Most Nepalis who ask us about flight reservations are in one of three situations. A student or professional with a Schengen or UK appointment in Kathmandu. A family planning a holiday in Thailand or the Maldives. Or someone heading to a job in the Gulf or Malaysia. Each situation treats flights differently, and the rules come from different offices: the foreign embassy, the destination's immigration service and, on the way out, Nepal's own authorities at Tribhuvan International Airport. This guide goes through each, quoting the official pages we could open this month and flagging what we could not confirm.
Key facts for Nepali passport holders
| Topic | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| Germany (Schengen) in Kathmandu | Handles applications for Germany, Slovenia and Luxembourg; the document list includes "Flight reservation (rail tickets if applicable)".[1] |
| Netherlands | Apply at the VFS Global centre in Kathmandu; the tourism checklist says a paid ticket is not needed.[2][3] |
| Switzerland | Uses VFS in Kathmandu and also represents Liechtenstein, Poland, Belgium, Slovakia and Latvia.[4] |
| Thailand | Ordinary Nepali passports apply through the e-Visa platform; the tourist visa page asks for a confirmed airline ticket.[9][10] |
| Maldives | Return tickets must be confirmed and lodging prepaid.[11] |
| India by air | Nepali citizens must carry proof of nationality, such as a passport or government photo ID.[13] |
| Our price | US$9 per person for one-way or return trips, emailed within about 10 minutes. |
Do Nepali applicants need a reservation or a real ticket?
It depends on one word in the checklist. When a mission writes "reservation", "booking" or "itinerary", a held booking with a PNR in your name is normally what they want, and paying the full fare before a decision only puts your money at risk. When it writes "confirmed ticket" or "return journey tickets", it is asking for something you have paid for. A held reservation may not satisfy that wording, and we would rather tell you so now than have you find out at a counter.
So read your own list first. Then decide. Our rough rule for Nepali travellers: Europe and Canada usually sit in the first group, Thailand's tourist visa and the Maldives in the second, and the UK in a category of its own because GOV.UK tells applicants not to send flight bookings at all.
What should you carry when you leave from Tribhuvan airport?
Carry the ticket you will really fly on, plus your visa, hotel booking and proof of how you are paying for the trip. Departure from Nepal is handled by the Department of Immigration, and its website is where official notices appear.[14] In October 2026 its homepage listed a press release about departures without labour approval, but we could not open the notice text itself, so we are not going to summarise rules we have not read.
Two things are clear enough to act on. First, if you are travelling for work, the Department of Foreign Employment is the office that governs it, and it has published a notice about using Nepal's own airports for departure.[15] We could only read the title, not the body, so check the full notice with DoFE or your licensed agency. Second, Nepali newspapers regularly report on questioning of visit-visa travellers at TIA. We could not find the document list for that on an official page this month, which is exactly why we'd suggest carrying more than you think you need.
Our honest advice: a flight reservation is for the visa application. By the day you fly out of Kathmandu you should hold a paid ticket, including the return or onward leg if you are travelling as a visitor. Never present a reservation to an immigration officer as if it were a ticket, and never travel for work on a visit visa.
How do Schengen applications from Kathmandu treat flights?
Germany is the clearest example. The German Embassy in Kathmandu takes applications where the main destination is Germany, Slovenia or Luxembourg, and you attend the appointment at the embassy in person. Its document list includes a flight reservation, with rail tickets where relevant.[1] That is a reservation, not a purchased ticket, which is the ideal case for a held booking.
The Netherlands sends Nepali applicants to the VFS Global centre in Kathmandu.[2] Its tourism checklist says you need a flight reservation in your name and states that a paid travel ticket is not required.[3] Switzerland also uses VFS in Kathmandu and processes visas for several countries that have no consular section in Nepal: Liechtenstein, Poland, Belgium, Slovakia and Latvia.[4]
For other Schengen countries, find out who represents them in Nepal before booking anything. Some states use a neighbour's embassy, and a few may expect Nepali residents to apply in New Delhi; we could not confirm a full current list on official pages. The EU's general rules still apply wherever you lodge the file: submit between six months and a fortnight before departure, and allow roughly 15 days for the answer, more in some cases.[5]
Say your appointment at the German Embassy is on a Tuesday and you plan to fly to Frankfurt three weeks later. We'd order the reservation on the Sunday or Monday before, using the dates in your cover letter, and open it on the airline site that evening. That timing keeps the booking active for the appointment. It's an example of good timing, not a story about a real client.
For consulate-by-consulate notes, open our Schengen visa guide; the Germany visa guide covers the German side.
What about the UK, the US and Canada?
United Kingdom. GOV.UK's visitor guide says not to include flight bookings as evidence; transit applicants are the exception.[6] Nepali applicants often add one anyway out of habit. We'd leave it out and put the effort into bank statements, employment letters and a clear explanation of your plans. See our UK visa guide.
United States. The State Department advises visitors not to buy tickets until they hold the visa.[7] A reservation is optional. Some applicants like having one printed so they can state their dates without hesitation at the interview in Kathmandu, which is fine, but it carries no special weight. Our US interview page goes into this.
Canada. IRCC suggests visitors can include travel plans such as flight details and proof of accommodation as supporting evidence.[8] A reservation fits that well. See our Canada visa guide.
Japan, Australia and South Korea are also big destinations for Nepalis. We could not open the Embassy of Japan in Nepal's visa page this month, and we found no official flight wording for Australian visitor visas or Korea's EPS route, so follow the list your embassy or agent gives you. Our Japan guide covers the general picture.
Thailand, Maldives and Sri Lanka: what do they ask for?
These are short-haul favourites from Kathmandu, and they are stricter about flights than most people expect.
- Thailand. The Royal Thai Embassy in Kathmandu says Nepali applicants must use the online e-Visa platform, and visa-free entry is only for holders of Nepali official passports.[9] Its tourist visa (TR) page asks for a copy of a confirmed airline ticket showing your arrival date, a travel itinerary and confirmed accommodation.[10] Because the wording says confirmed, a held reservation may not satisfy it; buying a ticket you can change or refund is the safer route here.
- Maldives. Male's immigration authority requires return tickets that are confirmed, a registered place to stay that you've paid for in advance, and funds to match.[11] Treat that as a paid ticket requirement and plan accordingly.
- Sri Lanka. You apply for an ETA online. The official visa information page we read did not mention return tickets.[12] Airlines may still ask about your return, so travel with a real one.
Our country pages for Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka add more context, and the onward ticket page explains how onward proof works in general.
Do Nepalis need anything special to fly to India?
No visa, but you do need identity papers. India's official visa portal says Nepalese citizens travelling by air must carry proof of nationality, such as a valid passport, a government photo ID or an emergency certificate from the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.[13] A flight reservation has no role in this. Where it can matter is a trip that goes onward from Delhi to a third country, because that third country's rules then apply to you as a Nepali passport holder.
If you are going abroad for a job, don't plan a route through Indian airports without checking the current DoFE position first. The notice we mentioned earlier concerns using Nepal's own airports.[15]
Which document fits which situation?
| Situation | Held reservation | Refundable or changeable ticket | Paid ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| German or Dutch Schengen visa | Matches "flight reservation" wording | Works, money tied up | Not required before a decision |
| UK visitor visa | GOV.UK says not to send bookings | Not needed | Not needed |
| US visitor visa | Optional | Not needed | State Department advises waiting |
| Thailand tourist e-Visa | May not satisfy "confirmed airline ticket" | Sensible choice | Satisfies it |
| Maldives arrival | May not satisfy "confirmed return tickets" | Satisfies it | Satisfies it |
| Departure from TIA as a visitor | Not your travel document | Fine | Fine |
The middle column is underrated. A flexible fare costs more, but for Thailand or the Maldives it covers the "confirmed" wording and you can still change dates. We explain the maths in reservation versus refundable ticket.
What's the right order for the flight paperwork from Nepal?
- Get the checklist from the mission that handles your country. The embassy site or its VFS page, downloaded fresh.
- Look for the key word. "Reservation" means a held booking is fine. "Confirmed" or "paid" means it may not be.
- Settle your dates with your employer, college or sponsor so leave letters, hotel and insurance all line up.
- Reserve one to three days ahead of the appointment, typing names from the passport data page letter for letter.
- Look up the PNR yourself on the carrier's site with your surname and booking code. Our verification guide shows how.
- Describe it honestly as a flight reservation in forms and cover letters.
- Once the visa arrives, buy the ticket you will travel on, and carry it with your other papers at TIA.
Which mistakes do we see from Nepali applicants?
- Name order mix-ups. Given name and surname swapped from the passport, or a middle name dropped.
- Sending a reservation where the list says "confirmed ticket", as with Thailand's tourist visa page.
- Adding flight bookings to a UK file when GOV.UK says not to.
- Ordering weeks ahead, so the hold has lapsed by appointment day.
- Buying an edited PDF from a social media seller. If the PNR doesn't open on the airline site, don't submit it. Our provider checklist helps you screen sellers.
- Turning up at the airport with only a reservation. Airlines will not board you on a reservation.
How do you order a flight reservation from Nepal?
Our booking page asks for the route, the dates and every passenger's name copied from the passport. Kathmandu to Frankfurt and back is a typical request. From Nepal the charge is US$9 a traveller, for either a one-way or a return trip; for multi-city plans, every two legs are charged as one unit. You pay by card through Razorpay. Within roughly 10 minutes an email arrives with the PDF, showing airline and PNR; the tracking page shows each stage.
You'll see the hold period on screen before paying. We don't promise a fixed number of days, because it depends on the airline, which is another reason to book close to the appointment. If a hotel booking is also on your list, see our hotel booking page. Price details in other currencies are on dummy ticket price, and local pages cover Kathmandu, Nepal in general and Nepal Airlines routes.
Neighbouring guides you may find useful: Indian travellers, Bangladeshi travellers and Pakistani travellers. You'll find the basics on flight reservation for visa, and requirements by country lists destinations side by side.
Reservation for your Kathmandu appointment
Live PNR under your name for US$9, usually in your inbox within ten minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Does the German Embassy in Kathmandu accept a flight reservation?
Yes, the document list on its visa page includes a flight reservation, or rail tickets where relevant, not a purchased ticket. It handles applications where the main destination is Germany, Slovenia or Luxembourg. Make sure the reservation matches the dates in your application, and remember the embassy decides each case on the whole file.
Can I use a dummy ticket for a Thailand visa from Nepal?
Be careful. The Royal Thai Embassy in Kathmandu's tourist visa page asks for a copy of a confirmed airline ticket, and Nepali ordinary passport holders apply through the e-Visa system. That word, confirmed, is something an unpaid hold may not live up to. A changeable or refundable ticket is the safer option for this visa.
Do I need a return ticket to visit the Maldives?
Yes. Tourists must arrive with a confirmed way home, lodging at a registered place that's already paid, and enough money. Plan to buy the return flight before you travel. A reservation is not the right document for this entry check, and the airline may refuse boarding without proof of return.
Should I add a flight booking to my UK visa application?
We would not. The UK's visitor guidance says flight bookings shouldn't be used as evidence, transit being the exception. Your time is better spent on bank records, a job or college letter, and a plain description of your plans and lodging.
What do I need to fly from Kathmandu to India?
No visa is needed, but India's official visa portal says Nepali citizens flying in must carry proof of nationality, such as a valid passport, a government-issued photo ID or an emergency certificate from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. Check with your airline which document it accepts at check-in.
How much does a flight reservation cost from Nepal?
It's US$9 for each person, one way or return, settled by card on Razorpay. Itineraries with several cities are charged per two legs. Most PDFs reach the inbox in about ten minutes, and the form states the hold period for your route up front.
Is a flight reservation the same as a ticket?
No. A reservation holds seats under a PNR without issuing a paid ticket for travel, and it cannot be used to board. It is meant for visa files whose checklists ask for a booking or itinerary. When you actually fly, from TIA or anywhere else, you need a ticket you have paid for.
Sources
Last checked: October 2026.
- German Embassy Kathmandu, Visa information (Schengen).
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in Nepal.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Checklist: Schengen visa for tourism.
- Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal, Where to apply for a Schengen visa.
- European Commission, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor Visa.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Apply for a visitor visa.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Kathmandu, General information.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Kathmandu, Tourist visa (TR).
- Maldives Immigration, Tourist visa.
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka, ETA visa information.
- Government of India, Visa provisions.
- Department of Immigration, Nepal, Official website and notices.
- Department of Foreign Employment, Nepal, Notice on using national airports.