Nepal is unusual among the countries we write about. The Department of Immigration (DoI) in Kalikasthan publishes its tourist visa steps in detail, and a flight home is simply not on them. So if you landed here searching for a dummy ticket for a Nepal visa, the honest starting point is that you may not need one at all. There are still three situations where a flight booking matters: a visa applied for through a Nepali embassy, a short transit stop in Kathmandu, and an airline that wants to see how you will leave. This page takes each in turn, using only what the DoI, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu and Nepal's aviation authority publish.
A quick definition so we are talking about the same thing. What we sell is a flight reservation: an airline booking held under a booking reference (PNR) in your name, without the fare being paid. It shows a route and dates. It does not let you board.
Nepal entry in 2026: the facts that matter
| Question | What the DoI publishes |
|---|---|
| Tourist visa on arrival fees | 15 days US$30, 30 days US$50, 90 days US$125. Your stay is counted from the day you enter.[1] |
| Entries | All three tourist durations are listed as multiple entry.[2] |
| Online before you fly | An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) through the NepaliPort portal, or a mission visa through the embassy portal.[1][2] |
| Form receipt | The barcoded submission receipt is valid for 15 days.[1] |
| Visa issued in advance | Must be used within six months of issue. Fees are not refunded once a visa is issued.[2] |
| Passport | Valid for at least six months before the date of travel.[2] |
| Yearly ceiling | 150 days of tourist stay per visa year, which runs January to December.[2] |
| Extension and overstay | Extension US$3 a day with a 15-day minimum; overstay fine US$5 a day.[2] |
| Transit visa | US$5 for up to 24 hours, issued on "proof of transit (air ticket)".[1] |
| Indian citizens | "Indian citizens do not require a visa to enter Nepal."[2] |
Which way into Nepal are you using?
The flight question depends entirely on which of five routes applies to you. On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
| Route | Who uses it | What you hand over | Flight document named? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa on arrival at TIA | Most passports | Arrival card, online form receipt, fee receipt, passport[1] | No |
| ETA via NepaliPort | Anyone eligible who prefers to sort it before flying | Personal and passport details, photos, visa length, purpose, address or hotel in Nepal[1] | No, though travel dates are entered[2] |
| Mission visa | The twelve restricted nationalities, and anyone who prefers an embassy | Passport copy, photograph and "any supporting documents required by the Mission"[2] | Up to each mission |
| Transit visa | Travellers leaving the airport for under 24 hours | Online form, US$5, air ticket as proof of transit[1] | Yes |
| No visa | Indian citizens | Passport or original voter ID by air[4] | No |
What do the official pages say, word for word?
We read the DoI visa information page, the online visa page and the services page in October 2026.[3] These are the lines that bear on flights and travel plans:
- Visa on arrival, step 1: fill in the arrival card and the online tourist visa form, then print the submission receipt with barcode, "valid for 15 days".[1]
- Visa on arrival, step 3: "Present your online form, payment receipt, and passport."[1]
- ETA form: applicants enter "personal details, passport info, travel dates, and purpose of visit".[2]
- Transit visa: stay up to 24 hours "by presenting proof of transit (air ticket)".[1]
That is the complete list. Nothing on these pages asks a tourist to show a return or onward flight. We would rather tell you that plainly than invent a rule to sell you something.
So who might still ask about your flight out?
Three parties can, even without a published rule behind them.
Your airline. Carriers flying into Kathmandu run their own document checks, and some staff ask one-way passengers how they plan to leave. The DoI pages do not describe airline checks, so the only reliable answer comes from the airline itself. Ask before the day, in writing if you can.
The immigration officer. The officer at the desk "will process and issue your visa".[1] Officers anywhere can ask about your plans. Answer honestly, and have your hotel or trek details to hand.
A Nepali embassy. If you apply through a mission, it decides its own supporting documents.[2] This is where a flight itinerary is most likely to be requested, and where a reservation is most useful.
The 24-hour transit visa: the one place an air ticket is named
Most people connecting through Tribhuvan International Airport never leave the terminal and need nothing. The transit visa is for those who want to step out for a few hours. The DoI sets three steps: complete the online form in the transit category, pay US$5 at the bank counter on arrival, then go to the transit visa desk with "your air ticket (proof of transit)".[1]
Notice the words. The page says air ticket, not itinerary or booking. If you are flying on through Kathmandu, carry the actual ticket for the onward flight. Nobody has paid for a held reservation, and at this desk that difference could matter. The DoI also notes that people who arrive because of an emergency or forced landing can take a tourist visa instead, if they want to leave the airport.[1]
Indian passport holders: an ID question, not a visa question
For Indians the DoI is short and clear: no visa is required.[2] What trips people up is identification. The Embassy of India in Kathmandu says only two documents are valid for Indians flying between the two countries: a valid Indian passport, or an original voter ID card with photograph from the Election Commission of India.[4]
- A downloaded or printed online voter ID is "not acceptable as travel document".[4]
- Aadhaar, PAN card, driving licence and Indian Embassy registration are also not accepted.[4]
So an Indian flying Delhi to Kathmandu has no visa form to fill and no flight document to submit. A reservation only becomes relevant if your airline asks how you are getting home, which for a short holiday on a return fare it rarely needs to.
Twelve nationalities that must apply before travelling
Citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria cannot get a visa on arrival.[2] They apply in advance through a Nepalese embassy or the online mission portal. Afghan citizens appear separately in the gratis list, where a free visa needs a DoI recommendation.[1]
The mission route is the one where we can genuinely help. Embassies often like to see dates that make sense: when you arrive, when you leave, and that the gap fits the visa length you are asking for. A verifiable reservation shows that without you buying a fare before you know the answer. Call it a reservation or itinerary in anything you write. If a particular embassy asks for a purchased ticket, that is a different document, and you should buy one.
Applying through a Nepali embassy?
Dates that fit your 15, 30 or 90-day request, under a reference the carrier's website will find. ₹699 or $9 per person.
Planning dates around 15, 30 and 90 days
Because the fee depends on length, it pays to fix your dates before you choose. Here is a worked example. Say you land in Kathmandu on 14 November and plan an 18-day trek in the Annapurna region plus a few days in Pokhara. That is more than 15 days, so the US$50 thirty-day visa is the sensible buy, and a flight out by 13 December keeps you inside it. If the trek runs long, you can extend at US$3 a day with a 15-day minimum at the DoI in Kathmandu or the Immigration Office in Pokhara.[2] Overstaying costs US$5 a day.[2]
Long-stay visitors should watch the 150-day yearly ceiling. A November arrival and a February return straddle two visa years, since the DoI counts January to December.[2] One more timing point: the online form receipt lasts only 15 days, so fill it in shortly before you fly rather than the moment you book.[1]
Paying the fee from outside Nepal
This is the practical snag nobody warns you about. The DoI says online fee payment from abroad currently uses Nepali payment channels only: Connect IPS, eSewa, Khalti and mobile banking. It suggests asking a contact in Nepal, or using the card payment portal for international cards. A relative, friend or travel agent in Nepal may pay for you.[1] On arrival, you can simply pay at the bank counter at TIA, and the DoI advises carrying some cash.[1] Keep your Submission ID; you need it to track the application.[2]
Who gets a free tourist visa
The DoI lists gratis visas for children below 10, SAARC citizens (except Afghanistan) for up to 30 days on a first visit in a visa year, NRN card holders, and Chinese nationals.[1] The online visa page adds that the free visa for under-10s excludes US citizens, and that 90-day visas carry normal fees. It also says gratis applicants still complete the online application, with no fee charged.[2] A Sri Lankan or Bangladeshi visitor on a short first trip each year therefore pays nothing, but still goes through the form.
When a held reservation suits a Nepal trip
Our honest view, given what the official pages say:
- A Nepali embassy asks for an itinerary. This is the clearest fit.
- You are applying for a visa elsewhere that includes Nepal, and need to show the whole route.
- You want fixed dates on paper while choosing between the 15, 30 and 90-day options.
And where it does not fit:
- The transit visa desk, which names an air ticket.
- An airline that tells you it wants a paid onward fare. Buy one, or a refundable fare, instead.
- Any form that asks for a purchased ticket. Do not describe a reservation as one.
How long does a held Nepal booking last? Validity: up to 2 weeks; the airline decides the exact period. Booking roughly three days before an embassy appointment beats booking three weeks out.
Look the booking up before you rely on it
Open the operating airline's website, find its booking lookup (usually called "Manage booking"), and type in the six-character reference and your surname. Your name, flights and dates should match the PDF exactly. If anything is off, tell us before you use it. Never present a PDF whose reference the airline cannot find. Our separate walk-through covers each step: verifying a reservation before submission.
Which airports in Nepal take international flights?
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal lists three: Tribhuvan International in Kathmandu, Gautam Buddha International in Rupandehi (Bhairahawa), and Pokhara International in Kaski.[5] The DoI describes the visa-on-arrival process at TIA specifically, and says other passports can get a visa on arrival "at Tribhuvan International Airport and other designated entry points".[2] It does not list those points on the pages we read. If your flight lands at Bhairahawa or Pokhara, getting the ETA before you leave removes any doubt.
Living in Nepal and applying for a visa elsewhere?
That is a different job, with different checklists. For Schengen, UK or Gulf applications made from Kathmandu, read dummy ticket for visa in Kathmandu and our guide for Nepali passport holders. Travelling on to Bhutan? See dummy ticket for Bhutan visa.
Getting a reservation for a Nepal itinerary
Pick a route into Nepal and dates, add every traveller exactly as the passport spells them, and pay through Razorpay using UPI, netbanking or a card. Most Nepal bookings reach your email within about ten minutes; order tracking shows progress meanwhile.
- Pick flights into Kathmandu and out again, or on to your next country.
- Copy each passport's spelling, middle names included.
- Pay and wait about ten minutes for the email.
- Look the reference up on the airline's site before you submit it anywhere.
Rupee, dollar, pound and Gulf prices sit together on the price page. For the difference between a held booking and a paid fare, read flight reservation for visa. If an embassy also wants accommodation, see hotel bookings for visas, and for other countries' rules use requirements by country. Rules on showing an exit flight elsewhere in Asia are covered on the onward ticket page and in our proof of onward travel guide. Start from the home page or the Schengen guide if Europe is next.
Fix your Nepal dates on paper
Live booking reference, your names and route. ₹699 or $9 per traveller.
Nepal visa and flight bookings: common questions
Do I need a return ticket to get a Nepal visa on arrival?
The Department of Immigration's three published steps are an arrival card with the online form, the fee at the bank counter, and the immigration desk with your passport and receipts. No return ticket appears. Your airline may still have its own policy for one-way passengers, so ask it before you fly rather than at the airport.
Can Indians fly to Kathmandu without a passport?
Yes, with an original voter ID card with photograph issued by the Election Commission of India. The Embassy of India in Kathmandu says that and a valid passport are the only two documents accepted for air travel. Printed online voter IDs, Aadhaar, PAN cards and driving licences are not accepted.
How much is the Nepal tourist visa in 2026?
US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days and US$125 for 90 days, counted from your entry date. Extensions cost US$3 a day with a 15-day minimum, and the yearly tourist total is capped at 150 days. Children under 10 and first-time SAARC visitors for up to 30 days are among those who pay nothing.
Is a flight booking needed for the Nepal ETA?
The ETA form asks for travel dates, purpose and an address or hotel in Nepal, plus passport details and photos. It does not ask you to upload a flight booking on the pages we checked. Having a reservation can help you pick dates that match the 15, 30 or 90-day option you pay for.
What does the Nepal transit visa require?
It costs US$5 and lets you leave the airport for up to 24 hours. You complete the online form in the transit category, pay at the bank counter at Tribhuvan airport, and show your air ticket as proof of transit at the transit desk. Because the page says ticket, carry a paid onward ticket for this.
Can someone in Nepal pay my visa fee?
Yes. The DoI says that if you are outside Nepal, a relative, friend or travel agent in Nepal can pay for you through Nepali channels such as Connect IPS, eSewa or Khalti. International cards go through a separate card payment portal. You can also pay on arrival at the bank counter.
How long does your reservation stay valid?
Each hold lasts up to 2 weeks; the airline decides the exact period. With a Nepali mission appointment coming up, reserve a few days ahead, not weeks ahead. If your appointment moves, contact us about a fresh booking with new dates rather than submitting one that may have lapsed.
Plain dealing: book the trip you really intend to take and call the document what it is, a reservation. Visas, boarding and entry are decided by Nepal's officers and your airline, not by us.
Sources
Official pages only. Last checked: October 2026.
- Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal, Visa Information (tourist, transit and gratis visas, on-arrival steps, payment).
- Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal, eVisa and Online Visa for Nepal (fees, extension, overstay, restricted nationalities, Indian citizens).
- Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal, Visa Application Services.
- Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Valid Travel Documents.
- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, International Airports.
Related: onward ticket · flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · dummy hotel booking.