Extending Your Nepal Tourist Visa from a Kathmandu Apartment — 2026 Update

Extending your Nepal tourist visa is one of the simplest immigration processes in South Asia — once you know the steps. The Department of Immigration in Kalikasthan (5 minutes from Putalisadak) handles thousands of extensions every month; there's no appointment required, the fee is clear, and the process is genuinely friendly. This is the updated 2026 walkthrough, written from a Kathmandu apartment for guests on long-stay bookings.

This post replaces and updates last year's visa walkthrough with the current 2026 fee schedule, photo requirements, and hours.

The simple summary

• Where: Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Kathmandu (and a separate office at Pokhara if you're there)
• When: Sunday–Friday, 10:00–15:00 (closed Saturdays and public holidays)
• Walk in — no appointment required; the system runs on token numbers
• Fee: USD 3 per day for the extension (USD 90 for 30 days, USD 180 for 60 days, etc.)
• Maximum total stay per calendar year: 150 days (not 180 — this changed in 2018 and many old guides still say 180)
• Same-day processing in most cases

If you're staying in an apartment within walking distance, the whole process takes 90 minutes once you walk in.

What you need to bring

Pack a small day bag with:

1. Original passport with the current Nepal visa stamp clearly visible 2. One passport-sized photo — taken within the last 6 months, white background, 35×45mm (the international tourist visa standard). Photo studios in central Kathmandu cost NPR 200 for 4 prints. 3. The cash for the extension fee — USD or NPR accepted, USD is faster at the counter 4. A printed copy of your apartment address — they sometimes ask where you're staying. The Tiny Living welcome guide has a printable address card; many other apartment hosts can produce one on WhatsApp request 5. A pen (helpful but not required — there are pens at the counter)

What you don't need: a return flight ticket, a bank statement, an invitation letter, a guarantor, anything else. Some old blog posts mention these — they're not required for tourist visa extension.

The 2026 fee schedule

Beyond 90 days: extensions are issued in 30-day blocks. Maximum cumulative tourist-visa stay per calendar year is 150 days. After 150 days you must leave and re-enter (typically via India or via Tibet for a 2-month break before re-applying).

The fee is the same whether you pay in USD or NPR. USD payment moves through the cashier faster.

The walk-in process — what actually happens

This is the step-by-step at the Kalikasthan office. Walk in 10:00–11:30 to avoid the afternoon rush.

Step 1 — Token at the entrance

Walk through the security gate (basic bag scan). The counter immediately inside hands out a paper token with a number. The current number is displayed on a screen. Estimated wait: 20–40 minutes in the morning, longer in the afternoon.

Step 2 — Fill the form

Forms are on the desks against the wall. The form asks for:

• Name (as in passport)
• Passport number
• Visa number (from your current Nepal entry stamp — bottom right)
• Date of entry (the date stamp on entry)
• Address in Nepal (your apartment)
• Extension length requested (15 / 30 / 60 / 90)

This takes 5 minutes. The form is in English and Nepali side-by-side.

Step 3 — Document submission

When your number is called, hand over the form, passport, photo, and fee. The officer scans the passport, calculates the extension end date, and issues a receipt with your token number on it.

Step 4 — Wait for the new visa sticker

The actual visa-extension sticker gets printed and stuck into your passport. This takes 30–45 minutes after submission. You wait in the second seating area; your number is called for collection.

Step 5 — Collection

The new visa sticker is in your passport. The officer points to the new expiry date, you confirm, you leave.

That's it. The whole thing typically runs 10:30–12:15 if you start early.

The accommodation letter — when you need one

The Department of Immigration occasionally asks where you're staying. Most of the time the address line on the form is enough. For longer extensions (60+ days) they sometimes want a stamped accommodation letter — a one-page document from your host confirming:

• Your name and passport number
• Your apartment address
• Your check-in and check-out dates
• The host's signature and contact

This is paper-based. The Tiny Living host issues these on WhatsApp request the same day; many other reputable apartment operators in central Kathmandu do too. If you're staying somewhere informal (a friend's apartment), the host's name + signature + a photocopy of their citizenship card is usually enough.

Walking it from Putalisadak

If you're staying at a Tiny Living apartment on New Plaza, Putalisadak, the walk to the Department of Immigration takes 14 minutes:

• North on Putalisadak Road to the New Plaza junction
• East along Tridevi Marg past the Tridevi Temples
• North on Kantipath
• East on Kalikasthan Road
• The Department of Immigration is on the right, behind a low boundary wall, blue Government of Nepal signage

It's the closest of the central neighbourhoods to the office. Lazimpat and Baluwatar are also walkable (15–20 minutes). Thamel is 25 minutes on foot. Patan is a 25-minute taxi.

Common questions

Can I extend my visa multiple times?

Yes, up to the 150-day cumulative annual cap. Each extension is a separate trip to the office.

Can someone else do the extension for me?

No — you must appear in person with your passport. Travel agents who claim to extend for a fee are using a workaround that costs more than going in yourself.

Can I get a visa extension at the airport on departure day?

Technically yes, but with significant fee penalties (typically 3× the standard fee). Just don't overstay. The Department of Immigration office is open until 15:00 — extend a day before your current visa expires.

What happens if my visa expires while I'm still in Nepal?

You pay an overstay fine of USD 5 per day plus the standard extension fee, processed on departure at the airport immigration desk. Annoying but recoverable.

What if I want to stay longer than 150 days per year?

The cumulative cap is 150 days per calendar year (January 1 to December 31). After that:

• Leave Nepal (typically by land border to India at Sonauli or Kakarbhitta)
• Stay outside Nepal for at least 2 months
• Re-enter on a fresh tourist visa

The 2-month gap was introduced in 2018 to discourage near-residency on tourist visas. Some travellers use this gap for a Goa winter, a Sri Lanka trip, or a Bali stretch.

Can I work remotely on a tourist visa?

The visa is technically for tourism only. Working for a foreign employer with foreign clients while you happen to be physically in Nepal sits in a gray zone that the Department has historically not enforced. Working for a Nepali employer or invoicing Nepali clients is the line — that's where you'd need a separate work permit through your sponsoring company.

This is also where the Tiny Living monthly-stays page targets the long-stay digital nomad crowd: 28+ nights with the workspace setup and the 15% monthly discount.

What changed in 2026 vs older guides

A few updates worth noting:

• Online pre-application — you can now fill the extension form in advance at the Department of Immigration online portal. Not mandatory, but saves 5 minutes at the office. Still requires the in-person visit.
• Photo requirement — only one photo now (used to be two). Bring two if you're cautious.
• Office hours — extended winter hours through January end most years. Standard 10:00–15:00 still applies.
• Fee in USD or NPR — both are now equally accepted; older guides recommended USD as "faster" but in 2026 either is fine.
• Saturday closure — the office is closed Saturdays. Don't plan a Saturday extension trip.

Practical apartment notes during the extension wait

If your extension is for 30+ days and you're settling in:

• The Tiny Living long-stay setup includes a workspace, fast Wi-Fi with Ethernet, inverter back-up, and the 15% monthly discount applied at 28+ nights
• The neighbourhood is walking-distance to the Department of Immigration, which makes successive 30-day extensions painless
• Asan Tole and Bhat Bhateni for groceries; the best cafes for remote work guide covers the cafe circuit for your work shifts

The single biggest tip

Go in the morning. The afternoon queue regularly stretches past closing time at 15:00, which means you don't get processed that day and have to come back. The 10:00–11:30 window is the sweet spot — token wait under 30 minutes, document submission by 11:30, sticker collected by 12:30.

For long-stay travellers and monthly guests, the visa-extension morning is one of the rhythms of a multi-month Kathmandu stay. Pair it with lunch at Caffe Concerto in Lazimpat afterwards. It's a 4-hour outing including the celebration coffee.