To visit mystical Nepal, citizens of Russia and the CIS countries need a visa, which can be obtained both upon arrival (at the Kathmandu airport or at land crossings) and in advance by providing the necessary package of documents to the Nepalese Embassy in Moscow. Visa on arrival does not cause difficulties: two photos and a completed application form, plus a fee of 25-40 USD. Of the features of submitting documents to the Embassy – the validity of the passport must be at least 6 months. The visa is done quickly – within one day. If the purpose of the trip is trekking in the Himalayas, be prepared to present a special permit.
In addition, you should definitely take out a medical insurance policy for the entire duration of the trip. Let it be better not to be useful than to be left without qualified assistance in case of an accident. According to populationmonster, Kathmandu is one of the largest cities in Nepal.
Visa on arrival
A visa to Nepal can be issued upon arrival at the immigration offices located at the Nepal border crossing points: at Tribuvan International Airport, in Kathmandu, at land crossings.
To apply for a visa, you must provide:
- two recent photographs 3×4 cm (black and white or color);
- completed visa application.
You also need to pay a visa fee of 25 USD for a multiple entry visa valid up to 15 days, 40 USD for a multiple entry visa valid for up to 30 days, 100 USD for a multiple entry visa valid for up to 90 days. The fee is payable in dollars or any other convertible currency. Children under 10 years of age are exempt from paying the fee.
Citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine can obtain a visa at Kathmandu airport by providing the same documents as citizens of the Russian Federation.
Nepal visa documents
Required documents for obtaining a tourist visa:
- international passport
The period of validity of which is at least 6 months from the date of commencement of the visa;
- Copy of international passport
Applicant data pages;
- Photo
Two photographs 3×4 cm;
- Questionnaire
Completed in English and personally signed by the applicant;
The processing time for a visa is usually 1 business day. Multiple visas are issued with a stay of 30 days. Consular fee – 40 USD, payment is made when submitting documents to the consular department.
If the purpose of the trip is hiking in the Himalayas (trekking), you must also provide permission (Trekking Permits) from the Department of Immigration of Nepal. Its cost is about 250 NPR (although depending on the length of stay in the mountains and the area of climbing, the amount of the fee can vary from 10 to 700 USDin Week). In addition, the group must travel on the route only accompanied by a local guide or an escort from the travel agency that issued the certificates. A number of areas are generally prohibited for trekking. The Annapurna, Everest, Langtang and Rara regions do not officially require a permit, but local authorities, under one pretext or another, still charge a variety of fees “for the organization of the route.” Tourists must also pay separately for the right to climb peaks above a certain level (fees usually exceed several hundred dollars).
Customs
At the point of entry into the country, all luggage is subject to a thorough inspection. Duty-free import of 100 cigarettes or 25 cigars, 1.5 liters of alcoholic beverages or 12 cans of beer, 15 rolls of film and personal items is allowed. One film or video camera, one radio, one tape recorder, one bicycle, wrist watch, one set of recording pens, up to 15 audio cassettes and electronic goods are issued separately – the import of these items is possible only if they are declared and re-exported from the country.
The importation of drugs, weapons and military equipment is strictly prohibited. The export of gold, silver, precious stones, wild animals, their skins and horns, drugs and raw materials for their production is prohibited. Tourists can take out souvenirs (with special certificates, you can also take out antiques “aged” no older than 100 years). The export of any metal statues, icons and paintings depicting gods is allowed only with the permission of the Department of Archeology of Nepal.
There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign currency (declaration of large amounts is required).
The Nepalese rupee cannot be brought in and taken out of Nepal. Currency can be exchanged in Nepal, this can only be done when departing from Kathmandu International Airport. At land border crossings, reverse exchange is not possible.
Useful phone numbers
Russian Embassy in Kathmandu: POBox 123, Baluwatar; tel. (1) 441-21-55, 441-10-63; www.nepal.mid.ru
Embassy of Nepal in Moscow: 2nd Neopalimovsky lane, 14/7, tel. +7 499 252-82-15;
Tourist Police: 22-018, Himalayan Rescue Society: 418-755
