India visa for Nepali citizens
India visa for Nepali citizensWhat Nepali citizens need to enter India, with the official source for every fact.
Visa-free
India’s Bureau of Immigration says citizens of Nepal and Bhutan visiting India from Nepal or Bhutan by land or air need neither a passport nor an Indian visa, but must hold a government-approved document proving their nationality, with their photograph and details such as given name, last name, date of birth, nationality, issuing authority and period of validity.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: indianvisaonline.gov.in (opens in a new tab)How to apply
No visa application is needed for a short visit.
Yellow fever certificate
Arriving from Nepal, no yellow fever certificate is required: WHO does not list Nepal as a transmission risk. It can still be demanded if you have been in a risk country shortly before arriving.
Driving on a Nepal license
Nepal is party to the and India to the 1949 Geneva Convention. They share none, so no treaty obliges India to recognize an International Driving Permit issued in Nepal.
Whether a permit is required alongside your national license is set by national road law, which we have not checked for this pair.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road TrafficOther entry requirements
- Passport validity — India's e-Visa instructions say the passport should have at least six months' validity at the time of applying for the e-Visa and at least two blank pages for stamping. The UK Foreign Office tells British nationals their passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date they arrive and at least 2 blank pages.
- Staying past your permitted stay — Penalties in India, compared with every country
- Registering your presence after arrival — Required. Registration rules in India, compared with every country
- Designated eVisa entry points — The e-Visa portal says eVisa holders will be allowed to enter India only through the designated international airports (36 on its checkpoint list) and seaports listed on the e-Visa website.
- e-Arrival Card — India's visa portal says foreign nationals and OCI/eOCI cardholders must complete and submit the e-Arrival Card, a free service of Indian Immigration, and that it can be submitted online within 72 hours before arrival at boi.gov.in or indianvisaonline.gov.in or via the official 'Indian Visa Su-Swagatam' app. It says this is for arrival information, not a visa.
- Air Suvidha Self-Declaration Form — The Air Suvidha portal says all international passengers arriving in India are required to submit a health self-declaration online through the portal before arrival. It says the form is free of cost, can be filled up to 72 hours before arriving, is mandatory under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and that the registration number is presented at the health desk on landing.
- Onward or return ticket — Required of visa applicants only — not of Nepali citizens.
- Proof of funds — Required of visa applicants only — not of Nepali citizens.
No official source states a rule on: travel insurance.
Full wording and sources of these rules: All India entry requirements
The other way round
Indian citizens travelling to Nepal: Visa-free.
Compare this across every country
Each of these tables states one rule for all 199 destinations, with the government source behind every row. India has a row in each.
- What staying past your permitted stay costs, country by country
- Registering your presence after arrival, country by country
- Digital arrival cards and entry declarations
- How long your passport must be valid, country by country
- Vaccination certificates required at the border
- How many blank passport pages each country requires
- Which International Driving Permit each country recognizes
- What a tourist visa costs, country by country
- How much money you must be able to show at the border
- Where you must show a return or onward ticket
- How much cash you can carry before you must declare it
All India entry requirements · Everywhere Nepali citizens can travel
Frequently asked questions
Do Nepali citizens need a visa for India?
No. Nepali citizens can enter India without a visa. India’s Bureau of Immigration says citizens of Nepal and Bhutan visiting India from Nepal or Bhutan by land or air need neither a passport nor an Indian visa, but must hold a government-approved document proving their nationality, with their photograph and details such as given name, last name, date of birth, nationality, issuing authority and period of validity.
Sources & verification
- Air Suvidha 2.0 — instructions for the Self-Declaration Form (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Civil Aviation) (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of Immigration (Ministry of Home Affairs, India) — Visa Free Regime (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of Immigration, India — Health Regulation (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Visa Online — e-Visa instructions and FAQ (Government of India) (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Visa Online (Bureau of Immigration) — e-Arrival Card form ('It is free of cost service of Indian Immigration'); the 72-hour window is in the portal's home page notice (opens in a new tab)
- UN Treaty Collection — Convention on Road Traffic (Geneva, 1949), status of parties (opens in a new tab)
Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva, 19 September 1949 (UNTS vol. 125, p. 3)
- WHO — Vaccination requirements and recommendations for international travellers, country list (ITH 2022) (opens in a new tab)
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source