Business Visa in Nepal 2082/83 (2026)

The minimum foreign investment is NPR 20 million (about USD 150,000), set in 2022, with the IT sector exempt under an automatic route. Confirm the current figure.

No. A tourist visa does not permit business or investment activity. An investor needs a business visa following an approved foreign investment.

A foreigner who has made an approved foreign investment in Nepal qualifies, along with the persons authorised to represent that investment and their dependent family members. Eligibility flows from the investment approval under FITTA 2075 — without an approved investment there is no basis for the visa recommendation. Foreign employees of the company, as opposed to the investor, instead need a labour permit and a working (non-tourist) visa.

The business visa rests on the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act (FITTA) 2075, under which the investment-approval authority recommends the visa, read with the Immigration Act 2049 and Rules 2051 under which the Department of Immigration issues it. FITTA 2075 replaced the older 2049 Act and is administered through the Department of Industry's one-stop service centre. So the visa sits at the intersection of investment law and immigration law.

The Department of Industry recommends the visa for foreign investment below NPR 6 billion, through its one-stop service centre, while the Investment Board of Nepal handles investment above NPR 6 billion and large energy projects. The recommendation is then acted on by the Department of Immigration, which issues the visa. So which body recommends depends on the size of the investment, but the visa itself always comes from the Department of Immigration.

Once the foreign investment is approved and the application is complete, the visa recommendation is typically issued within a few days through the Department of Industry's service centre, after which the Department of Immigration issues the visa. The longer part of the timeline is usually the investment approval itself, not the visa recommendation. Because processing times can vary, confirm current timelines with the relevant department when you apply.

The business-visa fee is set by the Department of Immigration and is revised periodically, and reported figures differ between sources, so this guide does not quote a fixed amount. The fee generally depends on the visa duration. To avoid relying on an outdated or inconsistent figure, confirm the current business-visa fee and the validity period directly with the Department of Immigration before you apply or budget for it.

A business visa is issued for a period linked to the investment and is renewable, so an investor can maintain it for as long as the qualifying investment continues, subject to the conditions and renewals set by the Department of Immigration. Dependents are generally granted a visa matching the holder's validity. Because the exact duration bands are set administratively and can change, confirm the current validity and renewal rules with the Department of Immigration.

Yes. The spouse and dependent children of a business-visa holder can generally obtain a dependent visa matching the investor's visa validity, on proof of the relationship. This lets the investor's immediate family live in Nepal for the duration of the investment. The exact documentation and any conditions are set by the Department of Immigration, so confirm the current dependent-visa requirements when arranging the investor's own visa so the family can be processed together.

A business visa is for the investor who has put approved capital into Nepal, issued on a FITTA-based recommendation, while a working (non-tourist) visa is for a foreign employee or expert hired by a company and additionally requires a labour permit and work permit from the Department of Labour. So the investor and the company's foreign staff are on different visas with different prerequisites. Confusing the two — or using a tourist visa for either — is a common and costly error.

Yes. The information-technology sector has an automatic route that is exempt from the general NPR 20 million minimum foreign-investment threshold, reflecting a policy push to attract IT investment. This can make the investment basis for a business visa more accessible for qualifying IT ventures. Because the scope and conditions of the IT exemption are specific and can change, an IT investor should confirm the current rule and how it affects the investment approval and visa before proceeding.

A larger investment can qualify for a residential visa, which is a longer-term category separate from the ordinary business visa — commonly associated with a substantial one-time investment threshold. The business visa itself is tied to the operating investment and renewed accordingly rather than being a path to permanent residence or citizenship by itself. An investor interested in longer-term residency should confirm the current residential-visa investment requirement and conditions with the authorities.

The core documents relate to the approved foreign investment — the investment approval, company registration, and the visa-recommendation from the Department of Industry or Investment Board — together with the applicant's passport and the prescribed visa-application documents for the Department of Immigration, and relationship proof for dependents. Because the exact checklist depends on the investment structure and is set by the departments, confirm the current document list when you begin, so the investment and visa documents are prepared together.

The Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) approves large foreign investments — those above NPR 6 billion — and major energy projects, whereas the Department of Industry handles investment below that level. For an investor whose project falls within the IBN's remit, the IBN is the body that approves the investment and underpins the visa recommendation. Identifying the correct authority early matters, because the approval route and the visa recommendation depend on which body has jurisdiction over the investment.

You cannot simply continue on a tourist visa for business; the business visa requires an approved foreign investment and the resulting recommendation, obtained through the proper process. In practice an intending investor should secure the investment approval and visa recommendation rather than rely on a tourist visa, and depending on the situation may need to obtain the business visa through the formal route rather than an informal conversion. Take advice on the correct sequence for your circumstances.

The One-Stop Service Centre (OSSC), operating under the Department of Industry, brings together the agencies involved in foreign investment — including company, tax, and visa facilitation — so that an investor can complete approvals and the visa recommendation in a coordinated way. It was established to streamline what used to be a fragmented process. For a foreign investor, the OSSC is the practical hub through which the investment approval and the business-visa recommendation are handled.

A business visa is tied to the investor's own approved investment, not to general employment, so it is not a licence to take up paid employment with an unrelated company. A foreigner who wants to be employed needs the working (non-tourist) visa route with a labour permit. Mixing the two — using an investor's business visa to work elsewhere — would not align with the visa's basis, so any change in activity should be matched to the correct visa category.

Because the business visa is tied to the qualifying foreign investment, the basis for the visa is affected if the investment is wound down, divested or no longer meets the requirements, and the visa may not be renewable in that situation. An investor planning an exit should therefore consider the visa implications for themselves, their representatives and dependents as part of the exit, and take advice on transitioning status if they intend to remain in Nepal on a different basis.

From the start of the investment, not at the visa stage. A lawyer structures and secures the foreign-investment approval, obtains the visa recommendation from the Department of Industry or Investment Board, handles the business visa and dependents' visas at the Department of Immigration, and arranges working visas and labour permits for foreign staff. Because the visa flows from the investment, getting the investment approval right is what makes the visa smooth and avoids a tourist-visa misstep.