Business Visa in Nepal: Process of Obtaining Business Visa

Business Visas in Nepal are provided to Foreign Investors or Businessmen desiring to secure investment in Nepal.

Section 30 of the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act has provided provision for Obtaining a Business Visa in Nepal.

Laws and Bodies of Business Visa in Nepal

Laws

The two Primary Laws that govern Obtaining Business Visa in Nepal are:

Immigration Act 2049

Immigration Act 2049 was enacted to regulate the entry of Foreigners into Nepal, their stay, departure, and its holistic management. The Act has enlisted basic laws for Entry, Stay, and Departure in Nepal for Foreign Individuals.

Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 2019

Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 2019 was passed to promote Economic Expansion through Foreign Investment in Nepal. The Act has provisions relating to providing Visa Facility to Investors or Businessmen in Nepal.

Bodies

The Department of Immigration is the primary regulatory Body that provides Business Visa in Nepal. Department of Industry and other Specific industries can be involved in providing recommendation letters to grant such Visas in Nepal.

What are Business Visas in Nepal?

A Business Visa is granted to a foreign investor, a businessman, or their authorized representative. It also extends to the family members of the representative. The Visa allows businessmen to stay in Nepal as long as the Foreign Investment meets the minimum required amount of Investment.

However, if the investor exceeds the prescribed amount of Investment, this sort of Facility is available for a maximum of Two Individual and their family members.

Moreover, if the foreign Investor invests more than USD 1 Million or its equivalent at once, they are granted a Residential Visa along with their authorized representative and their family members.

The Department of Immigration must grant working approval for such Non-Tourist Visas within 15 Days of the completion of required procedures.

Eligibility Type for Obtaining Business Visa in Nepal

1. Foreigners with approval for investing in Nepali businesses or industries, or their authorized representatives.
2. Foreigners with approval for investments focused on exporting from Nepal.
3. Foreigners visiting Nepal from third countries, buying and exporting Nepali-made goods, or placing purchase orders for exports.

Procedure for Obtaining a Business Visa in Nepal

1. Go to Department of Immigration official site to fill up the Online Application Form

The Initial Step for Obtaining a Business Visa in Nepal is to fill up the Online Application Form which can be accessed through the link mentioned above. It has mentioned various VISA Services amongst which a Business Visa must be chosen.

Then, the Application Form for the authorization of the Visa must be filled out without errors.

2. Submit the Required Documents

Following the Submission of the Application, it is also required to submit various documents which have been mentioned below.

3. Examination and Recommendation from DOI

After the Application has been filled out and the Documents have been submitted, the Application goes through an Examination from the Department of Industry along with the Department of Immigration.

Then, the application gets authorized by the DOI and a letter of recommendation is passed to the Department of Immigration to grant a Business Visa to the Individual.

4. Business Visa by the Department of Immigration

Thereafter, the Department of Immigration conducts its due diligence and Review if necessary and grants the Business Visa as deemed necessary according to the Amount of Investment.

Moreover, if the Applicant for the Visa has invested more than NPR 10 million, they must Share Specific Details as required along with Necessary Documents for visa Processing.

Speculatively, the Complete Process of obtaining a Business Visa in Nepal may take up to 1 Month or more.

Required Documents

The Required Documents for Online Application for Obtaining Business Visa in Nepal are as follows:

1. Recommendation letter from the Department of Industry or the relevant government agency.
2. Bio Data (only for first-time applicants).
3. Foreign Investment Acceptance letter issued by the Department of Industry.
4. Copy of Company Registration Certificate.
5. Copy of PAN/VAT certificate.
6. Copy of Share Certificate.
7. Copy of Industry Registration Certificate.
8. Copy of Passport and the latest visa.
9. Latest tax clearance (for regular visas).
10. Industry Monitoring and Supervision Report.
11. Progress report of the company or industry (required for renewal applications).

Fee and Period

After obtaining a Business Visa in Nepal, the holder can stay in Nepal for a minimum period of one month. It can be extended for up to one year or even for the entire duration of Five Years at once.

The Fees for Obtaining Business Visa in Nepal are as follows:

Investors who invest less than 10 million NRS are charged USD 35 per month, USD 400 annually, or USD 1,000 for five years.

Investors investing more than 10 million NRS are charged USD 20 per month, USD 200 annually, or USD 500 for five years.

Investors investing more than 100 million NRS aren’t charged.