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How to Pay the U.S. Visa Fee in Nepal
Submitting the DS-160 is free. Most U.S. nonimmigrant visa applicants in Nepal separately pay a non-refundable consular application fee through the official appointment system.
From 21 January 2026, nationals of Nepal found otherwise eligible for a B-1/B-2 visa must post a bond of up to $15,000. The consular officer tells you at the interview whether a bond applies and how to pay it. Do not use any third-party website, and do not pay before a consular officer instructs you to. A B-1/B-2 visa cannot be issued until the bond is paid, and the requirement applies regardless of where you apply. See the visa bond.
Payment methods in Nepal
The official Nepal payment page currently lists:
- Cash at NIMB Bank: generate the cash payment page in your profile, then bring it and your passport to a branch. Cheques are not accepted.
- connectIPS electronic funds transfer: pay from a linked Nepali bank account using the CGI reference, applicant name, passport number, and expiration date.
- Nepal-issued Visa or Mastercard: pay online by debit or credit card from the portal, including on a smartphone.
- U.S.-dollar Mastercard option: processed through the portal; charges may apply.
Local fee amounts are shown in Nepalese rupees (NPR) using the Department of State's consular exchange rate.
Official reference: the Nepal bank and payment options page lists NIMB Bank cash, connectIPS EFT, Nepal-issued cards, and the one-business-day processing guidance.
Step-by-step payment process
- Submit the DS-160 and keep the confirmation page.
- Create a profile in the official applicant portal.
- Select Start Application and enter the visa type, post, category, and class.
- Confirm that the number of applicants and fee category are correct.
- Choose NIMB cash, connectIPS, or card payment.
- Save the payment reference and receipt; they cannot be replaced if lost.
- Return to your account after activation and schedule the appointment.
For NIMB cash, use the current payment page before its expiration and pay the exact printed amount. The official service says to allow up to one business day for processing. In Nepal, its stated business-day calculation runs Sunday through Friday, excluding applicable holidays.
Questions commonly searched in Nepal
How much is the U.S. visa fee in Nepali rupees?
The fee is set in U.S. dollars — $185 for B visitor and F/M/J student visas, higher for petition-based categories — and collected in NPR at the consular exchange rate. Confirm the current amount on the Department of State fee schedule.
Do student applicants pay anything else?
Yes. F and M students also owe the separate SEVIS I-901 fee ($350) on fmjfee.com, paid before the interview. Nepal is a top-10 source of F-1 students — see the F-1 DS-160 guide.
How long until I can schedule after paying?
Wait for the receipt to activate in your profile; the timing depends on whether you used a bank, connectIPS, or a card. Do not pay twice if it has not appeared yet.
Can I use a fee paid in Nepal for an interview in another country?
No. The fee is tied to applying in Nepal. Applying elsewhere means paying again in that country's system.
Five ways to pay, and one of them is in dollars
USTravelDocs Nepal lists five options, which is more than most posts on the same platform:
- Cash at a bank
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT)
- connectIPS
- Debit or credit card online
- Elavon, card online, in U.S. dollars
That last one matters because two posts on the same platform say different things about currency. Nepal's page says payment "may be made using local currency or USD depending on the payment option", where Korea's page on the same platform says payment must be in local currency. So the common line "you cannot pay the visa fee in dollars" is written for somewhere else. Whether the dollar route is cheaper depends on your card's foreign-currency charge.
Official sources
- Nepal bank and payment options
- U.S. Embassy Nepal visa information
- Department of State visa fee schedule
Return to the general fee guide.
Paying from a nearby country
The bank, currency and appointment service differ by country — if you are applying somewhere else in South Asia, use that country's guide: