Quick answer
Indian citizens do not need a visa or a passport to visit Nepal. You can enter by air or land with a valid Indian passport or an original Election Commission voter ID. Children under 15 and seniors over 65 can use other photo IDs, including PAN card or Aadhaar. There is no fee and no fixed limit on how long you stay.
At a glance
- Visa type
- No visa required (India–Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950)
- Stay allowed
- No fixed limit for Indian citizens
- Fee
- Free
- Processing
- None; show valid ID at the airport or border
- Validity
- Not applicable
- Apply at
- Official portal
Documents checklist
- Valid Indian passport (the least argumentative choice for flights)
- Or original voter ID card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India
- Serving central or state government employees: departmental photo ID card
- Seniors over 65 and children under 15: photo ID such as PAN card, driving licence, CGHS card or Aadhaar
- Teenagers aged 15–18: identity certificate from the school principal
- Birth certificate for young children travelling with parents
- Own vehicle: RC, driving licence, insurance and pollution certificate for the Nepal customs permit (bhansar)
Common mistakes that get Indians refused
- Aadhaar and PAN are not accepted for adults aged 18 to 65, and airlines at Indian airports will refuse boarding on them.
- Damaged, faded or old-format voter IDs often cause trouble at airline check-in; carry a passport if yours is in poor shape.
- The name on your air ticket must match your ID exactly, initials included.
- If you lose your ID in Nepal, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu issues an Emergency Certificate for the journey home.
Do Indians need a visa or passport for Nepal?
Neither a visa nor a passport is compulsory. Under the 1950 India–Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Indian citizens can enter Nepal freely and stay without a fixed time limit. What you do need is an identity document that the airline, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at the land border and Nepal immigration will accept.
Which ID documents work
| Traveller | Accepted documents |
|---|---|
| Adults 18–65 | Valid Indian passport, or original Election Commission voter ID |
| Serving government employees | Departmental photo ID from the central or state government |
| Seniors over 65, children under 15 | Photo ID such as PAN card, driving licence, CGHS card or Aadhaar |
| Teenagers 15–18 | Identity certificate from the school principal |
| ID lost in Nepal | Emergency Certificate from the Embassy of India, Kathmandu |
Aadhaar and PAN are not accepted for adults between 18 and 65. In practice, a passport is the least argumentative document, especially at airline counters.
How to travel, step by step
- By air: carry your passport or voter ID to the Indian airport. Airlines check it at check-in, and Nepal immigration at Kathmandu records your entry in a minute or two.
- By land: the main crossings are Sonauli–Bhairahawa (for Lumbini and Pokhara), Raxaul–Birgunj, Panitanki–Kakarbhitta and Banbasa–Mahendranagar. Indians walk or drive through; ID checks are random but do happen.
- Driving your own car or bike: buy a Nepal customs vehicle permit (bhansar) at the border, priced per day and by vehicle type. Carry the RC, licence, insurance and pollution certificate.
What gets checked
At airports, the name on the ticket must match the ID exactly. Old, faded or laminated-over voter IDs are sometimes rejected by airline staff; if yours is in poor shape, carry a passport. Hotels in Nepal photocopy your ID at check-in, and some trekking checkpoints record it too.
Tips for families, seniors and trekkers
- Families with young children should carry each child's birth certificate along with any photo ID.
- The relaxed ID rules for seniors help, but altitude does not care about paperwork. Kathmandu sits at about 1,400 m and Pokhara lower, while Muktinath is at about 3,700 m and needs a gradual ascent.
- Treks in the Annapurna, Everest or Langtang regions need national park or conservation-area permits, priced lower for SAARC nationals. Check whether a licensed guide is mandatory on your route before you go.
Indian rupee notes are accepted widely, but carry smaller denominations and change larger sums at banks. Our foreign exchange desk can help with Nepali rupees.
For planning, see the Nepal trip cost guide, the best time to visit Nepal and things to do in Nepal. Travelling with elderly parents or a large group? Our visa assistance team can check everyone's ID before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Do Indians need a passport to go to Nepal?
Is Aadhaar card valid for travel to Nepal?
How long can Indians stay in Nepal?
What documents do children need for Nepal?
Can I drive my car from India to Nepal?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
