US citizens traveling to Nepal for a vacation need a tourist visa. You can apply for an eVisa before departure or get a visa on arrival at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport. The two routes use different paperwork: an approved eVisa is not the same thing as the submission receipt for a visa-on-arrival form.
Start here: check your passport, count your full stay in Nepal, then choose the application route. Nepal's Department of Immigration lists tourist visa fees of USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days. We checked the official guidance on October 6, 2026. Recheck it before you apply and before you fly, especially for travel in a later year.
Choose the length by your travel dates, not just the tour name
Your stay is counted from the day you enter Nepal. Include any days you book before or after your tour, and leave room for changes to your return plans. A tour's advertised length is not necessarily your entire time in the country.
- 15 days: USD 30. A possible fit for a short visit, such as our 9-Day Nepal Highlights Premium Tour, if your complete stay fits within the visa's dates.
- 30 days: USD 50. The 15-day option is too short for our 18-Day Everest Base Camp Premium Trek. Check that a 30-day visa covers your arrival, trek, extra Kathmandu days and departure.
- 90 days: USD 125. Consider this for a longer stay rather than planning to finish a trip on the last valid day of a shorter visa.
These are the standard entry fees, not a quote for every travel situation. If you will leave Nepal for another country and return, confirm the entry conditions and any re-entry charge with the Department of Immigration before choosing a visa. Ask it to confirm any fee exemption for your passport or a child's passport rather than assuming one applies.
Before starting: check your passport and documents
The Department of Immigration's eVisa checklist calls for a scanned passport copy with at least six months of validity and a recent passport photo on a white background. Confirm the passport-validity requirement for your actual travel dates with the department and your airline. Check transit-country requirements too; a Nepal visa does not settle them.
Have your passport details, travel dates and purpose of visit ready. Use the same name and passport information throughout the application. If your passport will be renewed before the trip, ask the department how to proceed before paying for a visa tied to the old document.
Option 1: apply for an eVisa before you travel
Start from the Department of Immigration's eVisa instructions and follow its link to the official Nepaliport eVisa portal. The department calls this an Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, as well as an eVisa.
- Complete the application with your personal information, passport details, travel dates and visit purpose.
- Upload the passport scan and recent passport photo required by the portal.
- Check every detail before paying the government fee online by card. Keep the submission ID so you can track the application.
- Look for the approved eVisa by email, including in your spam folder. Print it and carry it with your passport.
The official page says an issued visa must be used within six months of its issue date, cannot be withdrawn and has a nonrefundable fee. Do not apply far ahead without checking that window against your arrival date.
A payment or submission confirmation is not the approved eVisa. We do not promise a processing time or admission at the border. If approval has not arrived, use the official status and contact options rather than treating the confirmation email as permission to enter.
You can also apply through a Nepalese embassy or diplomatic mission. The department links a separate mission application route; payment and visa delivery follow that mission's instructions.
Option 2: visa on arrival in Kathmandu
The Department of Immigration lists visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport for eligible passport holders, including US passport holders. Its Visa Information page explains the process under the Tourist Visa tab:
- Complete the arrival card and tourist visa form. You can fill out the online form before arrival or use a kiosk at the airport. If you complete it ahead, print the submission receipt with its barcode. The department says that receipt is valid for 15 days, so do not prepare it months before flying.
- Pay the visa fee at the bank counter. The department lists several payment methods and advises carrying some cash. Check the current payment instructions before departure; do not make a working card your only plan.
- Go to the immigration desk. Present your passport, online form and payment receipt for the officer to process the visa.
This advance form is not the eVisa application described above. With visa on arrival, the visa is issued after the airport process. Keep the two sets of instructions separate so you know which document you are carrying.
A short checklist for your carry-on
- Your passport and the documents required for your chosen application route.
- Your printed approved eVisa, or the barcode receipt for the visa-on-arrival form.
- Your submission ID and a saved copy of your application records.
- Your first night's hotel details and your arrival and departure plans, ready if requested.
- A payment plan that follows the current official instructions, including the cash backup the department advises for arrival.
Keep these with you, not only in checked luggage. Save an offline copy of the official instructions so a weak airport connection does not leave you searching for the right page.
If your plans change while you are in Nepal
Contact the Department of Immigration before your permission to stay expires. Its current fee table lists tourist extensions at USD 3 per day, with a 15-day minimum, and a separate late fine. The standard tourist category has a combined limit of 150 days in a visa year, January through December. Confirm the extension documents and process directly; paying a fine is not a travel plan.
For a trek, check your visa dates alongside your international flight buffer. Weather can change mountain-flight plans. No visa length guarantees that a delay will fit within it.
Where the visa fits in your SherpaHolidays trip
Our Everest Base Camp Premium Trek includes trekking permits, but its Nepal entry visa fee is not included. A tourist visa and trekking permits are different documents; having one does not replace the other.
For a hotel-based visit, read the route on our Nepal Highlights Premium Tour page, then compare it with your complete flight dates. Still deciding between city touring and a trek? Our Destinations page is a good place to compare the routes we offer.
Official sources to check again before flying
Checked October 6, 2026. This is a planning guide, not a guarantee of entry or of next year's rules. The Department of Immigration is the authority for your visa.
- eVisa and ETA instructions: documents, online application, fees and issue-date window.
- Visa Information: select Tourist Visa for the Kathmandu visa-on-arrival process.
- Visa fees and documents: standard tourist fees and extensions.
