Currency and Exchange

Currency

NPR (Nepalese Rupees) is the local and official currency used in Nepal. NPR is accepted all over Nepal, How ever some places might accept INR (Indian Currency) but its very rare.100 Pasia makes 1 NRP and currency notes are in circulation of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Rupees. Coins in Nepal is consists of 1, 2, 5 Rupees only. Nepal Rastra Bank is th e Central Bank of Nepal and issues all currency notes. Value of the currency is mentioned in both Nepali and English, therefore you can easily differentiate currencies with different values.

Debit Card and Credit Cards like Visa, Master Card and American Express are accepted in most of the Hotels, Restaurants and Shopping Centres, However, cash is very essential in the local markets for smaller transactions.

Many ATM machines are available in Kathmandu and limited ATM machines are also available in various smaller cities and towns of Nepal. Therefore, you can also withdrawn cash from those ATM machines.

Exchange

Numbers of different outlets are available for the money exchange facility in Nepal. You can exchange any currency at Banks, Authorised Forex Dealers, Tribhuvan International Airport and Hotels. All minor and major currencies of the world are accepted and traded through these outlets as per the exchange rate for the day.

You can exchange your currency as soon as you arrived in Nepal at Tribhuvan International Airport in case of urgency, however we recommend to exchange your currency at other market as lowest exchange rate is offered in the airport compared to other outlets.

Most of the Hotels have exchange facility, therefore, you can always exchange your currency at your hotel on your convenience or there are plenty of Burea de changes centres around Thamel, a tourist centre in Kathmandu.

Well Known Banks in Nepal for the currency exchange services are Standard Chartered Bank, Himalayan Bank, Everest Bank, Siddhartha Bank, Nepal SBI Bank etc.

Our Recommendation on Currency and Exchange

-Avoid exchanging money at the airport as they provide lowest rate and we recommend you to exchange at banks or currency exchange centres. In case of urgency, only exchange fewer amounts for immediate transactions.

-Always carry your passport for currency exchange in the banks and always retain the receipts. But we recommend you to exchange through local forex centres as bank transactions are time consuming with some paperworks.

-Always make a prior inquiry with your bank regarding the usage of credit or debit card in Nepal so that you do not have to bear card restrictions or bulk charges while using in Nepal.

-NPR is not accepted in any other country apart from Nepal, therefore, make sure to exchange excess NPR currency before your departure.