By Uncover Nepal Team · Checked by our Kathmandu travel team · Last checked 29 October 2026
The last minutes of a flight into Kathmandu are spent over the valley: terraced fields, brick houses and a ring of green hills. On a clear day, snow peaks show to the north. Then the wheels touch down and the queue for the visa desk begins.
At Kathmandu airport, foreign visitors follow the same order: fill in the visa form (online before you fly, or on arrival), pay the visa fee, take your passport to the immigration officer, then collect your bags and pass customs. Indian citizens need no visa, but must carry an accepted ID.
Once you are through, our guide to the places worth your time in Nepal helps you decide where to go first.
Key facts
- Airport
- Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu. Codes KTM (IATA), VNKT (ICAO) (CAAN eAIP, 29 Oct 2026)
- Elevation
- About 1,340 m (4,395 ft) (CAAN eAIP, 29 Oct 2026)
- Location
- About 5.5 km east of central Kathmandu (CAAN eAIP, 29 Oct 2026)
- Visa on arrival
- 15 days USD 30; 30 days USD 50; 90 days USD 125 (Nepal Tourism Board, 29 Oct 2026)
- Indian citizens flying in
- No visa. Indian passport or original Election Commission voter ID (Embassy of India, Kathmandu, 29 Oct 2026)
- Foreign cash
- Up to USD 5,000 or equivalent without declaring (Nepal Gazette notice on the Department of Customs site, 29 Oct 2026)
- Leaving Nepal
- At departure immigration at least one hour before your flight (OnlineKhabar English, 17 Aug 2025; checked 29 Oct 2026)
In this guide
- What happens when you land at Kathmandu airport?
- How much is the visa on arrival, and how do you pay?
- What do Indian citizens need at Tribhuvan International Airport?
- What can you bring through customs?
- How do you get money and a SIM card?
- How do you get from Kathmandu airport into the city?
- How do you connect to a domestic flight?
- What should you know when you fly out?
- What about Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports?
- Frequently asked questions
What happens when you land at Kathmandu airport?
You go through a fixed sequence: visa form, visa payment, immigration desk, baggage hall and customs, then out into arrivals. The order below matches the Department of Immigration's online visa slip. Expect queues in the busy seasons, as the Nepal Tourism Board itself warns.
- Before you fly (optional). Fill in the online visa application form linked from the Nepal Tourism Board tourist visa page. The Department of Immigration has also introduced an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) that you apply and pay for online before you fly. Visa on arrival continues for most nationalities, according to the Embassy of Nepal in London.
- Fill in the form on arrival if you have not. If you did not fill in the form online, you complete it on arrival.
- Pay the visa fee at the bank or payment counter, in cash or by card.
- See the immigration officer with your original passport for the visa to be processed.
- Collect your bags from the baggage hall.
- Pass customs. If you carry more than the duty-free allowances, or over USD 5,000 in foreign cash, declare it to customs.
- Sort out money and a SIM card. There is a bank at the airport, and SIM counters sit after customs.
- Head into the city by the airport taxi service, a bus, or a pickup you arranged before you flew.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) also lists a tourist information centre and first aid at the airport.
How much is the visa on arrival, and how do you pay?
A tourist visa on arrival costs USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days, all multiple entry, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. You can pay in US dollars or another convertible currency, and international credit cards are also accepted.
| Length of stay | Fee | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 15 days | USD 30 | Multiple |
| 30 days | USD 50 | Multiple |
| 90 days | USD 125 | Multiple |
Source: Nepal Tourism Board, checked 29 October 2026. The Department of Immigration's own pages did not load for us on that date, so check them too before you fly.
All foreign nationals except Indian citizens need a tourist visa. Visas on arrival are issued at Tribhuvan International Airport, Pokhara International Airport, Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa (near Lumbini) and the land entry points. Before you book, check two things:
- Your nationality. Nationals of some countries cannot get a visa on arrival and must arrange one before travel. The official list is on the NTB tourist visa page.
- A free (gratis) visa. Children below 10 (except US citizens), SAARC citizens on their first visit in a visa year (up to 30 days, except Afghanistan), NRN (Non-Resident Nepali) card holders and Chinese nationals pay no fee.
This is information, not a service: your visa and international flights are your own arrangement.
"Acquiring On Arrival Visa is a simple and quick procedure. You can expect long lines during peak tourist season."
Nepal Tourism Board, "How to get Tourist Visa in Nepal", ntb.gov.np, checked 29 October 2026
Our best time to visit Nepal guide shows when the busy seasons fall.
What do Indian citizens need at Tribhuvan International Airport?
Indian citizens flying into Tribhuvan International Airport need no visa (NTB), but must show a valid Indian passport or an original Election Commission voter ID card. Only those two documents count for air travel, and Aadhaar is not accepted, according to the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.
A downloaded or online-printed voter ID is refused, as are PAN card, driving licence and Indian Embassy registration, says the Embassy of India travel documents page. Overland crossings have different rules; check the NTB page.
Money points for Indian visitors:
- ₹200 and ₹500 notes. Notes issued after 9 November 2016 may be carried by Indian and Nepali citizens up to INR 25,000 per person, under a Nepal Rastra Bank notice reported in July 2026. Pre-2016 ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes remain banned.
- The rupee rate. Nepal Rastra Bank fixes it. On 28 October 2026, INR 100 was NPR 160.00 buying and NPR 160.15 selling.
What can you bring through customs?
Foreign visitors on a passport can bring a litre of liquor or 12 cans of beer, some tobacco, and set amounts of medicine, food and fresh fruit without paying duty, under the current Nepal Gazette notice. Foreign cash above USD 5,000 or its equivalent has to be declared.
| Item | Duty-free allowance (foreign passengers on a passport) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | One bottle of liquor up to 1 litre, or up to 12 cans of beer |
| Tobacco | 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, up to 250 g of tobacco |
| Medicines | Up to NPR 10,000 in value, except banned imports |
| Food | Up to NPR 5,000 in value, tins included |
| Fresh fruit | Up to NPR 2,000 in value |
| Foreign currency | Up to USD 5,000 or equivalent, or traveller's cheques; declare anything above that |
Source: Nepal Gazette notice of the Ministry of Finance (Jestha 2083 BS) on the Department of Customs website, checked 29 October 2026; our translation from Nepali.
Used personal effects also come in duty-free, including one laptop or tablet, one camera, one mobile phone, one power bank, your clothes and the kit for a sport you play. Goods hidden or not declared are confiscated, and action is taken under the law.
How do you get money and a SIM card?
CAAN lists a bank at the airport, open during airport hours. Counters for Nepal's two mobile networks, Ncell and Nepal Telecom, sit side by side after customs, according to Nepal Traveller's 2026 SIM guide. Bring your original passport to buy a SIM.
We found no current official count of ATMs or exchange counters, so do not rely on one particular machine. Keep your exchange receipts for departure (see below). On 28 October 2026, Nepal Rastra Bank's selling rate was NPR 152.49 for USD 1; check the NRB forex page on the day.
SIM prices change often, so we do not print them; the FAQ below covers what to bring.
How do you get from Kathmandu airport into the city?
You have three choices: the airport taxi service, a bus from the airport, or a pickup you arranged before you flew. The airport is about 5.5 km east of central Kathmandu, but the drive time depends on traffic, so we do not give a fixed figure.
- Airport taxi. An airport taxi service operates, according to CAAN. Agree the fare before you get in.
- Bus. CAAN lists buses from the airport.
- Ride-hailing apps. Apps such as Pathao and inDrive work in Kathmandu. Ride-sharing was legalised nationally in 2024, but services in Bagmati Province remain unregulated, the Kathmandu Post reported in February 2026. We could not confirm app pickups at the airport.
- A pre-arranged pickup. We include airport pickup on trips whose page says so; otherwise ask us.
Once you are settled, see our guide to places to visit in Kathmandu.
What if you land late at night?
Book your first night's room and your transfer before you fly, and check your landing time against the Important box above. Carry US dollars for the visa fee in case the card machine is down.
Travelling alone? Read our solo female travellers safety guide.
How do you connect to a domestic flight?
Domestic flights leave from a separate domestic terminal at the same airport, so a connection means leaving the international building and checking in again. Allow plenty of time. We found no official walking time or shuttle, so we quote none.
- Lukla, for Everest. In peak months, Lukla flights may leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), a drive from Kathmandu, and every Lukla flight depends on the weather. See our Lukla Airport guide.
- Pokhara. Flights leave from the domestic terminal and take about 30 minutes. Kathmandu to Pokhara is also possible by road, which takes most of a day.
- Chitwan. See Kathmandu to Chitwan for the options.
If you are travelling with us, ask us how the transfer works on your trip.
What should you know when you fly out?
Follow your airline's check-in time and be at departure immigration at least one hour before your flight (see the FAQ below). Nepal's departure charges are collected with your air ticket. If you bought things in Nepal, two customs limits apply to foreign visitors.
- Shopping limits. A foreign visitor may take or send home goods bought in Nepal (not banned from export) up to NPR 500,000 in value. The limit does not apply when you show a VAT invoice, or a PAN-numbered invoice for goods without VAT.
- Souvenirs. Without a licence, you may take souvenirs up to the amount of foreign currency you changed at a bank or licensed dealer, so keep those receipts.
What about Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports?
Pokhara International Airport opened on 1 January 2023, and flydubai has flown daily between Dubai and Pokhara since 23 September 2026. Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa, near Lumbini, had no scheduled international flights as of October 2026, according to its information officer. Both issue visas on arrival. Check with your airline before booking.
Frequently asked questions
Is there airport pickup in Kathmandu, and how do I get to Thamel late at night?
We include airport pickup on trips whose page says so; otherwise ask us. Without one, use the airport taxi service and agree the fare first. Book your first night's room before you fly, and check your landing time with your airline, as the airport has closed overnight for works in past seasons.
Can I leave luggage in Kathmandu while I trek?
Usually at your hotel. Many hotels in Kathmandu will keep a bag for you while you trek; ask when you book. We could not confirm a left-luggage service at the airport. Trekking with us? Tell us what you want to leave and we will explain how we handle it.
Can I get a visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport?
Yes, most nationalities can, at Tribhuvan International Airport, Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports and the land entry points. Nationals of a short list of countries must arrange a visa before they travel; the list is on the NTB page. Indian citizens need no visa. Your visa is your own arrangement.
Can I buy a SIM card at Kathmandu airport?
Yes. Ncell and Nepal Telecom have counters side by side after customs, usually staffed for international arrivals including late flights, according to Nepal Traveller's 2026 guide. Bring your original passport, as staff copy the photo and visa pages, and a spare passport photo. Both networks also offer eSIM.
How early should I get to Kathmandu airport for an international flight?
Follow your airline's check-in time, which differs by airline, and be at departure immigration at least one hour before your flight. The Department of Immigration announced that rule in 2025, as OnlineKhabar English reported. Leave your hotel early enough to allow for Kathmandu traffic.
What should you do next?
With the airport sorted, start with our guide to Nepal's tourist places; for first-timers, our Nepal travel guide covers the rest. Then plan your trip with us: send your dates and arrival time, and we will tell you what fits. Ask us on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form.
