Visas in Nepal define the period for which a visitor has permission to stay. Six-month visas are provided to prospective investors for the purpose of conducting feasibility studies. To obtain a six-month visa, applicants must provide biographic information and a description of relevant work and professional experience. The process can be expedited if the person can be readily identified as a legitimate business representative. Endorsement by a recognized foreign industrial enterprise is one means of accomplishing this.
Investors describe the business visa process as bureaucratic and time consuming.
Many say they spent more than 24 work hours per visa, over a period of 20 to 30 days. Although in 1998 the GON also began issuing five-year, multiple entry visas to resident foreign investors and their families, very few have actually been issued. Health Issues Medical care is extremely limited and generally is not up to Western standards. Doctors and hospitals expect immediate cash payment for health services. In general, U.S. medical insurance is not valid in Nepal.