything after the stamp: your trekking permits, domestic flights, accommodation, licensed guides, and an itinerary built around exactly what you want to see. If you are planning a trip to Nepal from Europe and want a hand turning it into reality, get in touch for a free, no-obligation itinerary within 24 hours. And while you are planning, you might find our guides to the best time to visit Nepal and our Annapurna treks useful.
Visa fees, durations and rules are set by the Government of Nepal and can change. Always confirm the current details on Nepal’s official immigration portal before you travel.