Most advice about visas "from Nepal" quietly assumes you live in Kathmandu. Many applicants do not. They live in Pokhara, Chitwan, Butwal, Biratnagar, Dharan, Birgunj, Nepalgunj or a village a day's bus ride from any of them. This page is for you: residents of Nepal outside the valley, Nepali or foreign, who are applying for a visa to go abroad. The desk-by-desk detail for the capital is on our Kathmandu page, and what each destination's checklist says about flights is in our guide for Nepali travellers. Here we deal with distance, airports, the Indian border and timing. We work online only, with no office anywhere in Nepal.
Nepal at a glance
| Item | Detail (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| International airports | Tribhuvan (Kathmandu), Gautam Buddha (Bhairahawa) and Pokhara International, all under CAAN.[1] |
| Where most visa files go in | Kathmandu: German Embassy, VFS for the Netherlands and Switzerland, US Embassy, Canada VAC.[4][5][6][8] |
| Australia | Most Nepal applications are managed by the High Commission in New Delhi.[9] |
| India (for non-Nepalis) | Embassy of India in Kathmandu handles visas; there is also a Consulate General in Birgunj.[10][11] |
| Land border for foreigners with Indian visas | Sunauli–Bhairahawa and Birgunj–Raxaul, as named by the Indian Embassy.[10] |
| Our fee | $9 per passenger; card payment via Razorpay |
Why does almost every visa lead back to Kathmandu?
Because that is where the missions and their partners are. We could not find an official page for Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the US or Canada that names any visa counter in Nepal outside the capital. Germany takes Schengen files in person at its embassy, after a waiting list.[4] The Netherlands names one VFS centre, in Kathmandu.[5] Canada lists Kathmandu as Nepal's only visa application centre.[8] US interviews happen at the embassy in Maharajgunj.[6]
Fingerprints are the reason you cannot do it all by post. Schengen and US applications need biometrics taken in person, so a family in Dhangadhi has to get to Kathmandu at least once. Australia is the main exception: its embassy in Kathmandu says most Nepal applications are handled by the High Commission in New Delhi, so you apply online and follow the list the system gives you.[9]
Region by region: how far is your appointment?
Here is how the journey to a Kathmandu appointment tends to look from different parts of the country. Treat the travel notes as general orientation rather than timetables.
| Where you live | Nearest international airport | Getting to a Kathmandu appointment | Where the reservation usually starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokhara, Gandaki | Pokhara International[1] | Domestic flight or road | KTM in most cases, unless you have a real booking from Pokhara |
| Butwal, Bhairahawa, Lumbini | Gautam Buddha (BWA), Rupandehi[2] | Domestic flight or road | KTM, or BWA if a route you will use operates |
| Chitwan, Birgunj, Hetauda | Tribhuvan (KTM) | Road or domestic flight | KTM |
| Biratnagar, Dharan, Itahari, Jhapa | Tribhuvan (KTM) | Domestic flight or overnight road | KTM |
| Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, far west | Tribhuvan (KTM) | Domestic flight, usually | KTM |
Our honest view: start the reservation at Kathmandu unless you know for sure you will fly out from somewhere else. Most long-haul departures leave from Tribhuvan, and an itinerary that begins in Kathmandu is what an officer expects to see.
Nepal's three international airports
CAAN lists three international airports: Tribhuvan, Gautam Buddha and Pokhara International.[1]
Tribhuvan (KTM) is inside Kathmandu city and is by far the busiest. CAAN's profile describes it as linked with all domestic airports.[3] That matters for you: whichever town you live in, there is usually a domestic link into KTM.
Gautam Buddha (BWA) is at Siddharthanagar in Rupandehi District, about 18 km from Lumbini, according to CAAN's profile.[2] That profile was written while CAAN was upgrading the airport for international traffic, and it lists only domestic airlines. Before you ask us for a reservation from Bhairahawa, check that the airline really sells that route on your dates.
Pokhara International appears on CAAN's list of international airports.[1] We could not confirm a regular international schedule from an airline page this month, so we would not start a visa itinerary there without a specific, bookable flight.
Why be so careful? Because a reservation from an airport with no service on that day cannot be created, and an itinerary that looks unusual invites questions you do not need.
India, Birgunj and the land border
For Nepali citizens, India is a special case covered in our Nepali travellers guide. This section is about foreign residents of Nepal who need an Indian visa, and about anyone thinking of flying out via India.
The Embassy of India in Kathmandu handles visas for foreign nationals, and India also has a Consulate General in Birgunj.[10][11] The embassy accepts short-term tourist applications from non-resident foreigners, but for business and employment visas it asks that the applicant has lived in Nepal for at least two years.[10]
Two points from the same page affect travel planning. Foreigners holding a valid Indian visa can cross by land at Sunauli–Bhairahawa and Birgunj–Raxaul.[10] And for an Indian transit visa, the embassy wants detailed travel plans and "confirmed tickets".[10] That is the wording to respect. A held reservation may not satisfy a request for confirmed tickets, so for an Indian transit visa we would point you to a paid, refundable fare instead.
Planning the Kathmandu trip around the appointment
For applicants outside the valley the order of things matters more than for anyone else.
- Get the appointment first. For Germany that means registering on the waiting list and waiting for a slot.[4]
- Book your own journey to Kathmandu with some slack. We would aim to arrive the day before, so a delayed domestic flight or a slow road does not cost you the slot.
- Order the international reservation a few days before the appointment, not before you have a slot.
- Bring everything at once. Germany says incomplete files are returned and a new appointment is needed.[4] For someone from Biratnagar that means a second trip.
Keep the domestic leg out of the visa reservation. The officer wants to see how you enter and leave the destination country; your bus from Pokhara is not part of that.
Appointment fixed in Kathmandu?
Order your reservation from anywhere in Nepal for $9 per traveller.
What do the missions ask for on flights?
| Destination | Where a Nepal resident applies | Wording on flights | What fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Embassy Kathmandu[4] | "Flight reservation (rail tickets if applicable)"[4] | Held reservation |
| Netherlands | VFS Kathmandu[5] | Reservations you can cancel if refused[12] | Held reservation |
| USA | Embassy, Maharajgunj[6] | Don't buy tickets before the visa[7] | Nothing required |
| Canada | VAC Kathmandu[8] | "flight details" suggested[13] | Optional reservation |
| Australia | Online; New Delhi decides most[9] | Follow the online document list | As listed |
| India (transit, foreigners) | Embassy Kathmandu[10] | "confirmed tickets"[10] | Paid refundable fare |
Bringing a whole family to Kathmandu
A family from the hills or the Terai is not one trip but several people's paperwork moving at once, and the missions count heads, not households. The Dutch page asks for a separate VFS appointment for each person.[5] Germany allows only one booking per person and passport, and checks the passport number at the door.[4] If your slots land on different days, you may need more nights in Kathmandu than you expected, so sort the appointments before you book the bus or the domestic flight.
The reservation is the easy part. One booking can list every traveller, with each name copied from that person's passport, children included. Prices stay per person: $9 each. What causes trouble is a family where one member's documents tell a different story, for example a husband whose leave letter covers ten days while the hotel is booked for fourteen. Lay all the papers side by side on the kitchen table in Dharan before you leave home, not in a queue in Kathmandu.
For the flight part of the folder, carry one printout per applicant if the centre wants separate sets, the PNR and airline noted on your own checklist, and a quick look at the booking on the airline's site the night before. If the airline has changed a time, order a corrected reservation rather than submit one that no longer matches the form.
Foreign residents outside the valley
Teachers in Pokhara, aid workers in Surkhet and traders in Birgunj are all "residents of Nepal" for visa purposes, and the same Kathmandu desks serve them. The Dutch page limits VFS Kathmandu to people who live in Nepal, and its checklist asks non-Nepalese applicants to show legal stay in Nepal lasting three months beyond the return date.[5][12] The US Embassy wants interviews booked where you live or where you are a citizen.[6]
Check the end date of your permission to stay before choosing travel dates. If it expires soon after your planned return, renew it first. A return flight into a country where your stay is about to lapse is a weak point in any file.
Two examples from outside Kathmandu
A Butwal shopkeeper going to a trade fair in Germany. This is an illustration. He registers on the German waiting list, receives a slot for a Tuesday in March, and books a domestic flight from Bhairahawa to Kathmandu for the Monday, leaving a day's margin. Four days before the appointment he orders a reservation from KTM to Frankfurt via a Gulf hub and back, with the same dates as his fair registration and hotel. He brings every document, because a returned file would mean flying back again.[4]
A Biratnagar nurse heading to Toronto to see her sister. Also an example. She gives her biometrics at the Canada centre in Kathmandu and includes a reservation for her planned three weeks, since IRCC lists flight details as helpful.[8][13] Canadian processing may outlast the hold; that is fine. After the visa arrives she buys a real ticket, Kathmandu onwards, and takes a domestic flight to connect.
When should someone outside the valley order?
Once your appointment and your trip to Kathmandu are fixed, and a few days before the appointment. Holds run for up to 2 weeks, the airline having the final say on the exact span, and some are shorter. Ordering when you first register on a waiting list is the most common mistake, and it is costlier for you than for a Kathmandu resident, because rebooking an appointment means another long journey.
How to order from anywhere in Nepal
- Find the desk for your destination in the table above, and get its current checklist.
- Read the flight wording. "Reservation" and "confirmed ticket" ask for different things.
- Fill in our booking form, usually with KTM as origin, the destination and your dates, and names exactly as in each passport.
- Pay by card via Razorpay: $9 for each traveller, with multi-city journeys charged per pair of sectors.
- Open the PDF when it lands, typically ten minutes after payment.
- Look it up on the airline's site with the PNR and surname, as our verification guide shows.
Order status: track your order. Need a hotel booking too? See hotel reservations.
Nepal FAQ
Can I apply for a Schengen visa in Pokhara or Biratnagar?
We found no official page naming a Schengen counter outside Kathmandu. Germany takes applications at its embassy in Kathmandu, and the Netherlands and Switzerland use VFS in Kathmandu. Plan one trip to the capital for biometrics, and bring every document so you do not need a second journey.
Should my reservation start from Pokhara or Bhairahawa?
Only if you will really fly internationally from there and the airline sells that route on your dates. Both are listed by CAAN as international airports, but most long-haul trips leave from Tribhuvan in Kathmandu. Starting the reservation at KTM is normal even if you live elsewhere, as long as your form says the same.
Do I include my domestic flight to Kathmandu?
No. The visa officer cares about how you enter and leave the destination country. Your domestic flight or bus to Kathmandu belongs in your own planning, not in the reservation. Keep the international itinerary simple: Kathmandu to the destination and back, with sensible connections.
I am a foreigner living in Birgunj. Where do I get an Indian visa?
The Embassy of India in Kathmandu handles visas for foreign nationals, and India also has a Consulate General in Birgunj; check which one serves your case. For business and employment visas the embassy expects two years' residence in Nepal. For a transit visa it asks for confirmed tickets, which a held reservation may not meet.
Can I pay in Nepali rupees?
Our price is $9 per traveller, charged by card through Razorpay; your card issuer converts it. We have no office or cash desk in Nepal. The PDF arrives by email, usually in about 10 minutes, so it does not matter whether you order from Dharan, Pokhara or Kathmandu.
What is the lifespan of the reservation?
At most a fortnight; the carrier fixes the precise period, sometimes shorter. Order it a few days before the appointment, after you have arranged your trip to Kathmandu. If the appointment moves, order a new one near the new date instead of submitting a lapsed booking.
Order from anywhere in Nepal
Pokhara, Butwal or Dharan: $9 per person, retrievable on the airline's site.
Please note: outside the valley or in it, a seat on hold is not a bought ticket, and missions decide visas, not paperwork from us. Label it as a reservation.
Our home page gives the short version of how we work. City detail: Kathmandu. Foreign visitors arriving in Nepal should see our guide to Nepal's visa on arrival. Destination guides: Germany, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, USA and Schengen. General reading: reservations for visa files, what each country asks, proof of onward travel and our prices.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, International Airports.
- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Gautam Buddha Airport profile (PDF).
- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Tribhuvan International Airport profile (PDF).
- German Embassy Kathmandu, Schengen visa.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in Nepal.
- U.S. Embassy in Nepal, Visas.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor visa.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Find a visa application centre.
- Australian Embassy Nepal, Visas and immigration.
- Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Visa.
- Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Consulate General of India, Birgunj.
- Netherlands, via VFS Global, Checklist: private visit, Nepal (PDF).
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Apply for a visitor visa.
