Canada: Visa-free entry to Nepal via new eTA system — launched February 25

Quick summary

Nepal has not launched visa-free entry or an eTA system for Canadian citizens as of February 25, 2026. The Government of Nepal’s official immigration portal confirms the existing visa-on-arrival process remains in place — Canadians still obtain 15-, 30-, or 90-day tourist visas at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) for $30–$125 USD, payable on arrival. No electronic pre-authorization system exists.

This article clarifies the actual entry requirements for Canadians traveling to Nepal, explains why the eTA claim is unverified, and provides the correct visa process to avoid airport surprises.

A widely circulated claim states Nepal introduced visa-free entry via an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Canadians on February 25, 2026. Air Traveler Club’s verification found zero official confirmation from Nepal’s Department of Immigration, the Government of Canada, or the U.S. State Department.

The reality: Canadians continue using Nepal’s current visa-on-arrival process at Kathmandu airport. No eTA portal exists. No policy change has been announced.

This affects Canadian travelers planning trips to Nepal in 2026 who may have read the eTA claim and skipped visa preparation. The stakes are immediate: arriving at KTM without understanding the actual visa process creates delays, confusion, and potential entry denial if documentation is incomplete.

What Nepal’s visa process actually requires

Nepal’s Department of Immigration operates a straightforward visa-on-arrival system for Canadian citizens. Upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, travelers complete a paper form, submit a passport photo, and pay the visa fee in cash (USD preferred). Three durations are available: 15 days ($30), 30 days ($50), or 90 days ($125).

Your passport must have six months validity beyond your entry date and at least one blank page. Processing takes 10–20 minutes during off-peak hours but can stretch to 90 minutes when multiple flights arrive simultaneously. The U.S. State Department confirms these requirements remain unchanged.

Alternatively, Canadians can apply for a tourist visa at the Embassy of Nepal in Ottawa before departure. This costs $40 CAD for 30 days and eliminates airport queues, though processing takes 3–5 business days. For travelers entering overland from India — via the Birgunj or Sunauli border crossings — visa-on-arrival applies at land checkpoints using the same fee structure.

Why the eTA claim spread — and what it reveals

The false eTA announcement likely originated from a misinterpretation of Nepal’s ongoing digitization efforts. The Department of Immigration has discussed modernizing visa systems in tourism strategy documents, but no implementation timeline or eTA framework has been published. Similar confusion occurred in 2019 when Nepal briefly tested an online visa application portal that was quickly abandoned due to technical failures.

The claim’s viral spread reveals a gap in how travel policy changes reach the public. Official government channels — Nepal’s immigration website, the Government of Canada’s travel advisories, and embassy bulletins — remain the only reliable sources for visa rule changes. Third-party travel blogs and social media posts frequently recycle outdated or speculative information without verification.

For Canadians planning Nepal trips, this underscores a practical reality: assume visa-on-arrival remains the process until Nepal’s Department of Immigration explicitly announces otherwise on immigration.gov.np. No other source carries authority. Travelers connecting through Delhi to reach Bhutan or other Himalayan destinations should also verify India’s transit visa requirements, which frequently catch passengers off guard when self-transferring between flights.