Extending Your Nepal Tourist Visa — Where, How Much, How Long

Nepal tourist visas can be extended to a maximum of 150 days per calendar year. The extension process is straightforward — you visit the Department of Immigration office in Kathmandu (or Pokhara), pay a fee, and walk out with the extended visa in your passport.

This guide covers the 2026 process.

When you can extend

You can extend at any point while your current visa is valid. You cannot extend AFTER your visa has expired (you'll pay an overstay fine instead).

Recommended: extend with at least 3-5 days remaining on your current visa. This gives you a buffer if there are any administrative delays.

How much it costs

The fee structure (2026):

| Extension period | Cost (USD equivalent) | |---|---| | 15 days minimum | $45 | | 16-30 days | $45 + $3/day for each day over 15 | | Beyond 30 days | $3/day continued | | 150-day annual maximum | ~$405 total |

The minimum extension is 15 days at $45. If you want just 5 more days, you still pay $45. So extensions are most cost-effective in larger chunks.

Payment: cash, in USD or NPR. NPR is exchanged at the Department's posted rate (similar to Nepal Rastra Bank rate).

Where to extend

Kathmandu — Department of Immigration

Address: Kalikasthan, Kathmandu (near the Kalimati cattle market)

Hours: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sunday through Friday (closed Saturday and public holidays)

Get there: Pathao or taxi (~20 minutes from Thamel, NPR 200-400 by Pathao or NPR 400-700 by taxi). The neighborhood isn't tourist-central; tell the driver "Immigration department" or "Immigration office."

The office is a large multi-story building with separate windows for different services. Look for the "Visa Extension" window or counter.

Pokhara — small immigration office

Address: a smaller branch in central Pokhara

Hours: Same as Kathmandu

Less crowded than Kathmandu, particularly for tourists already in Pokhara. Service quality is similar.

What to bring

• Passport (with current visa)
• Cash in USD or NPR (have exact amount or close to it — change can be slow)
• One passport-size photo (some offices skip this in 2026, but bring one to be safe)
• A pen (essential — there are rarely pens at the desk)
• Photocopy of passport (front page + current visa page) — sometimes requested
• Application form — pick up at the office or download from immigration.gov.np

The process

1. Arrive early — 9:30-10:00 AM. Lines start forming before official opening. Each hour you delay adds 30+ minutes to your wait.

2. Pick up the form at the entrance. Fill it out completely before queueing.

3. Submit the form + passport + photo at the visa extension window. Officer reviews documents.

4. Pay the fee at the cashier window. Get a receipt.

5. Return to the visa extension window with the receipt. They affix the extension to your passport.

6. Verify the new expiration date before leaving.

Total time: 1-3 hours depending on queue length and time of day.

What can go wrong

Missing documents: if you didn't bring a passport photo or photocopy, you'll be sent to a nearby shop. There are several photo shops within 5 minutes of the Immigration office for this purpose.

Closed for holiday: Nepali public holidays close the office. The major ones are Dashain (mid-October), Tihar (late October/November), Holi (March), and Republic Day. Check before going.

Form errors: filling out the form incorrectly slows things down. Ask the officer if unclear.

Wrong amount of cash: bring slightly more than the expected fee.

After 150 days

The 150-day annual limit is hard. You cannot extend beyond it in the same calendar year. If your trip extends beyond 150 days:

• Leave Nepal (to India, China, anywhere) for at least 30 days
• Reenter on a new visa — the clock starts over for the next calendar year

Some long-stay travelers do this with brief trips to India: bus to the border, cross, stay a few days in Varanasi or Sikkim, then return with a fresh visa.

What about overstaying?

If you stay past your visa expiry:

• First 30 days overstay: $5/day fine plus the standard visa-extension fee for the overstay period
• After 30 days: more complex penalties; potential deportation; difficulty getting future visas

The fine is paid at the airport before flying out.

Avoid overstaying. Extending in advance is significantly cheaper and less stressful than paying overstay fines.

Some tips for the queue

Best time to arrive: 9:30 AM. The queue forms around 10 AM, and the office opens at 10. Arriving 30 minutes early lets you be in the first wave.

Worst time: 11 AM - 2 PM. Long queues, slow processing, sometimes lunch breaks for officers.

Friday afternoons: avoid. Many Nepalis come in for their own paperwork before the weekend.

Bring something to read. The wait can be 1-3 hours.

Don't argue with officers. The process is bureaucratic. Patience works; argument doesn't.

The reality of the office

The Department of Immigration is a functional government office. It's not a tourist-friendly experience — the building is utilitarian, the queues are real, and the officers are processing dozens of applications. Most are polite; some are tired and brisk.

Most travelers complete the extension successfully on the first visit. Returning a second day is rare but happens for missing documents.

A few useful Nepali phrases

• Visa extend garna chahanchu — "I want to extend my visa."
• Kati paisa lagchha? — "How much does it cost?"
• Kati din? — "How many days?"
• Photo chahincha? — "Do you need a photo?"
• Dhanyabaad — "Thank you"

The scenarios phrasebook covers the broader administrative interaction patterns.

What changes for second-time visitors

If you're applying for a visa on a return trip to Nepal (not your first), the 150-day annual limit still applies. So if you visited in Q1 for 60 days, came back in Q3, you have 90 days max for the second visit before hitting the annual cap.

Alternatives to extending

Border run to India: instead of extending, leave to India and return. Bus to Sunauli (4-5 hours from Lumbini), cross, stay overnight, return next day. Cost: ~NPR 2,000 in transport plus the new visa fee. Sometimes cheaper than a long extension if you wanted to visit India anyway.

Tibet via flight: less practical — Tibet entry requires Chinese-issued permits.

Long-stay visas: not available for casual tourists; require employment or business sponsorship.

Pre-extension checklist

• Confirm your current visa expiration date
• Allocate 1-3 hours on a weekday morning
• USD or NPR cash for the fee
• Passport photo + photocopies
• Pen
• A book for the wait
• The Immigration office location saved in Pathao
• Nepali greetings for the officer interaction
• The visa on arrival guide for context

Extending a Nepal visa is a routine government interaction. Plan for the wait, bring the documents, and you'll walk out with extra days.