Here we write for residents of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur who need a visa for a trip abroad: Nepali citizens and the many foreigners who live in the valley, from Indian business owners to NGO staff. Our guide for Nepali travellers already compares what each destination's checklist says, so we will not repeat that. Here we stay with the city: which desk takes your file, what has changed recently, how the US visa bond affects flight planning, and which routes out of Tribhuvan airport look natural on a reservation. We are an online service with no office in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu at a glance
| Item | Detail for valley residents (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Airport | Tribhuvan International Airport, IATA code KTM, inside Kathmandu city.[1] |
| Germany | Applications at the embassy in person; appointments by waiting list since 1 December 2025.[2] |
| Netherlands | VFS Global, Kathmandu; only for people who live in Nepal.[3] |
| Switzerland | VFS Global for Switzerland and the countries it represents in Nepal.[5] |
| United States | Embassy in Maharajgunj; B1/B2 visas for Nepali nationals need a bond of up to $20,000.[6] |
| Canada, UK, Australia | Canada VAC in Kathmandu; UK via VFS; Australian files mostly handled from New Delhi.[8][9][11] |
| Our fee | $9 per passenger, paid by card through Razorpay |
How does Germany's waiting list work for Kathmandu applicants?
Since 1 December 2025 you can no longer pick a German appointment directly. The embassy opened waiting lists on 20 November 2025 and now hands out slots in the order people registered, as capacity allows.[2] You then attend in person at the embassy, pay the fee in Nepali rupees in cash and give your fingerprints.[2]
Three rules from the embassy's page matter for your planning:
- Fifteen days. Schengen files must go in at least 15 days before travel; shorter notice cannot be processed.[2]
- One booking per person. You give your passport number when registering, and only that passport gets you into the visa section.[2]
- No brokers. The embassy says it does not work with agents and that checklists and appointments are free.[2]
On flights, the German checklist line reads simply "Flight reservation (rail tickets if applicable)".[2] A held booking with a live PNR matches that. The problem is timing, not wording. You might register in August and be called in October. A reservation ordered in August will be long gone by then, so wait for the appointment date and order a few days before it.
The Netherlands: VFS Kathmandu, residents only
The Dutch government sends Nepal applicants to the VFS Global centre in Kathmandu and adds a condition: you can only submit there if you live in Nepal.[3] Applications open six months before the trip and should go in at least 15 days before it. Each person needs their own appointment, and the page warns against booking through an intermediary.[3]
The Netherlands' private-visit checklist for Nepal is unusually honest about flights. Under transport it asks about your intended flight connection, and a note right above suggests bookings that can be cancelled should the visa be refused.[4] That is exactly the situation a held reservation is for. You show the plan without paying for a fare you might lose.
The same checklist asks non-Nepalese applicants for proof of legal stay in Nepal that remains valid for three months after the return date.[4] We come back to that under foreign residents below.
Appointment at VFS or the embassy confirmed?
Order a KTM reservation for $9 per traveller, a few days before the date.
Switzerland, and the countries it covers in Nepal
The Swiss embassy uses VFS Global in Kathmandu for its own Schengen visas and for those of countries it represents in Nepal: Liechtenstein, Poland, Belgium, Slovakia and Latvia.[5] So a Kathmandu resident heading mainly to Brussels or Warsaw goes to the Swiss desk, not to a Belgian or Polish one. Our Nepali travellers guide sets out how those files treat flights, and our Switzerland visa guide covers the Swiss list in general.
The US Embassy: interviews in Maharajgunj and the visa bond
US visa interviews for Nepal take place at the embassy in Maharajgunj, and the embassy asks people to apply in their country of residence or nationality.[6] What is new, and what many valley families have not yet absorbed, is the bond. According to the embassy, if a Nepali national qualifies for a B1/B2 visa, a bond of as much as $20,000 has to be posted before it is issued.[6] The officer explains at the interview whether you are eligible and how to pay, and you should pay only on the website named in those instructions, only once told to.[6] This applies wherever a Nepali national applies.[6]
What does that mean for flights? Two things. First, nobody at the interview needs to see a booking; Washington's guidance is to hold off on tickets until the visa is granted.[7] Second, with a bond step added between interview and issue, the gap before you can actually fly is longer and less predictable. That is one more reason not to pay for a fare early. Carrying a printout of a defined trip is your call; if you want one, order it two or three days ahead of the interview. Buy the real ticket once the visa is in your passport.
UK, Canada and Australia from Kathmandu
United Kingdom. GOV.UK's centre finder directs Nepal applicants to VFS Global.[8] The UK guide to visitor documents lists flight bookings among items that are not useful as evidence, unless you are transiting.[12] For most Kathmandu applicants we would leave a reservation out of a UK file.
Canada. IRCC lists Kathmandu as Nepal's visa application centre.[9] Its visitor visa page mentions flight details as one example of documents showing how long you plan to stay.[10] Optional, then, and useful mainly when the dates matter to the story, such as a graduation.
Australia. The Australian Embassy in Kathmandu says the High Commission in New Delhi manages most Australian visa applications for people in Nepal.[11] In practice that means you apply online and follow the document list the system gives you; you will not hand a flight printout to anyone in Kathmandu.
Which desk, which wording, which document?
| Destination | Where a valley resident applies | Official wording on flights | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | German Embassy, by waiting list[2] | "Flight reservation (rail tickets if applicable)"[2] | Held reservation, ordered after the slot arrives |
| Netherlands | VFS Kathmandu, residents of Nepal only[3] | Intended flight connection; book reservations you can cancel[4] | Held reservation |
| Switzerland and partners | VFS Kathmandu[5] | See the VFS checklist for your purpose | Follow the checklist |
| USA | Embassy, Maharajgunj[6] | No tickets before the visa[7] | Nothing required |
| UK | VFS[8] | Flight bookings not useful unless transiting[12] | Usually leave out |
| Canada | VAC Kathmandu[9] | "flight details" as an example[10] | Optional |
Where a desk's list insists on a "confirmed" or paid fare, our held booking may not be enough, and a refundable ticket is the sounder buy.
Foreigners living in Kathmandu
Kathmandu has a sizeable foreign community, and most missions decide where you may apply by where you live. The Dutch page says it in so many words: residents of Nepal apply at VFS Kathmandu, and people living elsewhere apply in their own country of residence.[3] The US Embassy uses the same residence-or-nationality rule for interviews.[6]
The detail that catches foreign residents out is the Dutch requirement that your legal stay in Nepal remain valid for three months beyond your return.[4] Say a Bangladeshi engineer on a hydropower project in the valley has permission to stay in Nepal until 31 March, and wants two weeks in Amsterdam in early February. If he returns on 16 February, his permission ends only six weeks later, which falls short of the three months asked for. He should extend first, or move the trip. The reservation cannot fix that, and dates that quietly ignore it make the file weaker.
For any nationality, the booking itself follows the same rules: the passport name exactly as printed, KTM as the origin if you will fly from there, and dates that sit inside your residence permission.
Routes out of KTM that read naturally
Tribhuvan is Kathmandu's international gateway and sits inside the city.[1] Long-haul trips almost always connect once. Nepal Airlines' own booking engine offers Kathmandu with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, Dubai, Doha, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.[13] Singapore Airlines flies nonstop from Singapore to Kathmandu once a day, a little under five hours.[14]
So a reservation for Frankfurt might go through Doha or Dubai, one for Toronto through Delhi or a Gulf hub, and one for Sydney through Singapore. All of those look ordinary. What we would avoid is a long overnight connection in a country where your passport needs a transit visa you do not hold. If you are unsure, message us on WhatsApp before paying.
Two Kathmandu examples
A Lalitpur couple visiting their son in Munich. This is an illustration. They register on the German waiting list in early August, intending to travel at Christmas. In late October the embassy allocates them an appointment for 12 November. On 8 or 9 November they order one reservation for both of them, KTM to Munich via a Gulf hub and back, with the son's invitation, their insurance and their hotel dates all agreeing. Germany's line asks for a flight reservation, and that is what goes in the folder.[2]
A Baneshwor student going to a conference in Toronto. Also an example. She gives biometrics at the Canada centre in Kathmandu and attaches the conference letter and a reservation for the conference week, since IRCC names flight details as helpful.[10] If processing runs past the hold, she leaves it. Once the visa is issued she buys an actual fare.
When should a Kathmandu applicant order?
Once the embassy or VFS has given you a date, and only a few days ahead of it. The hold lasts up to 2 weeks, and how long exactly is the airline's decision; it can be less. Germany's waiting list and the US bond step both stretch the time between deciding to travel and being able to fly, so ordering early is the costliest mistake we see from valley applicants. If an appointment is moved, order a new reservation close to the new date.
How to order from Kathmandu
- Pick your desk from the comparison table and save its latest checklist.
- Read the flight line exactly. Note whether it says reservation, itinerary or confirmed ticket.
- Complete our order form with KTM as origin, your destination and dates, and every traveller's name as printed in the passport.
- Pay $9 per traveller by card through Razorpay; multi-city trips are priced per pair of legs.
- Check the PDF when it arrives, usually about 10 minutes later.
- Open it on the airline's website with the booking code and surname. Here is how.
Order status: track your order. Accommodation proof: hotel reservations. Other currencies: price page.
Kathmandu FAQ
Do you have an office in Kathmandu?
No. We are an online service without a counter in Kathmandu, Lalitpur or anywhere else. Ordering, paying ($9 per traveller, by card through Razorpay) and delivery all happen online, and the PDF usually reaches your inbox about 10 minutes after payment. Any print shop near your appointment can print it.
How does the German waiting list affect my reservation?
Since 1 December 2025 the German Embassy allocates appointments from a waiting list in order of registration. You do not know your date when you register, so do not order a reservation then. Wait until the embassy gives you a slot, then order a few days before it, so the booking is still live when your file is examined.
Does the Dutch checklist accept a reservation?
Yes. The Netherlands' private-visit checklist for Nepal asks for your intended flight connection and recommends cancellable bookings in case of a refusal. A held booking with a live PNR does exactly that. Remember that VFS Kathmandu only takes applicants who live in Nepal.
What is the US visa bond for Nepali applicants?
Per the US Embassy in Kathmandu, a Nepali citizen who qualifies for a B1/B2 visa has to lodge a bond of up to $20,000 before issue. The officer tells you at the interview whether this applies and how to pay. Pay only through the site named in those instructions. Do not buy flights until the visa is issued.
I am a foreign national living in Kathmandu. Where do I apply for Schengen?
Usually in Kathmandu, because missions look at residence. The Dutch page says VFS Kathmandu is for people who live in Nepal. The Dutch checklist also wants your legal stay in Nepal to last three months beyond your return date. If your permission ends sooner, sort that out before applying.
Which route should my Kathmandu reservation show?
The one you would really fly. Nepal Airlines connects KTM with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, Dubai, Doha, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, and Singapore Airlines flies nonstop to Singapore daily. A single connection through one of those hubs is normal for Europe, North America or Australia. Avoid routings that need a transit visa you lack.
How long will the reservation last?
Up to 2 weeks, and the airline sets the exact period, which may be shorter. Order it a few days before your appointment. If a mission later asks for updated travel plans, order a fresh one then rather than renewing it every fortnight.
Order from Kathmandu
From KTM to anywhere, $9 per person, verifiable with the airline.
Please note: the PDF shows a held seat, not a purchased fare, and only the embassy grants visas. Present it for what it is.
New here? Our home page explains the service. Applying from outside the valley? See Nepal-wide guide. Visiting Nepal rather than leaving it? Read Nepal visa and the return ticket. Destination guides: Germany, Netherlands, USA, Canada, Australia and the Schengen overview. Further reading: what a visa flight reservation is, a destination-by-destination requirements table and onward ticket checks.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Tribhuvan International Airport profile (PDF).
- German Embassy Kathmandu, Schengen visa (waiting list, appointment rules, checklist).
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in Nepal.
- Netherlands, via VFS Global, Checklist: private visit, Nepal (PDF).
- Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal, Where to apply for a Schengen visa.
- U.S. Embassy in Nepal, Visas (visa bond, residence rule, processing status).
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor visa.
- GOV.UK, Find a visa application centre.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Find a visa application centre.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Apply for a visitor visa.
- Australian Embassy Nepal, Visas and immigration.
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- Nepal Airlines, International booking (route list).
- Singapore Airlines, Flights from Singapore to Kathmandu.
