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RED TAPE AND
VISAS |
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All foreign nationals except Indians need a visa to enter Nepal.
Tourist visas are issued on arrival with a minimum of fuss at the
Kathmandu airport and at official overland entry points. Have a passport-size
photo at the ready, and if possible bring exact change for the visa fee
- in US dollars if you're entering by air.
Fees may change without warning, but visas currently cost US$15 (or
equivalent in other currencies) for fifteen days, $25 for thirty days
($40 for a double-entry visa), and $60 for a sixty-day multiple-entry
visa. If you plan on border-hopping between Nepal and India (or Tibet),
the double- or multiple-entry option may save some time and money, but
it's not essential as you can get a re-entry stamp at any official
border crossing (same prices as visas).
Getting a visa from an overseas Nepalese embassy or consulate will cut
down on paperwork on arrival, but it's really only worth doing if you
happen to be in the neighbourhood or if you're one of those people who
has to have everything sorted out before you go. The fees are supposed
to be the same as those given above, but are actually often higher.
Tourist visas can be extended , up to thirty days at a time, for a
maximum of 120 days in a calendar year (150 days given extenuating
circumstances). Extensions are granted only at the Kathmandu or Pokhara
Central Immigration offices - a somewhat tedious procedure, especially
in high season, when queues can run to two hours or more, which is why
it's best to get the longest visa you think you'll need right from the
start. The cost is US$1 per day, payable in Nepalese currency only.
Submit your passport and one passport-size photo with your application;
instant photos are available from studios near Central Immigration
offices.
The fine for overstaying is double the amount that you would have paid
had you properly extended your visa. However, don't overstay more than a
couple of days, and for heaven's sake don't tamper with your visa.
Tourists have been jailed for these seemingly minor infractions.
Nepalese embassies and consulates
Australia : Level 13, 92 Pitt St, Sydney 2000 (tel 02/9233 6161); Level
5, 277 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000 (tel 03/9650 6683); Suite 2, 16
Robinson St, Nedlands 6009, WA (tel 08/9386 2102).
Bangladesh : Road No. 2, Baridhara Diplomatic Enclave, Baridhara, Dhaka
(tel 02/601790).
Belgium : 21 Ave Champel, B-1640 Rhoke St, Genese (tel 32-02-3585808).
Canada : 200 Bay St, 32nd Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 2J9 (tel 416/865-0200).
China : No. 1 Sanlitun Xiliujie, Beijing (tel 5321795).
Denmark : 2 Teglgardsstr, DK-1452, Copenhagen (tel 3312 4166).
France : 45 rue de Acacias, 75017 Paris (tel 4622 4867); 7 bis Allée des
Soupirs, 31000 Toulouse (tel 6132 9122).
Germany : Im Hag 15, D-5300 Bonn 2 (tel 0228/343097).
India : Barakhamba Rd, New Delhi 110001 (tel 11/332 9969); 19 Woodlands,
Sterndale Rd, Alipore, Calcutta 700027 (tel 33/452024).
Italy : Piazzale Medaglie d'Oro 20, 00136 Rome (tel 06/345 1642).
Japan : 14-19 Todoroki, 7-Chome Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo-158 (tel
03-3705-5558).
Netherlands : Prinsengracht 687-1017-Jv, Amsterdam (tel 020/241 530).
Norway : Haakon Viis Gate 5B, PO Box 1483, Vika, 0116 Oslo (tel 02/283
5510).
Myanmar (Burma): 16 Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon (tel 50633).
Pakistan : 419 Qamar House, M.A. Jinnah Rd, Karachi 2 (tel 021/201 113).
Sweden : Eriksbergsgatan 1A, S-114 30, Stockholm (tel 08/679 8039).
Switzerland : Asylstrasse 81, 8030 Zurich (tel 01/475993).
Thailand : 189 Soi 71, Sukhumvit Rd, Bangkok 10110 (tel 2/391 7240).
UK : 12a Kensington Palace Gdns, London W8 4QU (tel 0171/229 1594).
USA : 2131 Leroy Pl NW, Washington DC 20008 (tel 202/667-4550); 820
Second Ave, Suite 17B, New York, NY 10017 (tel 212/370-4188).
Trekking permits
A tourist visa is technically valid only in the fraction of Nepal served
by roads. To visit anywhere more than about a day's walk off a main road
you need to get a trekking permit from Central Immigration - even if you
don't intend to trek. For most trekking areas, the fee is the rupee
equivalent of US$5 per week. Submit your passport, and two identical
passport photos. Central Immigration offices will process simultaneous
applications for visa extensions and trekking permits, but you still
have to pay both fees.
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