India visa for Nepali

Do Nepali citizens need a visa for India?

No. Nepali citizens do not need a visa to visit India. Under the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Nepal and India, Nepali passport holders enter India visa-free, with no application form, no visa fee, and no limit on how long they may stay for an ordinary visit. You can enter by air or by land. This is why the topic of an India visa for Nepali travellers is really a question about documents, not a question about visas.

Because there is no visa, the only real preparation is carrying the right proof of your Nepali nationality and understanding a few specific exceptions. This guide explains exactly what to carry, how entry works by air and by land, and the situations where the visa-free rule does not apply. Always confirm current requirements before you travel, as border and airline rules can change.

Visa-free entry explained

The visa-free arrangement is not a tourist waiver that expires after a set number of days. It is a standing right created by treaty, so it applies to leisure travel, visiting family, medical trips, business meetings, and pilgrimage alike. There is no cap on the length of an ordinary stay, and you do not register for anything in advance. What Indian immigration and Nepali airline staff want to see is simple: clear evidence that you are a Nepali citizen. Carry an accepted document, keep it valid, and your entry is straightforward.

Entry routes and accepted documents at a glance

The comparison above focuses on documents rather than money, because entry to India is free for Nepali citizens on either route. The difference between the routes is practical: air travel involves airline check-in and formal immigration counters, while land crossings are more informal but still require you to prove you are Nepali if asked.

Accepted travel documents for adults

For adult Nepali citizens, the documents required to travel India from Nepal are limited to reliable proof of nationality. A valid Nepali passport is the cleanest option because it is internationally recognised, has your photo, and doubles as identification for hotels, SIM cards and domestic flights inside India. A Nepali citizenship certificate is also accepted as proof of nationality for entry.

• Valid Nepali passport, or
• Nepali citizenship certificate as proof of Nepali nationality.

One important clarification for 2026: the Nepali National Identity Card is not yet accepted by India as a travel document. Nepal has formally requested that India recognise it, and that proposal is pending as of August 2026, but until it is confirmed you should not rely on the National Identity Card alone at the border or the airport. If you own only a National Identity Card, carry your passport or citizenship certificate as well. When you fly, a passport is strongly recommended because airlines apply their own document checks at check-in and may not accept a citizenship certificate as readily as a land-border post would.

Documents for children and minors

Children travelling with their parents do not need a visa either, but they still need to prove their identity and nationality. For a child under 18 travelling with parents, the accepted documents are a birth certificate or a school identity card. If the child already holds a Nepali passport, that is the simplest document to carry, especially for air travel.

• Child under 18 travelling with parents: birth certificate, or school identity card.
• A child's own Nepali passport, where available, is the most convenient option for flights.

Take extra care when a minor is not travelling with both parents. If a child travels with only one parent, with grandparents, or in a group without a parent, carry supporting paperwork such as a birth certificate showing parentage and, where relevant, a signed consent letter from the parents. Rules for minors travelling alone can be stricter and are applied at the discretion of airline and immigration staff, so confirm current requirements before you book and keep originals plus copies with you.

Entry by air

Flying is the fastest way to reach India from Nepal. Direct flights connect Kathmandu with major Indian hubs, and the flight time to Delhi is short. For air entry, carry a valid Nepali passport or a Nepali citizenship certificate. In practice, a passport is the safest document for flights because airline check-in staff verify travel documents before boarding and are most familiar with passports.

At the Indian airport you will pass through an immigration counter, where an officer confirms your nationality from your document. Because there is no visa to check, this step is usually quick. Keep your document easy to reach, make sure it is valid and not damaged, and have the address of where you are staying ready in case you are asked. Remember that the National Identity Card is not yet accepted by India as a travel document, so it should not be your only document when you fly.

Entry by land

Many Nepali travellers reach India overland through crossings such as Sunauli, Birgunj, Kakarbhitta and Nepalgunj. For land entry, carry a valid Nepali passport or Nepali citizenship certificate. Document checks are generally more relaxed at land crossings than at airports, and you may not always be stopped, but you should still carry proof of nationality at all times.

The relaxed nature of land borders can be misleading. Even if you cross without being asked for a document, you may need to prove you are a Nepali citizen later, for example at a hotel, a checkpoint, or when buying a domestic train or flight ticket inside India. Keep your document with you throughout the trip, not just at the border, and carry a photocopy as a backup in case the original is lost.

Important exceptions to visa-free entry

The visa-free rule covers ordinary travel between Nepal and India, but there are specific situations where it does not apply. These come directly from the official arrangement and are the exceptions Nepali travellers most often overlook.

• Nepali citizens entering India from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, or from Pakistan, must hold an Indian visa. The visa-free rule applies to travel directly between Nepal and India, not to arrivals routed through those countries.
• Nepali passport holders departing India on international flights to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Libya or Lebanon must carry a No Objection Certificate from the Embassy of Nepal in India, where the port of boarding is in India.

If either of these applies to your journey, sort out the extra paperwork well in advance, because a missing Indian visa or a missing No Objection Certificate can stop you at the airport. If you are unsure whether your routing triggers one of these rules, confirm current requirements before you book your tickets.

How long can you stay in India?

There is no fixed limit on how long a Nepali citizen can stay in India for an ordinary visit. Unlike a tourist visa that expires after 30 or 90 days, the treaty arrangement does not impose a maximum length of stay, and there is no fee or registration tied to your visit. This is one of the biggest advantages Nepali travellers have compared with visitors from most other countries.

That said, staying long term for a specific purpose such as employment, running a business, or long-term study can involve separate rules and, in some cases, registration with local authorities. Living and working in India under the treaty is treated differently from a short holiday, so if you plan an extended stay for work or study, check the specific rules for that purpose rather than assuming the tourist arrangement covers everything.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most problems Nepali travellers face at the border are avoidable and come down to documents rather than visas.

• Carrying only a National Identity Card. It is not yet accepted by India as a travel document, so bring a passport or citizenship certificate as well.
• Travelling with an expired or damaged passport. Even though there is no visa, your identity document still needs to be valid and legible.
• Forgetting documents for children. A birth certificate or school identity card is needed even for young children.
• Overlooking the routing exceptions. Arriving from China or Pakistan needs an Indian visa, and certain onward flights from India need a No Objection Certificate.
• Carrying no document on land crossings. Relaxed checks are not the same as no checks, and you may need proof later in your trip.

Diaspora, NRNs and non-Nepali passport holders

This guidance is prepared for Nepali passport holders and Nepali citizens carrying a citizenship certificate. If you are part of the Nepali diaspora or a Non-Resident Nepali who has taken up a different nationality, the treaty arrangement does not automatically apply to you, and you will normally follow the standard Indian visa rules for your current passport.

If you hold a Nepali passport but live abroad, you can still enter India visa-free as a Nepali citizen, subject to the same routing exceptions above, for example if you fly to India from China. If you hold a non-Nepali passport, check the official Indian visa rules for your nationality, since many nationalities require an e-visa or a regular visa. Our team is happy to help you work out which rules apply to your specific passport and route.

Prepare before you book

A little preparation keeps an India trip from Nepal simple.

1. Choose your document. A valid Nepali passport is the most flexible for both air and land travel; a citizenship certificate also proves nationality.
2. Check validity. Make sure your passport is current and undamaged before you book.
3. Sort documents for children. Prepare a birth certificate or school identity card, and a consent letter if a minor is not travelling with both parents.
4. Review your routing. If you are arriving from China or Pakistan, or flying onward from India to certain Gulf and Middle Eastern countries, arrange the Indian visa or No Objection Certificate you need.
5. Confirm current requirements. Border and airline rules can change, so verify the latest position before you travel.

Travel tips for Nepali travellers in India

India is one of the easiest international destinations for Nepali citizens, which makes it a strong choice for families, couples, honeymooners, solo travellers and budget or premium trips alike. Keep your identity document safe, carry a photocopy separately from the original, and store a photo of it on your phone as a backup.

• Connectivity: buy an Indian SIM for data and calls, using your passport as identification.
• Health: carry any regular medication with prescriptions, and keep basic travel insurance in mind for longer trips.
• Getting around: for domestic flights and trains inside India, keep your passport handy as it is the smoothest identification.
• Timing: for peak Nepali travel windows around Dashain and Tihar, book roughly three months ahead, as seats fill quickly on Kathmandu to India routes.

In short, an India visa for Nepali travellers is not something you need to apply for. The documents required to travel India from Nepal are simply solid proof that you are a Nepali citizen, plus attention to the few routing exceptions. Carry the right document, prepare for your children, watch the exceptions, and confirm current requirements before you travel, and your trip to India will be one of the most hassle-free journeys you can take from Kathmandu.