Alpine Law Associates is the leading full-service law firm encompassing a wide range of legal practices located in Kathmandu, Nepal. It consists of a team of the country's best lawyers, each with expertise in their respective fields, tailored to meet clients' specific needs.
Anamnagar-29, Kathmandu
A 2026 practitioner's guide to company registration in Nepal — Companies Act 2063, OCR's CAMIS digital portal, fee slabs from NPR 1,000 to NPR 43,000+, capital rules, document set, foreign branch and liaison registration, and end-to-end post-registration compliance with PAN, VAT and DOI.
"Mergers and acquisitions in Nepal are governed by Sections 177-180 of the Companies Act 2063 (general merger framework), the Competition Promotion and Market Protection Act 2063 (40% market-share threshold for anti-competitive concern), and sector-specific rules — NRB BFI M&A Bylaw 2073 for banking, SEBON disclosure for listed companies, FITTA 2075 for cross-border deals. Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) is the principal filing authority. OCR has 3 months to decide on a merger application. Recent banking consolidation (Global IME + BoK, Prabhu + Century, NIBL + Mega Bank) reduced Nepal's commercial banks from 32 to around 20."
A 2026 practitioner's document checklist for company formation in Nepal — the full filing pack the Office of Company Registrar (OCR) and the CAMIS portal will accept, Memorandum and Articles of Association drafting essentials, document set by company type (private, public, single-shareholder, non-profit Section 166, foreign branch and liaison), the FDI route document overlay for foreign-shareholder files, notarisation and witness rules, and the most common rejection grounds.
A 2026 practitioner's guide to court marriage in Nepal under Muluki Civil Code 2074 Sec. 67-84 — Sec. 70 eligibility, District Court process, NPR 500 court fee, document checklist, foreigner 15-day residency rule, same-sex registration after the 28 June 2023 Supreme Court interim order, MoFA attestation chain, NT visa for foreign-national spouse, and how Alpine Law Associates handles the file end-to-end.
"Divorce in Nepal under Muluki Civil Code 2074 Sec. 93–115 — mutual consent (2 days) vs contested (12–24 months), grounds, Sec. 96 partition, Sec. 100 alimony, Sec. 115 child custody, NRN POA workflow, realistic court fees and appeals. 2026 practitioner guide."
A 2026 (2083 BS) pillar guide to property types and legal rights in Nepal — the constitutional framework under Article 25 of the Constitution of Nepal 2072 (the right to acquire, own, enjoy, sell, and otherwise deal with property), the classification framework under the National Civil Code 2074 (Section 253 immovable property; Section 254 movable property; Section 255 seven ownership classes — private, joint, common, community, public, government, Guthi / trust), the Land Revenue Office registration framework, the foreign-investor and NRN property-purchase restrictions, the inheritance and partition rules under Chapter 14 of the Civil Code, the property-tax framework, and the special Guthi-system overlay for religious and charitable property.
"Power of Attorney in Nepal — Adhikrit Waresnama — is governed by Sections 144-155 of the Muluki Dewani Karyabidhi Sanhita 2074 (National Civil Procedure Code 2074), NOT the Civil Code. Nepali practice recognises two categories: Sadharan Waresnama (simple POA, notary suffices) and Adhikrit Waresnama (authorised POA for land sale, court representation, consent settlement). Section 153 requires the principal to personally appear before a District Court judge in Nepal — or before the Nepali Ambassador / Consul-General abroad — with thumbprint, signature, photograph and two witnesses. Court authentication fee: Rs 500 for family members; Rs 5,000 for non-family attorneys. Section 154 limits the agent's powers — land sale and consent-settlement of suits require express authority."
A 2026 practitioner's guide to borrowing and lending in Nepal under the Muluki Civil Code 2074 and the Nepal Rastra Bank framework — Section 478 interest provisions, the Section 481 statutory cap that total cumulative interest cannot exceed principal, the Tamasuk loan deed, secured lending through pledge / mortgage / hypothecation, the 10-year limitation for loan recovery, licensed-lender regulation under NRB, cheque-bounce recovery under Penal Code Section 484, and the document trail that holds up at the District Court.
"How a cheque bounce case works in Nepal in 2026 — after a 2025 amendment, a dishonoured cheque is pursued as a criminal banking offence under the Banking Offence and Punishment Act 2064, not as the old civil claim. This guide covers the bank dishonour memo, the notice to the drawer, police investigation, the District Court, the amount-graded penalty plus recovery with interest, the documents to file, and the one-year limitation."
Tamasuk in Nepal — the traditional handwritten promissory note governed by the Muluki Civil Code 2074 transaction chapter (Sections 474 to 492). Covers format, witness rules, ward-office attestation, interest cap, ten-year limitation period under Section 484, recovery suit before the District Court, and the difference between a tamasuk and a Negotiable Instruments Act 2034 promissory note. Updated April 2026.
A 2026 (2083 BS) practitioner's guide to succession and inheritance in Nepal under the National Civil Code 2074 — the coparcener doctrine and Section 205 daughters' equal-share rights, the order of intestate succession (spouse and children first, then parents, then siblings), the distinction between ancestral and self-acquired property (Section 215 onwards), testate succession through wills (formalities, restrictions on disposing of joint family property), the partition process at the District Court, the cross-border issues for NRN heirs and foreign-citizenship beneficiaries, and the appeal route through the High Court and Supreme Court.
"Adoption in Nepal under Chapter 8 of the Muluki Civil Code 2074 (Sec. 169–187) — who can adopt (Sec. 172), the under-14 adoptee rule (Sec. 173), the 25-year age gap (Sec. 174), consent (Sec. 175), full filiation and inheritance (Sec. 178), severance from the birth family (Sec. 180), cancellation (Sec. 184–185), and why inter-country adoption is suspended. 2026 practitioner guide."
"Child custody laws in Nepal under the Muluki Civil Code 2074 — the Sec. 115 age framework (under 5 with mother, 5–10 with father, 10+ child's choice), maternity and paternity (Sec. 105–106), dispute resolution (Sec. 110), child maintenance (Sec. 116) and visitation (Sec. 117). Covers parental agreements, NRN custody and death-of-a-parent scenarios. 2026 practitioner guide."
"An NRN or person abroad can file a case in Nepal through a Nepali lawyer appointed under an Adhikrit Waresnama (POA) authenticated at the Nepali Embassy or Consulate-General under Section 153 of the Muluki Dewani Karyabidhi Sanhita 2074. Embassy-authenticated POA is directly usable in Nepal without MoFA Tripureshwor re-attestation. Foreign-notary-only POAs require the 4-stage chain — foreign notary → competent authority → Nepali Embassy → MoFA Tripureshwor. Most common NRN cases: divorce (mutual consent 3–6 months), property partition, inheritance, ancestral land disputes. Nepal does NOT recognise foreign judgments without bilateral treaty or reciprocity under the Mutual Legal Assistance Act."
A 2026 (2083 BS) practitioner's guide to the unmarried certificate (single status certificate, अविवाहित प्रमाणपत्र) in Nepal — the ward-office-issued document confirming current unmarried status, the documents required (citizenship original, photographs, family population card, divorce decree if previously married), the same-day issuance with the 30-to-35 day validity window, the three-step attestation chain for international use (notary translation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication, destination-country embassy or consulate legalisation), the use cases (foreign marriage, court-marriage at the District Court, immigration filings, overseas employment), and the practical compliance discipline for cross-border court / ward marriage-registration.
A 2026 practitioner's guide to abortion law in Nepal under the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act 2075 read with the National Penal Code 2074 — Section 15 conditions, the 12-week on-request window, the 28-week exceptions for rape, incest, foetal anomaly and maternal health, the consent rules, the sex-selective abortion prohibition, the licensed-provider framework, the Section 188 punishment for unlawful abortion, the Section 190 six-month limitation, and the constitutional grounding under Article 38(2).
A 2026 practitioner's guide to the law of hurt in Nepal under Sections 191 to 197 of the Muluki Penal Code 2074 — the definition of hurt and grievous hurt, mens rea tiers, the role of the weapon and the nature of the injury, fracture, disfigurement and permanent disability, punishment ranges, the Medico-Legal report and chain-of-custody, compounding and non-compounding of certain hurt offences, victim compensation, the domestic-violence overlap, self-defence and consent in sport and medical contexts.
A 2026 practitioner's guide to robbery, theft and dacoity laws in Nepal under the National Penal Code 2074 — the offence ladder from theft (Sec. 241) and aggravated theft (Sec. 242) through burglary (Sec. 243) to robbery (Sec. 244) and dacoity; punishment bands from three years up to fourteen years and beyond; aggravators for night-time, dwelling, by servant, and against vulnerable victims; receiving stolen property; restitution to victim; compoundability rules; and the District Court investigation route with 35-day appeal.
A 2026 practitioner's guide to homicide laws in Nepal under Chapter 12 of the Muluki Penal Code 2074 — intentional murder (Sec 177), knowledge homicide (Sec 178), grave-provocation killing (Sec 179), reckless homicide (Sec 181), negligent homicide (Sec 182), attempt to murder (Sec 183), abetment of suicide (Sec 185), defences of private defence and insanity, prosecution by the District Government Attorney under the State Cases Act, 35-day appeal limitation and the no-limitation rule for serious homicide.
Complete guide to the Muluki Civil Code 2074 and Muluki Criminal Code 2074 in Nepal — chapters, key provisions on family, contract, property, inheritance, and crimes. Updated April 2026.
"Nepal's Electronic Commerce Act 2081 (2025) is now in force — Act No. 13 of 2081, assented 16 March 2025 and effective from its 31st day. This guide explains the mandatory listing of e-commerce platforms on the Department of Commerce portal, the disclosure and grievance duties, electronic contracts, seller obligations, the penalties (up to NPR 500,000 and 3 years), and how it layers on the Consumer Protection Act 2075 and ETA 2063."
A 2026 practitioner's guide to performance of contract in Nepal under the Muluki Civil Code 2074 — time, place and manner of performance, reciprocal duties, attempted vs actual performance, substituted performance through third parties, impossibility under Section 531, frustration doctrine, joint and several performance, discharge by performance, and the practical document trail that proves performance at the District Court.
"Capacity to contract in Nepal is governed by Section 506 of the Muluki Civil Code 2074 (National Civil Code 2017) — Part 5 on Contracts. Section 506(1) bars three categories: minors (under 18), persons of unsound mind, and persons disqualified by law (insolvents, persons under court interdiction, certain office-holders barred by special statutes). Minors' contracts are VOID, not voidable, with limited exception under Section 640(1) where the guardian contracts for the minor's benefit. Section 506(3) permits a guardian to contract on behalf of an unsound-mind person for their benefit. The Civil Code 2074 omits 'consideration' as a defined essential, replacing the Contract Act 2056 framework that was repealed."
A 2026 practitioner's guide to breach of contract in Nepal under the Muluki Civil Code 2074 — what constitutes breach, types (actual, anticipatory, material, partial), the Section 535 damages framework (direct, real, foreseeable; no anticipatory loss), Section 538-540 rescission and specific performance, Section 541 injunction for anticipatory breach, Section 544 two-year limitation, the frustration defence under Section 531, waiver and estoppel, cure where time is not of the essence, and the documentary trail required to prove breach at the District Court.
A 2026 practitioner's guide to remedies for breach of contract in Nepal under the Muluki Civil Code 2074 — six remedies covering damages under Section 535, rescission and restitution under Section 538, specific performance under Section 540, injunction under Section 541, liquidated damages under Section 542, and quantum meruit, plus the Section 544 two-year limitation, mitigation of loss, election between remedies, and the District Court procedure from plaint through decree to execution.
A 2026 practitioner's guide to PAN card registration in Nepal — the 9-digit Permanent Account Number, the personal PAN, business PAN, and D-PAN withholding-agent categories, the legal trigger under Section 78 of the Income Tax Act 2058, eligibility, required documents for individual and business applicants, the online registration process through taxpayerportal.ird.gov.np, the biometric and final-issuance step at the local Inland Revenue Office, the zero-fee policy, the 1-3 working day timeline, the transactions that require a PAN (bank account, employment, real-estate registration, vehicle registration, contracts above NPR 1 lakh), the integration with the Nagarik App, the penalty exposure for non-registration, and the assessment risk of operating without a PAN.
A 2026 (2083 BS) practitioner's guide to Nata Kayam (नाता कायम) relationship certification in Nepal — the legal mechanism for establishing kinship and family relationships under the National Civil Code 2074, the two operative routes (ward office for uncontested cases, District Court for disputed lineage or insufficient documents), the document set (citizenship certificates, birth certificates, family population card, photographs, ward recommendation), the ward office 1-to-2 day timeline and District Court weeks-to-months process, the DNA testing protocol where biological lineage is contested, the downstream uses (descent citizenship, inheritance and partition, property transfer, pension claims, school enrolment, NRN inheritance), and the appeal route through the higher courts.
A 2026 (2083 BS) practitioner's pillar guide to citizenship in Nepal — the constitutional framework under Articles 10 to 14 of the Constitution of Nepal 2072, the four operative categories (descent / vamsaj, birth / janmasiddha, naturalised / angikrit, honorary / sammanarthi), the District Administration Office (DAO) application process from ward recommendation to CDO sign-off, the document checklist for each category, the 2079 First Amendment and subsequent amendments through 2082 BS (maternal-line citizenship, abandoned children, foreign-spouse pathway), the Non-Resident Nepali identity card framework, the Section 10 automatic-loss rule on foreign-citizenship acquisition, replacement and duplicate certificates, common rejection reasons, and the administrative-review and judicial-review remedies where citizenship is denied.
"The three company types under the Companies Act 2063 in Nepal — Private Limited (max 101 shareholders, Sec. 9(1)), Public Limited (min 7 shareholders Sec. 9(2), minimum paid-up capital NPR 10 million Sec. 11(1)), and the Profit-Not-Distributing / non-profit company (Sec. 166). This 2026 guide compares shareholders, capital, share issue, profit distribution and which structure fits your goal."
A 2026 (2083 BS) practitioner's guide to the Nepal e-passport — the polycarbonate biometric-chip travel document issued by the Department of Passports under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statutory framework under the Passport Act 2024, eligibility for Nepali citizens with valid citizenship, the online pre-enrolment at nepalpassport.gov.np, biometric capture at DAO or designated centre, the two-tier fee schedule (NPR 5,000 regular / NPR 12,000 fast-track for 34-page; NPR 10,000 regular / NPR 20,000 fast-track for 66-page; NPR 9,500 child; NPR 17,000 lost/damaged replacement), 10-year validity for adults and 5-year for children, the processing timeline (regular vs fast-track), the NRN embassy route abroad with USD 150-to-200 fee and 6-to-8 week timeline, and the lost/damaged/renewal procedures.
Honest 2026 guide to online divorce in Nepal — full online divorce is NOT available under the Civil Code 2074, but Section 93 mutual consent divorce can be filed and concluded through a Power of Attorney route at the District Court for couples abroad. Covers POA process for NRN spouses, country-by-country embassy chain, e-filing pilot status, mutual consent vs contested timelines, court fees, MoFA attestation for foreign use, and post-decree registration.
"Court marriage of a foreigner in Nepal under the Muluki Civil Code 2074 — registered at the District Court after 15 consecutive days' residence, with the foreign spouse's embassy no-objection certificate, passport and valid visa, and home-country marriage-eligibility documents notarised and translated into Nepali. Crucially: Nepal MoFA attestation is NOT required to register in Nepal — it is only needed afterwards to legalise the certificate for use abroad. 2026 guide."
"Can you register a marriage online in Nepal? In 2026, not fully — the DoNIDCR system lets you start an online application, download forms and check status, but final submission, identity and witness verification, and the marriage certificate are issued in person at the Local Registrar (ward office). This guide explains what is actually online, where to register, the deadline, and the foreign-national and NRN positions."
"Family law in Nepal under the Muluki Civil Code 2074 — marriage (Sec. 67–91), divorce (Sec. 93–104), child custody (Sec. 115), partition (Sec. 205–236), succession, adoption and guardianship. 2026 practitioner pillar guide with the gender-equality reforms, court forum map, and deep-dive routes to every sub-topic."
"How the Social Security Fund (SSF) works in Nepal in 2026 — the Contribution-Based Social Security Act 2074 + Regulations 2075, administered by the SSF (samajik suraksha kosh) under MoLESS, with mandatory enrolment for formal-sector employers and a 31% combined contribution (11% employee + 20% employer) on basic salary. This guide covers the four protection schemes, the 15th-of-month deposit deadline, sosys.ssf.gov.np registration, and how SSF replaces older PF/gratuity arrangements."
A 2026 practitioner's guide to registering a profit-not-distributing company (PND / Section 166) in Nepal — the Companies Act 2063 Chapter 19 framework, the five-promoter minimum, permitted objectives, the prohibition on dividend distribution, the OCR registration process and fees, the PAN and local-ward formalities, the Social Welfare Council enlistment trigger when foreign funds are received, the Income Tax Act 2058 Section 2 tax-exempt route, and the practical choice between a PND company, an NGO under the Association Registration Act 2034, and an INGO branch.
A 2026 practitioner's guide to suicide law in Nepal under the Muluki Penal Code 2074 — historic decriminalisation of attempted suicide, the abetment offence under Sections 184–185, punishment and fine, the six-month limitation in Section 187, investigation pathway (FIR, suicide note, digital trail), the overlap with the Electronic Transactions Act and Cyber Crime Bureau for online-harassment-driven suicide, and the Mental Health Act 2074 framework that now governs post-attempt care.
