Visa requirement
India visa for Nepali citizens
Official-source answer with stay limit, cost, required documents and last verification date.
Do Nepali citizens need a visa for India?
Checked answer — confirm before travel
Nepali citizens do not need a visa for India.
Last verified:
Confidence: Medium Likely current — confirm details with the official source.
This answer is for ordinary Nepali passport holders travelling as citizens of that passport. Residence permits, long-stay visas or living in another country can change which embassy or rule applies.
Visa types at a glance
| Visa type | Availability | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa-free? | Yes | Stay rule is explained on this page. |
| eVisa? | No | No eVisa route is stored for this corridor. |
| Visa on arrival? | No | No visa-on-arrival route is stored for this corridor. |
- Citizens of Nepal visiting India from Nepal or Bhutan by land or air are exempt from an Indian visa and passport, but must hold a government-approved nationality document with photo. A passport and Indian visa are required if entering India from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan.
- Free
- Nothing required before departure
Before you travel
- 1 Entry step Nothing required before departure Official route (opens in a new tab)
- 2 Stay limit Citizens of Nepal visiting India from Nepal or Bhutan by land or air are exempt from an Indian visa and passport, but must hold a government-approved nationality document with photo. A passport and Indian visa are required if entering India from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan.
- 3 Official fee Free
- 4 Passport validity Official rule stored below. See full note
- 5 Transit airside: conditional; landside: conditional. Full note below. See full note
- 6 Freshness Checked 23 Jul 2026; confidence: medium
Shareable verdict: Nepali citizens do not need a visa for India. Checked 23 Jul 2026.
Open SVG cardCost note
The BOI visa-free route does not carry a visa fee. Other routes or visa-required entry paths can have separate fees.
Passport and transit notes
- Passport validity
- BOI's Nepal/Bhutan wording focuses on a government-approved nationality document for Nepal/Bhutan routes and a passport-plus-visa requirement for specified third-country entry routes, not a universal month threshold.
- Validity source (opens in a new tab) Validity guide
- Transit
- airside transit: conditional; landside transit: conditional; BOI's general transit page says direct air transit without leaving specified airport precincts up to 24 hours does not require a transit visa. Nepal citizens also have route-specific visa-free entry from Nepal/Bhutan, but entry from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan requires passport and visa.
- Transit source (opens in a new tab) Transit guide
What you need
- Nepali nationality document or passport as required by route
- Government-approved document authenticating Nepalese nationality with photograph when entering from Nepal or Bhutan
- Valid passport and Indian visa if entering from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan
- Travel details if requested by the carrier or immigration officer
Why this verdict
Nepali citizens' entry guidance is based on India's official destination source set (listed by the Bureau of Immigration under Nepal/Bhutan visa-free entry). This guidance is intentionally conservative: ordinary passport, tourism / short visitor travel only. Work, study, residence, long-term stay, diplomatic/service passports, military/security/police-background eVisa limits, Pakistani-origin caveats, special travel documents, protected/restricted-area permits, airline handling and immigration discretion can change the practical answer. Reconfirm on the official Indian source before booking.
Conditional rules
- Work, study, residence, employment or long-term stay Visa required
The short-visitor rule listed here does not cover work, study, residence, employment or long-term stay.
- Entering India from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan Visa required
BOI says citizens of Nepal must have a passport and visa for India when entering from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan.
- Entering or exiting India from/to a place other than Nepal Conditional
BOI says citizens of Nepal must possess a valid passport while entering or exiting India from or to a place other than Nepal.
Frequently asked questions
Do Nepali citizens need a visa for India?
Nepali citizens do not need a visa for India. (Visa-free.) Verified 23 Jul 2026 against the official source.
How long can Nepali passport holders stay in India?
Citizens of Nepal visiting India from Nepal or Bhutan by land or air are exempt from an Indian visa and passport, but must hold a government-approved nationality document with photo. A passport and Indian visa are required if entering India from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan.
How much does entry to India cost for Nepali citizens?
It is free. This page tracks the official government fee only, not agent markup.