How To: Apply for Tourist Visa to Nepal for Philippine Passport Holders

Philippine passport holders are required to get a visa to enter Nepal. But since it’s visa on arrival only, the chances of getting denied are low. As long as you meet all the simple requirements and very easy steps, you can see the Himalayas or Mount Everest in no time.

Note: This article ONLY discusses the requirements and steps to get a tourist visa applied through visa on arrival. For other visa types and other modes of applying, you can visit Nepal’s Department of Immigration.

How long can I stay in Nepal

For tourist visas, you can stay up to 150 days in an entire visa year (January-December). Visa extension is possible (which I'll discuss in detail below).

What do I need

- Passport valid for at least 6 months at the time of return to the Philippines
- Filled up arrival card
- Filled up visa application form
- Visa fee
- Supporting documents*: Round trip ticket, reserved/purchased proof of accommodation in Nepal, proof of financial means (e.g. ATM cards, credit cards, cash, etc.)

* It's best practice to carry supporting documents with you especially when dealing with both local immigration (when departing the Philippines) and abroad. Sometimes, immigration officers ask for these to verify the purpose of visit and capability to travel.

How to apply for the tourist visa

Step 1: Fill up the arrival card

The arrival card is usually given by the in-flight cabin crew. Tip: To save time, fill up the arrival card while still inside the plane. As Nepal’s airport is small, queue is always expected and passing through immigration takes time.

In case the cabin crew can’t give you an arrival card though, there are copies at the arrival area of the airport. They're found near the visa application form kiosks.

Step 2: Fill up the visa application form

There are 2 ways to fill up the visa application form.

First, you can fill up the form online. This can be done as early as 15 days before your arrival date in Nepal. While filling up, you need to specify your accommodation in Nepal and upload a passport-size photo. Once completed, of course don't forget to print it and present at the immigration counter.

Second, once at the arrival area, you'll see the kiosks where you can digitally fill up the form. You may have several fields to fill up, which may take 5-10 minutes, but most of them are self-explanatory. In case of questions or you encounter a problem, there are representatives who can help you there.

Based on personal experience, the only problem I encountered was that the first kiosk I went to got frozen halfway filling up the form. Sadly, I had to repeat the form, but I was gladly assisted by a representative to make sure it won't happen again.

After filling up the form, the last page will request to take your photo. Once done, it will print the form that you’ll present to the immigration officer later on.

Step 3: Pay at the cashier

Next to the kiosks, fall in line and pay at the cashier. There are 3 types based on the duration of stay in Nepal with their corresponding rates:

15-day visa: USD 25
30-day visa: USD 40
90-day visa: USD 100

Aside from USD, other major currencies such as HKD, JPY, and SGD are accepted and converted to Nepalese rupees (NPR) based on the day's foreign exchange rate. The change will also be in NPR. There’s one money changer found beside the cashier, but I’m not sure if it’s open 24/7. To be on the safe side, bring cash and pay in USD.

The cashier will give you a receipt. Keep it as you’ll need it for the last step.

Note: The following are eligible for gratis visa who are exempted from the visa payment:

- Children below 10 years old
- SAARC citizens (except Afghans) visiting Nepal for the first time in a given visa year are provided a free 30-day visa. Afghan citizens are eligible for gratis visa on arrival only upon the recommendation of Department of Immigration backed by paperwork issued by the concerned institution / party that invited to Nepal.
- Non-residential Nepalese (NRN) card holders (issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad)
- Chinese nationals
- Officials from China, Brazil, Russia and Thailand that don’t need entry visa based on reciprocal visa waiver agreement

Step 4: Go to the immigration counter

Present your passport, visa application form, and receipt to the immigration officer. The officer might verify your purpose of visit, duration of stay, and accommodation in Nepal, so just make sure you can answer them accurately.

As noticed, immigration counters are very few. Depending on the volume of arriving people, it may take 30 minutes to 1 hour to get through immigration.

(And oh, there's toilet beside the immigration counter! I just thought of mentioning in case someone would find it helpful :p)

How to extend the visa

If you need to extend your visa, go to the Immigration Office in Kathmandu or in Pokhara. Since the maximum stay is 150 days and let’s say you bought a 90-day visa at the airport, you can apply for 60 days more.

For the visa extension fee, the base amount is USD 30 for 15 days, then add USD 2 per day for the succeeding days. For example, if you wish to stay 20 days more, then it costs USD 30 (15 days) + USD 10 (5 days x USD 2) = USD 40.

Do not even think of overstaying in Nepal. There’s a fine of USD 3 per day, plus USD 2 per day for the visa extension. For example, if you overstayed 3 days, then it costs (3 x USD 3) + (3 x USD 2) = USD 15.

Shelly Viajera Travel

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