Nepal Visa for UAE Residents: Visa on Arrival, the eVisa, Fees and SAARC Rules

The short answer: most UAE residents can get a Nepal tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, or apply online in advance through the Department of Immigration's own eVisa portal. Either way the fee is the same: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days or USD 125 for 90 days. That applies to Emiratis and to Filipino, Egyptian, British and other Western passport holders. Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals get the 30-day visa free, once in a calendar year, under Nepal's SAARC concession. Indian nationals need no visa at all. A short list of other nationalities cannot get a visa on arrival and must apply at a Nepali mission first.

Kathmandu, Pokhara and the trekking routes into the Everest and Annapurna regions are about four hours' non-stop flight from Dubai, which makes Nepal an easy mountain break from the UAE. Here is what each passport needs.

Nepal visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati, Filipino, Egyptian, British and other Western passports	Visa on arrival or online eVisa, from USD 30
Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan	Free 30-day visa on arrival, once per visa year
Indian	No visa needed
Where to apply	Online eVisa before travel, on arrival at Kathmandu airport, or the Nepal Embassy in Abu Dhabi
Fee	USD 30 (15 days), USD 50 (30 days), USD 125 (90 days); AED 110/190/460 at the Abu Dhabi embassy
Passport validity	At least 6 months from your date of travel
Stay	Up to 90 days on one visa; extendable to 150 days total in a visa year (January to December)

How to apply

There are three official routes, all run by Nepal's Department of Immigration:

1. Apply for the eVisa online before you fly. This is what the Department's own site recommends as the fastest route. Go to nepaliport-new.immigration.gov.np, enter your personal and passport details, upload a scanned passport copy and a passport-style photo, choose 15, 30 or 90 days, and pay the fee by card in US dollars. The approved visa is emailed to you; print it and carry it to Nepal.
2. Get a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. Fill in the Arrival Card and the online Tourist Visa form before you fly, at nepaliport.immigration.gov.np (or on a kiosk at the airport if you land without it). Print the barcoded submission receipt, valid for 15 days, pay the fee in cash at the bank counter, then take your form, receipt and passport to the immigration desk.
3. Apply at the Nepal Embassy in Abu Dhabi before you travel. Submit the online form at nepaliport.immigration.gov.np/onlinevisa-mission/application, print it, and take it to the embassy with your documents and the fee in cash. Applications are accepted Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 1.30pm, with collection the same day from 2.30pm to 4pm.

Use only these official Department of Immigration or embassy addresses. Several look-alike websites charge a service fee to fill in the same free government form.

Documents

• Passport valid for at least six months from your date of travel
• A recent passport-style photo, for an online application
• Your printed submission or confirmation receipt, if you applied online
• A card or cash for the fee, depending on how you apply
• For the embassy route: a photocopy of your passport, a copy of your UAE residence visa, and a no-objection letter from your employer, or your sponsor's passport copy if you are on personal sponsorship

Fees, processing time and validity

• Entry fee: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, USD 125 for 90 days, all multiple entry. Pay in US dollars cash at the bank counter on arrival, or by card through the Department's online eVisa portal.
• Free entry: children under 10 (other than US citizens), and Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals on their first 30-day visit in a visa year.
• Re-entry: add USD 25 if you need to leave Nepal and come back on the same visa.
• Extension: USD 3 a day, for a minimum of 15 days, up to a combined 150 days in the visa year. A late extension carries a USD 5 a day fine. Extensions are handled by the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu or its office in Pokhara.
• Validity: use the visa within six months of the date it was issued, whether you got it on arrival, online or from the embassy.
• US citizens: Nepal issues a separate, reciprocal tourist visa to US passport holders: USD 160 for a multiple-entry visa valid five years, with a stay of up to 180 days in a year.

Who cannot get a visa on arrival

Nationals of a short list of countries cannot get a Nepal visa on arrival and must apply at a Nepali diplomatic mission before they travel. The Nepal Embassy in Abu Dhabi lists Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini (Swaziland), Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria and Iran, plus anyone travelling on a refugee travel document. None of the main UAE expat or GCC passports are on this list. Nepal's own Department of Immigration page currently shows the same list without Iran, so the two official sources don't quite match; if your passport is anywhere near this list, confirm its current status with the embassy before you book.

Indian nationals: no visa needed

Indian citizens do not need a visa for Nepal at all, under the 1950 treaty between the two countries, and Nepal's Department of Immigration confirms this on its own visa pages. Flying from the UAE, carry your valid Indian passport: it is what your airline and UAE immigration require for an international departure, and what Nepali immigration checks on arrival. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu does let Indians travel between India and Nepal on an original Election Commission voter ID card instead of a passport, but that concession is for direct India-Nepal journeys, not for a flight that starts in the UAE.

Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals: a free visa

Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are SAARC member states, and Nepal's Department of Immigration gives their citizens a free 30-day visa on arrival, but only on your first visit in a visa year (the calendar year, January to December). A second trip within the same year is charged the normal fee. Afghanistan is a SAARC member too, but Afghan nationals need the Department's recommendation first rather than getting the concession automatically. The process at the airport is otherwise the same as for everyone else: fill in the arrival card and the Tourist Visa form, then go to the immigration desk. There is simply nothing to pay at the bank counter.

Trekking permits

A handful of remote areas need a separate permit from the Department of Immigration, on top of your visa. Upper Mustang and the upper Dolpo region cost USD 50 a person a day (Upper Dolpo's first ten days are a flat USD 500), and Manaslu, Humla, Taplejung and several other districts have their own weekly rates. For the popular routes into the Everest and Annapurna regions, your trekking agency arranges the separate park and conservation area permits; ask them for the current fee before you go.

Flights from the UAE

• Dubai to Kathmandu: Emirates and flydubai fly non-stop, in about four hours.

From Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, check the current timetables. UAE flight schedules moved around for much of 2026, and we could not confirm a current non-stop service on another airline.

Frequently asked questions

Do UAE residents need a visa for Nepal?

Most do, but how you get it depends on your passport. Most nationalities can buy a visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport, or apply online in advance through the Department of Immigration's eVisa portal. Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals get the 30-day visa free once a year, and Indian nationals need no visa at all.

How much is the Nepal visa on arrival?

USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days or USD 125 for 90 days, whichever length you choose. Pay in US dollars cash at the airport, or by card if you apply online through the Department of Immigration's eVisa portal.

Do Indians need a visa for Nepal?

No. Indian citizens do not need a Nepal visa at all, under the treaty between the two countries. Flying from the UAE, carry your valid Indian passport, since that is what your airline and immigration on both sides require.

Is the Nepal visa free for Pakistanis?

Yes, for a first visit of up to 30 days in a calendar year. Pakistan is a SAARC member state, and Nepal waives the fee on that basis. A second trip in the same year is charged the normal rate.

Can I get a Nepal visa online before I travel?

Yes. Nepal's Department of Immigration runs its own eVisa portal, where you apply, upload your documents, pay by card and receive the approved visa by email before you fly. You can also apply at the Nepal Embassy in Abu Dhabi, or get the visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport.

How long is the flight from Dubai to Kathmandu?

About four hours non-stop, on Emirates or flydubai.

Planning a trip to Nepal

A week covers Kathmandu's temples and a short trek, or a few days in Pokhara on Phewa Lake; trekkers heading for Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Circuit usually plan two weeks or more. October to November and March to April are generally the clearest months for mountain views. See our visa services for help with your application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights, treks and hotels.

Related guides

• Sri Lanka visa for UAE residents
• China visa for UAE residents
• Thailand visa for UAE residents
• Visa-free countries for UAE residents

Last checked 9 October 2026 against Nepal's Department of Immigration visa fee, visa information and eVisa pages, the Nepal Embassy in Abu Dhabi's visa page, and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu's travel document guidance. Visa rules, fees and the eligible-country list change; this guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements on immigration.gov.np or with the Nepal Embassy in Abu Dhabi before you apply or travel.