Nepal · Retire or live on savings
Nepal Residential visa · no business
Income needed: $20k+ a year
Residential visa for a foreigner living in Nepal without business activity
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Residential visa · no business is a retire or live on savings route for Nepal. Applicants need income of $20k+ a year. You can stay 1 yr, renewable. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- $20k+ a year
- Government fees
- $700/yr · $1,200/yr
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
To apply: 2 government fees listed below; income to show $20k+/yr. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees$700/yr · $1,200/yr
- $700 a yearVisa fee for a new residential visa.
- $1,200 a yearVisa fee for each annual renewal.
Shown, not spent$20k+/yr
- $20,000 a yearCertified document showing a source of income of at least USD 20,000 (or equivalent convertible currency) to be spent in Nepal each year; for renewal, proof that at least this amount was spent in Nepal in one or several payments.
RenewalRenewable
The residential visa is issued for one year at a time and renewed annually.
Department of Immigration, Government of NepalDepartment of Immigration, Government of Nepal
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Some ways in have an age limit
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant is a foreigner who wishes to spend life in Nepal without carrying on any business.
- The applicant shows proof of age of at least 60 or of retirement.
What you must show3
- A bank statement of USD 20,000 and a certificate of regular income of at least USD 20,000 a year.
- For renewal, an expenditure statement showing USD 20,000 was spent in Nepal.
- Visa fee of USD 700 a year for the first issue and USD 1,200 a year for renewal.
Documents3
- A character certificate and a no-objection letter from the applicant's embassy.
- A health certificate from the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
- A copy of the passport and the latest Nepali visa, and the online application receipt.
Steps2
- Apply to the Department of Immigration online and in the prescribed form.
- The visa is issued the next day after Home Ministry approval, and renewals are processed the same day.
What happens at day 183
How Nepal decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
1 year at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in any continuous 365-day periodA natural person present in Nepal for 183 days or more in a continuous 365-day period is resident.
- Foreign-source income
Residence is tested by ordinary place of abode, by presence of 183 days or more in any continuous 365-day period, or by posting abroad by the Government of Nepal.
All tax rules for Nepal Tax records checked
Full official text
One-year renewable residential visa for foreigners who wish to live in Nepal without carrying on any business, with proof of at least USD 20,000 a year to be spent in Nepal, retirement or age 60 or over, and an embassy no-objection letter. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- Income of at least $20,000 a year · Certified document showing a source of income of at least USD 20,000 (or equivalent convertible currency) to be spent in Nepal each year; for renewal, proof that at least this amount was spent in Nepal in one or several payments. 2 1
- A fee of $700 a year · Visa fee for a new residential visa. 1 3
- A fee of $1,200 a year · Visa fee for each annual renewal. 1 3
Requirements
- The applicant is a foreigner who wishes to spend life in Nepal without carrying on any business. 2 1
- The applicant shows proof of age of at least 60 or of retirement. 1 4
- A bank statement of USD 20,000 and a certificate of regular income of at least USD 20,000 a year. 1
- For renewal, an expenditure statement showing USD 20,000 was spent in Nepal. 2 1
- Visa fee of USD 700 a year for the first issue and USD 1,200 a year for renewal. 1 3
- A character certificate and a no-objection letter from the applicant's embassy. 1
- A health certificate from the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. 1
- A copy of the passport and the latest Nepali visa, and the online application receipt. 1
- Apply to the Department of Immigration online and in the prescribed form. 2 1
- The visa is issued the next day after Home Ministry approval, and renewals are processed the same day. 1
Stay
- Issued for one year at a time and renewed annually.
- Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
- Visa validity: 12 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
The visa is for living in Nepal without carrying on any business.
Family
The Immigration Regulation allows the visa to be issued to eligible foreigners and their family members.
Fine print
The Department of Immigration fee table lists the residential visa at USD 1,200 a year. Its visa-information page and the Department of Industry list USD 700 a year for a first visa and USD 1,200 for each renewal.
Official sources
- Visa information (visa categories, residential, business, study and non-tourist visas) · Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration Regulation, 2051 (as amended), rules 10 to 12 on residential visas · Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal (Nepal Law Commission text) · checked 2026-10-11
- Visa recommendation for foreign investors, business visa and residential visa · Department of Industry, Government of Nepal · checked 2026-10-11
- Visa fees and documents (Nepal visa types and requirements) · Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal · checked 2026-10-12
Residential visa · no business and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential visa · no business | Needs income of $20k+ a year | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| LTR · Wealthy Pensioner Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Long-stay visitor (JPY 30M) Japan | Needs savings of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 1 yr | Limited |
| Second Home visa Indonesia | Needs savings of $130k+ | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Retirement visa United Arab Emirates | Needs income of AED 240k+ a year ≈ $65k | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Residential visa · no business?
Income of at least $20,000 a year. Certified document showing a source of income of at least USD 20,000 (or equivalent convertible currency) to be spent in Nepal each year; for renewal, proof that at least this amount was spent in Nepal in one or several payments. A fee of $700 a year. Visa fee for a new residential visa. A fee of $1,200 a year. Visa fee for each annual renewal.
How long can I stay on the Residential visa · no business?
Issued for one year at a time and renewed annually.
Can I work on the Residential visa · no business?
The visa is for living in Nepal without carrying on any business.
Can I bring my family on the Residential visa · no business?
The Immigration Regulation allows the visa to be issued to eligible foreigners and their family members.
How are Residential visa · no business holders taxed in Nepal?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Residential visa · no business. The standard rules apply: Resident individuals pay 1% on taxable income up to NPR 1,000,000, (≈ $6,520) then 10% up to NPR 1,500,000, (≈ $9,770) 20% up to NPR 2,500,000, (≈ $16,300) 27% up to NPR 4,000,000 (≈ $26,100) and 29% above that, in income year 2083/84 under the Income Tax Act as amended by the Finance Act 2083.
More in Nepal
Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 4 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Visa information (visa categories, residential, business, study and non-tourist visas) · Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration Regulation, 2051 (as amended), rules 10 to 12 on residential visas · Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal (Nepal Law Commission text) · checked 2026-10-11
- Visa recommendation for foreign investors, business visa and residential visa · Department of Industry, Government of Nepal · checked 2026-10-11
- Visa fees and documents (Nepal visa types and requirements) · Department of Immigration, Government of Nepal · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.