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Népal : à savoir avant de partir

L’essentiel

  • Most nationalities get a tourist visa on arrival in Kathmandu: USD 30 (15 days), 50 (30 days) or 125 (90 days); fill in the online form at nepaliport.immigration.gov.np beforehand to save time.
  • Indian citizens need no visa; Chinese citizens get a free visa; other SAARC citizens get 30 days free.
  • Solo trekking is banned in national parks and conservation areas: a licensed guide and permits (TIMS/park entry) are required for most trekking routes.
  • Altitude sickness kills trekkers every year: ascend slowly and make sure your insurance covers helicopter rescue at altitude.
  • Drones need permission from the Civil Aviation Authority and local authorities.

Entrée et visas

Most visitors can get a multiple-entry tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan airport and main land borders with India and China. Complete the online Visa On-arrival form before travel and pay the fee at the airport (cash; cards possible at kiosks). Indian nationals need no visa, Chinese and SAARC citizens get free visas. A few nationalities must obtain a visa from a Nepalese embassy.

Formulaires et autorisations en ligne

  • Nepal Visa On-arrival online form ↗ facultatif
    Before departure (submission valid for 15 days); bring the printed or saved receipt · Frais : Free form; visa fee paid on arrival · VOA travellers; you can also fill it at airport kiosks, but queues are long.

Validité du passeport: At least 6 months from arrival.

À la frontière, on peut vous demander

  • Pay the visa fee at the bank counter (USD cash preferred), then queue at immigration with the form receipt.
  • Keep small USD notes; change may be in rupees.
  • Trekking permits (TIMS, national park/conservation area fees, restricted area permits) are arranged via licensed agencies or the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu/Pokhara.

Douane

  • Declare foreign currency over USD 5,000.
  • Drones must be declared and need permission.
  • Antiques and religious artefacts over 100 years old cannot be exported without approval from the Department of Archaeology.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: nepaliport.immigration.gov.np ↗, immigration.gov.np ↗, au.nepalembassy.gov.np ↗, en.wikipedia.org ↗, gov.uk ↗

Argent

On paie surtout en espèces. Cartes acceptées surtout en ville et dans les lieux touristiques.

Réseaux de paiement : Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay

Apple Pay — pas de données · Google Pay — pas de données

Où changer de l’argent

  • Licensed money changers in Thamel (Kathmandu) and Lakeside (Pokhara) display rates set close to Nepal Rastra Bank rates
  • Bank counters (e.g. Nabil, Himalayan Bank)

Où éviter de changer

  • Unlicensed changers and hotels
  • Exchanging in trekking villages (no ATMs and poor rates)

Distributeurs: ATMs in Kathmandu and Pokhara charge about NPR 500 per foreign-card withdrawal with limits around NPR 10,000–35,000. There are almost no ATMs on trekking routes—withdraw enough before you set off.

Pourboires: 10% service charge is common in restaurants. Tipping trekking guides and porters is expected (often 10–15% of the trek cost).

  • Cards work in mid-range hotels and shops in cities, often with a 3–4% surcharge; treks are cash only.
  • Russian-issued Visa/Mastercard cards do not work abroad; bring USD cash.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: nrb.org.np ↗, gov.uk ↗

Règles et interdictions

Interdit

  • Trekking without a licensed guide in national parks and conservation areas (since April 2023).
  • Drones without permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
  • Drugs (including cannabis, despite availability): prison sentences.
  • Killing cows is illegal; beef is not served (water buffalo is).
  • Proselytising and religious conversion are illegal.
  • Climbing peaks above 6,500 m requires expedition permits; Everest permit fees rose to USD 15,000 (spring) in 2025.

Lois que les visiteurs enfreignent sans le savoir

  • Carry your passport and permits; trekking checkpoints check them.
  • Restricted areas (Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Dolpo etc.) need special permits and a minimum of two trekkers.
  • Overstay is fined per day and can lead to detention.
  • Photography of some temples' inner sanctums and of cremations at Pashupatinath should be respectful; follow signs.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: gov.uk ↗, ntb.gov.np ↗, caanepal.gov.np ↗, gov.uk ↗

Culture et tenue

Religion: Hinduism about 81%, Buddhism about 8%, Islam about 5%, Kirat about 3%, Christianity about 2% (2021 census).

Tenue: Cover shoulders and knees at temples and stupas; remove shoes and leather items where requested. Many Hindu temples (e.g. Pashupatinath main temple) admit Hindus only.

Savoir-vivre

  • Walk clockwise around stupas, prayer wheels and mani walls.
  • Use the right hand for giving and eating; don't touch others' food with used hands (jutho).
  • Greet with 'namaste'.
  • Don't touch people's heads or point feet at people or shrines.
  • Ask before photographing people, sadhus may ask for a tip.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: ntb.gov.np ↗, gov.uk ↗

Climat

Altitude matters more than latitude. Kathmandu: mild, dry autumn and spring, cool winters (near 0°C nights), monsoon Jun–Sep with clouded mountain views and landslides. High trekking routes are cold and snowy in winter; best clear views Oct–Nov.

Mois par mois
  • janvier: Cold, clear; high passes snowy
  • février: Cold, dry; lower treks good
  • mars: Spring trekking; rhododendrons
  • avril: Spring peak; Everest season
  • mai: Warm, hazy; pre-monsoon
  • juin: Monsoon begins; leeches
  • juillet: Monsoon; landslides; Upper Mustang ok
  • août: Monsoon; rain-shadow areas only
  • septembre: Monsoon ending; humid
  • octobre: Clear skies; peak trekking
  • novembre: Clear, dry; excellent trekking
  • décembre: Cold, clear; quieter trails

Meilleure saison : October–November and March–April for trekking and mountain views.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: dhm.gov.np ↗, en.wikipedia.org ↗

À emporter

  • Plug adapter (types C, D, M; 230V); power cuts possible
  • USD cash in clean small notes for the visa and fees
  • Passport photos for visa and trekking permits
  • Layered warm clothing, down jacket and sleeping bag for treks
  • Broken-in trekking boots
  • Water purification tablets or filter bottle
  • Altitude medication after consulting a doctor
  • Headlamp and power bank
  • Sunscreen and UV sunglasses for altitude
  • Mask for dust in Kathmandu

À ne pas emporter / interdit à l’importation

  • Drones without permission
  • Revealing clothing at temples

Pratique

Prises: Types C, D, M; 230V 50Hz

Eau: Don't drink tap water; use filtered/purified water (refill stations on many trekking routes).

Circulation: à gauche

Mobile et eSIM: Nepal Telecom (NTC) and Ncell SIMs at Kathmandu airport (passport and photo required); coverage patchy on high treks.

Applications: Pathao, inDrive, Tootle, WhatsApp, Maps.me

Internet: In September 2025 the government briefly blocked major social media platforms before lifting the ban after mass protests; brief blocks remain possible.

Santé: Altitude sickness on treks above 2,500 m. Consider hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies and Japanese encephalitis vaccines; dengue in lowlands and Kathmandu in monsoon. Air pollution high in Kathmandu in winter.

Assurance: Not required for the visa but essential for trekking; it must cover helicopter rescue at your planned altitude.

Urgences: Police 100; Ambulance 102; Tourist Police 1144

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: gov.uk ↗, wwwnc.cdc.gov ↗

Les règles d’entrée changent. Avant le voyage, consultez le site de l’ambassade ou du service d’immigration du pays.