Nepal's Department of Immigration Extends Service Hours for Enhanced Visa Processing

The Department of Immigration (DoI) has decided to work every day to help process visas faster. They used to work from 10 AM to 5 PM before, but now they'll work from 8 AM to 8 PM every day. This means they'll be open even on weekends and holidays.

The Director General of the DoI, Rudra Singh Tamang, said they want to make it easier for people to get visas, whether they're in Nepal or in other countries. With more people applying online for visas, they needed more time to process them, especially for people in different time zones.They hope that by working longer hours, more tourists will come to Nepal.

Services During Extended Service Hours 

During the extended service hours before 10:00 AM and after 5:00 PM, the Department of Immigration (DoI) will provide the following visa-related services:

• Pre-arrival e-visa application and approval.
• Tourist visa extensions.
• Conversions from non-tourist to tourist visas.
• Non-tourist visa issuance.
• Trekking permit issuance.

Additionally, applicants will be able to make online payments for visa fees during these extended hours using various payment methods such as bank apps, Phone Pay, Connect IPS, and digital wallets like Khalti and e-Sewa.

To make this happen, the DoI will use their permanent staff and pay them extra if they work overtime. They'll also let some staff work from home if there's an emergency. The DoI wants to become more digital in the future and maybe even work without seeing people face-to-face.