Procedure of obtaining Business Visa in Nepal

If a foreign individual or a corporate entity from foreign jurisdiction intends to invest in Nepal, such individuals or representatives of the corporate entity must obtain a business visa in Nepal. This visa is necessary for their stay and for conducting business operations within Nepal. It's important to note that any foreign national wishing to work in Nepal must obtain either a business visa or a work permit in compliance with the country's regulations.

The following laws are the primary legislation that govern the business visa in Nepal:
a) Immigration Act, 1992 (2049) (“Immigration Act”),
b) Immigration Rules, 1994 (2051) (“Immigration Rules”) and
c) Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, 2019 (2075) (“FITTA”).

The Department of Immigration (“Immigration Department”) serves as the authoritative body responsible for the facilitation, regulation, and renewal of business visa in Nepal.

In practice, the issuance of a business visa by the Immigration Department typically involves obtaining a recommendation from relevant government authorities. Recommendation from the Department of Industry is required to receive the business visa in case of foreign investment companies in Nepal.

As per the Rule Number. 9 of Immigration Rules, the eligibility criteria forobtaining a Business Visa in Nepal are as follows:
i) Foreigners who have obtained a license to make investment in any trade or industrial enterprise in Nepal or an authorized representative of such trade or enterprise;
ii) Foreigners who have obtained a license to make investment in order to carry on export trade from Nepal;
iii) Foreigners who visit Nepal from third countries and who purchase and export goods manufactured in Nepal or make a purchase order for exports.

As per Section 30 (2) of FITTA, the business visa is granted to individual foreign investors or their authorized representatives of corporate entity and family members, tied to maintaining the prescribed investment amount in Nepal. A part from individual investors and corporate entity representatives, individuals who are family members of investors or family members of representatives of company are eligible to apply for dependent visas. "Family member" here refers to spouse, parents, and minor children of the investor or representative. Visa recommendations (for representative and family members) will be processed, within a 2-day timeframe, by the Single Point Service Centre, provided that the following requirements are met:

One should follow the following general procedure to obtain business visa in Nepal:

Generally, it takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks to obtain business visa in Nepal.

The Department of Immigration issues the visa upon receipt of the following necessary documentation from the applicant:

The duration of a business visa spans from a minimum of one month to a maximum of five years. Typically, the Immigration Department grants an initial business visa for a duration of one year, and it is necessary to renew this visa on an annual basis.

Following documents has to be submitted before Immigration Department for the renewal of visa:

Date of Publication: 11 September 2023

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