Visa Requirements
Do South African citizens need a visa for Nepal?
Official Requirement
Visa on arrival
for South Africa citizens travelling to Nepal
Tourist visas are available on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and at official land border checkpoints. Visas are issued for 15, 30, or 90-day periods, with a maximum stay of 150 days in any calendar year. Processing at the airport may take several hours during peak periods.
Checked 12 September 2026
We are not a government authority. Requirements change without notice. Always verify with the official consulate link before travel.
No pre-application needed. Nepal issues visas on arrival — pay the fee and present your documents at the port of entry.
Himalayas
The short answer
South African citizens can get a visa on arrival to enter Nepal for stays of up to 90 days. A visa is issued at the border on arrival in Nepal. Processing takes the visa is issued at the immigration desk on arrival. The Department of Immigration describes the procedure as quick and simple and states no processing time in days. The fee is USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, and USD 125 for 90 days, paid at the bank counter on arrival (as of September 2026). Some categories of traveller, including children under 10, receive a gratis visa. Bring passport, completed Arrival Card, completed online tourist visa form, with the printed submission receipt and barcode, which is valid for 15 days and the visa fee, with some cash advised. This was last checked on 12 September 2026.
At a glance
Key facts for South African citizens visiting Nepal
- Requirement
- Visa on arrival
- Maximum stay
- Up to 90 days
- Fee
- USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, and USD 125 for 90 days, paid at the bank counter on arrival (as of September 2026). Some categories of traveller, including children under 10, receive a gratis visa.
- Processing time
- The visa is issued at the immigration desk on arrival. The Department of Immigration describes the procedure as quick and simple and states no processing time in days.
- Documents
- Passport
- Completed Arrival Card
- Completed online tourist visa form, with the printed submission receipt and barcode, which is valid for 15 days
- The visa fee, with some cash advised
- On arrival
- An Arrival Card is completed on entry, alongside the online tourist visa form, which may be filled in before arrival or at the kiosk machines at Tribhuvan International Airport.
- Conditions
- Visa on arrival is provided at Tribhuvan International Airport and at the entry points established at the border regions for those arriving by land. A tourist visa obtained from a Nepali diplomatic mission before travelling must be used within six months of the date it was issued, and the total stay is counted from the day of entry into Nepal.
Step by step
How South African citizens enter Nepal
Fill in the Arrival Card and the online tourist visa form, either before arrival or at the kiosk machines at Tribhuvan International Airport
Print the submission receipt with the barcode, which is valid for 15 days
Pay the visa fee at the bank counter for 15, 30, or 90 days
Present the online form, the payment receipt, and your passport at the immigration desk
The immigration officer processes the application and issues the visa
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Exercise Caution
UK FCDO: The FCDO does not advise against travel to any part of Nepal. Following unrest since 26 July, local curfews have been imposed in Koshi province and Madhesh province in the south of the country. Wider disruption across the Middle East may also affect flight connections to Kathmandu.
Updated 2026-08-01 11:42:45
Practical Info
Travel Essentials
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Questions
What South African citizens ask about entering Nepal
Yes, but it is issued at the border. South African citizens can get a visa on arrival in Nepal. This was last checked on 12 September 2026.
Up to 90 days on this entry route. A longer trip needs a different permission, which this page does not cover. A border officer decides the length granted on the day.
Through the official application page linked on this page. Yoogo does not process applications and takes no fee for them.
A passport valid for the trip, proof of onward or return travel, and proof of where you are staying. Officers can ask for evidence that you can support yourself for the visit. Entry is always the officer's decision, whatever the paperwork says.
Nepal uses NPR. Check the rate before you exchange anything at the airport, where the spread is usually widest.
Changes to this route
No changes recorded since the first check on 12 September 2026.
Full change history for this route →