Rules for overlanding in Nepal
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 6 January 2025.
Which licence you need
- All vehicles — An International Driving Permit on the 1949 Geneva Convention model is what the ministry lists for Nepal. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- Insurance — Third-party liability cover is compulsory and is taken out at the border.
- Temporary import — A carnet de passages en douane is required for a vehicle brought in temporarily.
- Drive on the left — Traffic drives on the left.
- Reaching Nepal overland — The ministry recommends flying into Nepal and avoiding overland routes. It also advises leaving your itinerary and expected return time with your hotel or a trusted person before heading into mountain or outlying regions.
What catches travellers out
- Drugs — Possession and use of narcotics is illegal and severely punished.
- Indian rupee notes — Coming from India, or leaving Nepal for it, you cannot carry Indian rupee notes above 100 INR; 500 and 2,000 rupee notes cannot be imported at all. On top of seizure of the money the fine can reach 300% of the value, and if you cannot pay, the penalty is prison. The authorities apply this strictly to foreign tourists.
- Currency — Cash over USD 5,000 must be declared on entry and failing to declare it is an offence. Nepalese rupees cannot be taken out of the country.
- Visa overstay — Watch the length of your visa: foreigners have been made to pay a fixed sum of several hundred euro plus a fine of USD 8 for every day not covered by a valid visa.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 6 January 2025. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Nepal before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 6 January 2025. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.