I travelled to Nepal because I wanted to do the famous Everest Base Camp trek. It took me a year to prepare for the endurance since I’m not an experienced trekker, just a casual hiker here and there.
About a month before I leave for my Nepal trip, there’s one more thing I should prepare – getting a visa for Nepal.
I already did my research about this before I even started training, so I know what to expect. I travelled to Nepal in 2023 and received my evisa/visa letter three weeks before I departed.
In this article about Nepal visa for Filipinos, I will guide you on how I applied for a tourist visa for Nepal with my Philippines passport. I also listed tips such as the cost, how hard to get it, how long it takes to process, requirements, and more.
A Nepal visa is quite straightforward and seems to be easy to get. Nepal is actually one of the very first countries to re-open their borders during the pandemic, welcoming all nationalities.
BASIC INFORMATION ON NEPAL VISA
Nepal might as well be on the list of visa-free countries for Filipinos because the visa program they have is very easy. But they’re smart and decided to charge almost all foreigners and make an income out of it, at the same time making sure that it’s a hassle-free process.
In this section, you will find the important details about applying for a Nepal visa for Filipinos.
Visa difficulty
It is very easy, I will give this a 1/10, with one being the easiest. It’s 100% approved because you can either get your Nepal visa online or when you arrive at the airport in Nepal.
If this is your first time leaving the Philippines, the immigration here might give you a bit of a hard time. Make sure that you have proof from the official Nepal website that Filipinos can get a visa on arrival.
In this case, it’s better if you secure an evisa in advance instead (it’s only a letter, but you will receive the actual visa sticker on your arrival).
How much does a Nepal visa cost
Applying for a Nepal visa for Filipinos online might cost a little bit more, depending on where you’re sending your application. But the official costs are:
- 15 days = $30
- 30 days = $50
- 90 days = $125
- Extension is $45 for a minimum of 15 days and $3 per additional days
- Extending your visa past the expiration is $5 a day,
How long does a Nepal visa take to process
When I applied for mine, I received my evisa/visa letter in my email in less than a week.
Around five business days is an okay amount of time. But it’s better to be sure because technical glitches and public holidays (in Nepal) could slow down the process of your evisa.
Where to apply for Nepal visa
You can get a visa letter online or receive your visa upon arrival in Nepal. The only difference is that if you apply online, you can skip the longer queue at Kathmandu airport. There is a queue on the machine where you will have to add your personal details and travel details.
If you get your visa letter online, when you land at the airport, you will proceed directly to the payment section and save extra time.
You must print your visa letter before your flight to Nepal. You can use a digital copy, but some people have reported that the immigration in Nepal wanted a physical copy instead.
How soon can I apply for Nepal visa
There’s really no maximum number of days before you must apply for a Nepal visa. However, you want to consider a minimum number of days to avoid receiving your visa letter too late.
Apply for your Nepal visa at least two weeks before your trip. This will give you plenty of time to receive it. Plus, in case you are not aware of any public holidays in Nepal, you won’t have to worry about that.
Let’s say you apply for the evisa on Friday, this means, you won’t receive your visa letter until the coming Friday due to the weekend. If there are holidays in between that you’re not aware of, the evisa could take longer. Hence, my decision to apply two weeks before my flight departure.
REQUIREMENTS FOR NEPAL VISA
There are not many requirements for getting a Nepal visa for Filipinos. Here’s a quick list:
- Your personal details
- Passport
- Travel details (when are you arriving in Nepal and your departure date)
- Name, address, and phone number of your first hotel in Nepal
- Your flight details (airline, time of arrival)
- Passport photo (make sure that you have a digital copy, if applying online)
- Review the application before submitting
- You will receive an email with your evisa/visa letter; you must print this.
If you rea hiking the Everest Base Camp or doing a hike higher than 5,000 metres, you must get travel insurance that will cover extreme sports. Not all travel insurance companies will cover Filipinos, a lot of them only accept subscribers from specific nationalities.
But don’t worry, I did that research for you. I found that MAFRE will cover your this trip.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON APPLYING FOR Nepal VISA FOR FILIPINOS
Applying for a Nepal visa online is straightforward and easy. If you don’t want to get it online, you can apply one upon your arrival in Nepal. Here’s the walk-through guide:
- Go to the official website or use iVisa (my trusted online visa website).
- Fill out the necessary details and upload your passport photo.
- Review your information.
- Pay (with applying with iVisa).
- Wait for your evisa/visa letter and print it.
- When you arrive at Kathmandu airport, go directly to the “payment section” and show your visa letter. You can pay in cash only with USD, AUD, CAD, NZD, Euro, and GBP, but your change will be in local currency of Nepali Rupee.
- Make sure you have your flight back home (digital or printed are both ok).
- Once paid, go to the immigration officer and show your receipt, you will then get your visa sticker and asked to do your biometrics (photo and/or fingerprints).
- If you don’t want to apply online, all you need to prepare is your passport, passport photo, travel details, hotel’s details, and cash.
- When you arrive at Kathmandu airport, find the “visa machine”. Usually there are two machines, but sometimes the other one is broken, and the line takes longer than usual.
- Fill out your personal and travel details. The machine will either give you a paper or a code to show to the next officer.
- Head to the payment section, give the paper/code, and pay.
- Finally, go to the immigration office to get your visa sticker and have your biometrics collected.
When done, head downstairs (follow other people). You will go through the security check before you get to collect your bags.
After that, there are shops at the airport before the exit gate where you can arrange taxi to your hotel or get a local sim card. The simcard at the airport is not more expensive than in the city centre.
If you’re arriving later than 8 PM, it’s best to arrange a hotel transfer from the airport. There are lots of taxi guys outside; many are charging too much and can be quite persistent. You can avoid that and look for your airport pick-up holding sign.
FINAL TIPS
Whether you’re planning to go to Nepal to do the EBC trek, learn yoga and meditation, or enrich your passport, getting a Nepal visa for Filipinos is hassle-free.
The visa is a smaller sticker compared to Schgen, US, or even the Vietnam 3-month visa, saving space on your passport.
I hope that you found this guide helpful and your trip to Nepal will be enjoyable.