A Nepal visa is required of citizens of Azerbaijan, but for anyone heading to the Himalayas the visa is the least of their concerns: it is issued on the spot at Kathmandu airport, for 15, 30 or 90 days, all of them multiple entry. There is no embassy, no document pack and no waiting. The real preparation is the trekking permits and the season.
In this article we explain the fees for the visa at the border, the online pre-form, the documents, the trekking permits and the flight options from Baku to Kathmandu.
A Nepal visa: the fees and the periods
| Visa type | Tourist visa on arrival, multiple entry |
| 15 days | 30 dollars |
| 30 days | 50 dollars |
| 90 days | 125 dollars |
| Where is it issued? | Kathmandu airport and the land border crossings |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months |
| Direct flight | None, via Doha, Dubai, Istanbul or Delhi |
How is the Nepal visa obtained at the border?
At Kathmandu airport the visa is issued in three steps: you fill in a form at a kiosk, you pay the fee, and at the immigration window the visa is stamped into your passport. The fee is accepted in cash in dollars, euros and some other currencies; cards do not always work, so take cash dollars. To shorten the queue you can fill in the online pre-form on the site of Nepal’s Department of Immigration up to 15 days before your flight, and it replaces the form at the airport. The official form is on the online portal of Nepal’s Department of Immigration and is free.
What do you need for a Nepal visa?
- A passport: valid for at least 6 months, with 1 blank page.
- 1 photo, taken on the spot at some kiosks.
- The fee in cash dollars.
- Confirmation of the online pre-form, if you have one.
No bank statement, employment certificate or hotel booking is required. In one calendar year you can stay a total of up to 150 days on a tourist visa, and the period can be extended at the immigration office in Kathmandu.
Trekking permits: documents separate from the visa
Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit and the other routes are walked not on the visa but on separate permits. For Annapurna you pay the ACAP entry permit, for the Everest region the Sagarmatha national park and a local municipality fee, each around 20–30 dollars. On many routes a licensed guide is compulsory. These permits are obtained in Kathmandu and Pokhara from the tourism board or from a trekking agency.
Read next: An India visa online: the e-Visa fees, the entry airports and the middleman trap
How do you fly from Baku to Kathmandu?
There is no direct flight. People fly to Kathmandu with Qatar Airways via Doha, flydubai and Emirates via Dubai, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and the Indian airlines via Delhi, and the whole journey takes 10–14 hours. When passing through Delhi, no Indian visa is needed as long as you do not leave the transit zone. Baku–Kathmandu air ticket prices rise in the October–November and March–April trekking seasons.
The success of a Nepal trip depends on the route and the season; Nepal tour programmes combine Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan national park into 7–10 days, and for trekking the guide and the permits are included in the package.
Things to know before the trip
- Season. October–November and March–April are ideal for trekking, and June–September is the monsoon season.
- Altitude. Above 3000 metres there is a risk of altitude sickness, so climb slowly and listen to your guide.
- Insurance. For trekking, insurance covering helicopter evacuation is essential; ordinary travel insurance does not pay for it.
- Money. The Nepalese rupee. There are cash machines in Kathmandu, and in the mountains it is cash only.
- Water. Drink only sealed bottled or filtered water.
Frequently asked questions about the Nepal visa
Can you cross into India on a Nepal visa and come back?
The Nepal visa is multiple entry, so coming back is no problem. But India gives citizens of Azerbaijan an electronic visa, and with an electronic visa you cannot enter across a land border, only through an airport.
Can the visa be obtained in advance?
Nepal has no embassy in Baku; the visa at the border is the main route for everyone and there is no need to obtain one beforehand.
Is the visa free for children?
The visa is free for children under 10, but the form and the stamp are still needed.
In closing
A Nepal visa takes 10 minutes at the airport; the real preparation is the trekking permits, the insurance and the season. The Viza.az team helps with choosing the flight route, finding trekking insurance and planning the Nepal programme.
You can read more about the Nepal destination and the service fees or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is as of the publication date. Fees and permit rules can change, so look at the official portal once more before your trip.
