Nepal visa for Australians: arrival fees and trekking permissions

Choose the visa duration using the full trip

Nepal’s Department of Immigration publishes these on-arrival tourist fees: 15 days US$30, 30 days US$50 and 90 days US$125. Check the chosen product and the permission actually issued. Do not select the duration using only the number of walking days. Kathmandu stays, transfers, a recovery day and a changed flight all belong in the calendar.

Illustrative planning example: a traveller schedules two preparation days, a 12-day trek, two nights afterwards and an onward departure. The trek may be advertised as “12 days”, but that does not establish that a 15-day immigration permission covers the visit. Put the actual arrival and departure on a calendar, then allow for changes. This example is about choosing a product; the authority’s recorded dates decide the permission.

Understand the online form and the arrival desk

The Department’s published arrival process combines the arrival information and online tourist form, payment, and an immigration-desk check. Its instructions describe a submission receipt valid for 15 days. The current payment guidance also provides an online payment route. Follow the service reached from the Department’s website and save both the submission record and payment evidence; neither should be mistaken for completed border clearance.

• Choose the actual entry office in the official service; the Kathmandu airport selection is not a universal selection for every border.
• Compare name, nationality, passport number and travel dates against the passport before submission.
• Keep a printed or offline copy of the reference and the address of the first accommodation.
• Check accepted payment methods for that office and retain a practical backup rather than assuming every machine accepts every card.
• Inspect the visa and departure deadline before leaving the immigration area; ask staff promptly about a mismatch.

A tourist visa does not settle the trekking paperwork

Nepal Tourism Board’s revised TIMS guidance requires licensed guides and agency-issued TIMS cards on the trekking routes it lists. The board publishes the routes and process. Check the specific trek rather than applying a slogan such as “all trekking is independent” or “one permit covers Nepal”. Conservation-area fees, restricted-area permission and local rules are separate questions to put to the relevant authority and registered operator.

Match insurance to the walking, not just the country

Give the insurer the actual activity, route, maximum altitude and any planned climbing, not simply “holiday in Nepal”. Ask how emergency contact, pre-authorisation and rescue or evacuation claims work under that policy. A general medical benefit or a mandatory local document does not establish cover for every mountain activity. Obtain advice from a clinician about your circumstances; this guide does not prescribe altitude medication or promise a rescue response.

Leave flexibility between the trek and the international flight

Write the return-to-city day, domestic transport and international departure as different bookings. Price an extra accommodation night and the relevant fare-change terms before deciding whether a tight finish is worth it. A delay can create both a transport problem and a visa-expiry problem; solving one does not automatically solve the other.

At this review, DFAT’s Nepal page reports flood damage affecting some roads, trails and accommodation. Check the named districts and current operator information rather than assuming a famous route is available. Avoid interpreting an issued tourist visa or a tour deposit as evidence that a trail is open.

If the visit becomes longer

Use Nepal Immigration’s current extension process before permission expires. Keep the original entry record, proposed dates and explanation together. The Department sets the extension conditions; a guide’s informal assurance or a replacement flight does not extend status. If the passport is lost or replaced, ask the Department how the immigration record must be transferred before departure.

Make an offline arrival-and-trek pack

• Passport and any issued permission, online reference and payment evidence.
• First accommodation, operator and emergency-assistance contacts.
• Confirmed route, named permits and guide arrangements.
• Insurance wording or written answers relevant to the planned activity.
• A calendar showing the authorised stay, international flights and room for disruption.

Keep sensitive document copies secure and separate from passwords. Give a trusted contact the itinerary and a communication plan without publishing passport scans or medical records. Recheck transit permissions if a changed flight sends you through a different country.