Business Visa and Working Visa in Nepal — Foreign Investor & Employee Guide

Business Visa

Foreign National Employed to Work in Nepal

Normally requires:

Working Non-Tourist Visa

together with the applicable labour/work permissions.

The two should not be confused.

The Department of Immigration expressly states that Business Visa is for investors and businesspersons investing or undertaking business in Nepal, while its Working Visa category requires labour/work documentation.

PART A — BUSINESS VISA

Who Can Obtain Business Visa?

Business Visa is available to qualifying foreign:

• investors; and

• businesspersons

investing or conducting business in Nepal.

It can be issued for:

• at least one month;

• up to one year; or

• five years at a time,

and includes multiple re-entry.

Business Visa Is Not FDI Approval

The process is: FDI approval → company / industry establishment → DOI or line-agency recommendation → Immigration Business Visa

The visa gives immigration status.

It does not itself approve:

• foreign investment;

• company incorporation;

• industry registration.

Current Business Visa Documents

The Department of Immigration currently identifies documents including:

• online application;

• DOI/concerned line-agency recommendation;

• investor bio-data for first application;

• Foreign Investment Acceptance Letter;

• company-registration certificate;

• PAN/VAT certificate;

• share certificate;

• industry-registration certificate;

• passport;

• current/latest Nepal visa;

• tax clearance for regular/renewal applications;

• industry monitoring/supervision report;

• company/industry progress report for renewal.

The central Immigration citizen charter also confirms company, PAN/VAT, share, industry-registration and tax-clearance requirements.

Share Certificate

The central Department of Immigration document list includes a share certificate. Keep the current certificate and supporting shareholding records in the investor’s application file to demonstrate the investment relationship.

Current Business Visa Fee

The current central Department of Immigration fee/document page provides the following Business Visa rates:

Investment above NPR 100 million

• USD 20 per month

• USD 200 per year

• USD 500 for 5 years

Investment up to NPR 100 million

• USD 35 per month

• USD 400 per year

• USD 1,000 for 5 years

Investment of at least NPR 1 billion

Visa fee: Free

according to the current central Immigration fee table.

Confirm the applicable fee

Some regional Immigration webpages still display older investment bands and different fees.

Check the central Department of Immigration fee and document table for the application category and retain the version used.

Confirm the applicable investment band and fee with the Department before making payment.

Retain the applicable fee assessment and payment receipt with the visa record.

Renewal

Business Visa renewal is not merely a repeat of the first application.

Current Immigration requirements include ongoing evidence such as:

• latest tax clearance;

• industry monitoring/supervision;

• progress report;

• continuing company/industry status.

Therefore an investor with a non-compliant company may have visa-renewal difficulties.

Business Visa Does Not Automatically Authorise Employment as an Ordinary Worker

An investor may participate in the approved business according to the investment/visa framework.

However, where a foreign national is actually being employed as a worker, the Labour Act and Working Visa requirements must be separately checked.

Do not put a foreign employee on a Business Visa merely because the employer has foreign investment.

PART B — WORKING VISA

Who Needs Working Visa?

The Department of Immigration states that foreign nationals working in Nepal fall under the:

Working Non-Tourist Visa

framework.

The application requires recommendation from the relevant Government line agency and applicable work/labour permission.

Working Visa Documents

The central Immigration Department currently lists documents including:

• recommendation letter;

• work/labour permit;

• work agreement;

• appointment/contract letter;

• tax clearance of employing organisation;

• tax clearance of applicant where applicable;

• Social Welfare Council agreement for NGO/INGO cases;

• valid passport.

Therefore:

Appointment letter alone is not sufficient immigration authority to work in Nepal.

Labour Permit Comes First

For an ordinary foreign worker, the compliance path usually includes: Employer establishes need for foreign worker → Department of Labour labour-permit process → line-agency / work documentation → Working Visa → PAN/payroll/tax compliance.

CMA's separate Foreign Workers and Labour Permits guide covers the Labour Act side.

Working Visa Fee

The current central Immigration fee table provides different fees according to employer/work category.

It currently lists:

Nepal Government-affiliated category

USD 30 per month

Donor-funded category

USD 50 per month

Other organisations

USD 75 per month

plus applicable re-entry fees.

Confirm the applicable fee

The central Department’s fees-and-documents table currently lists these categories. Compare the applicable category and fee with the Department’s assessment before payment, particularly where another official page presents a different figure.

US Citizens — Reciprocity

The current Department of Immigration table contains a separate reciprocity rule for qualifying US citizens.

For Working Visa it currently identifies a: 3-year reciprocity visa

with a USD 190 fee, subject to its specified recommendation, work-permit and other documentary conditions.

This should be treated separately from the ordinary Working Visa rate.

Tourist Visa During Processing

Maintain valid immigration status while completing the working-visa formalities. Check the permitted stay and any necessary extension or change of category with the Department.

However:

Tourist status should not be treated as permission to commence employment.

Actual work should begin only when the required labour/immigration authority exists.

Relationship Visa Also Does Not Permit Work Automatically

Immigration expressly states that a foreigner holding a relationship visa is not permitted to work merely because of that visa and requires the applicable Work Permit.

The same general principle applies: right to stay

and right to work are legally distinct.

Payroll and PAN

Once employed, the foreign worker also requires consideration of:

• PAN;

• Nepal tax residence;

• salary TDS;

• employment benefits;

• Labour Act;

• SSF applicability;

• tax clearance.

Visa fees do not replace payroll tax.

Renewal File

For a foreign employee, maintain a calendar for:

• passport expiry;

• labour permit expiry;

• visa expiry;

• employment agreement;

• tax clearance;

• line-agency recommendation.

Do not start renewal only after the visa has expired.

Investor vs Employee Example

Example A

Chinese national owns 60% of a Nepal manufacturing company and is present as the qualifying foreign investor/businessperson.

Likely immigration route:

Business Visa

subject to DOI recommendation and Immigration requirements.

Example B

The same company hires a Chinese production engineer with no investment ownership.

Likely route:

Foreign labour permit + Working Visa

rather than Business Visa.

Business Visa Checklist

• FDI approval

• Company registration

• PAN/VAT

• Industry registration

• Share certificate

• DOI recommendation

• Online visa application

• Passport/current visa

• Bio-data for first application

• Tax clearance for renewal

• Industry monitoring report

• Progress report

• Pay current central Immigration fee

• Calendar expiry/renewal

Working Visa Checklist

• Employment requirement established

• Employment agreement

• Labour permit

• Line-agency recommendation

• Work agreement

• Employer tax clearance

• Employee tax clearance where required

• Passport

• Immigration application

• Pay correct category fee

• PAN/payroll setup

• Calendar labour-permit expiry

• Calendar visa expiry

Common Errors

Using Business Visa for an ordinary foreign employee

Assuming a Business Visa itself approves foreign investment

Starting work while holding only Tourist Visa

Obtaining Working Visa but ignoring Labour Permit

Using outdated regional Immigration visa fees

Allowing company tax non-compliance to delay visa renewal

Ignoring employee PAN and salary tax

Further guidance and practical checks

The correct immigration category depends on the foreign person's legal role in Nepal. Investor status, employment status, labour permission and immigration permission should be documented consistently.