Importing Your Pet to Nepal

Nepal’s entry rules are shorter than its guidebook reputation: a rabies vaccination between 30 days and 12 months old, an ISO microchip, a health certificate issued within 10 days of entry, and at least 24 hours’ notice to the Animal Quarantine Office at Tribhuvan International. No titre test from any country, and no routine quarantine; personal pets clear after inspection at Kathmandu.

The two traps are financial and meteorological. A pet arriving as unaccompanied air cargo attracts heavy ad-valorem customs duty, quoted between 40 and 60-plus percent of the animal’s assessed value plus transport, while an owner-accompanied pet in the baggage system pays minimal charges. And Kathmandu’s weather disrupts schedules: winter fog (the airport closed outright in late January 2026) and the June-to-September monsoon make March-May and September-November the reliable travel windows.

Documents, notice and the permit question

Air entry runs through Tribhuvan International only. Give the airport Animal Quarantine Office at least 24 hours’ notice (a week is kinder), carry the health certificate issued within 10 days, and have cash ready for any charges at customs.

On import permits, published sources genuinely diverge: several current guides say no permit is needed for one or two owner-accompanied pets, while older guides describe a Department of Livestock Services recommendation letter obtained one to two months ahead. The safe course for a routine family move is documents-first (certificate, rabies record, microchip) with a direct confirmation from DLS; for three or more pets or any cargo shipment, treat DLS paperwork as mandatory.

Fly together, not as freight

The single most expensive mistake on Nepali arrivals is shipping the pet as unaccompanied cargo. Customs assesses ad-valorem duty on cargo arrivals, quoted from 40 percent (some sources) to above 60 percent (others) of the pet’s assessed value plus the transport cost. Accompanied baggage arrivals avoid most of it.

Nepal Airlines operates the only nonstop from Tokyo (three times weekly) and takes pets as checked baggage or cargo, though not on its A320 aircraft; most other arrivals connect via Delhi, Bangkok, Guangzhou or Doha, and low-cost carriers on the feeding routes (AirAsia, Spring) carry no pets at all. Confirm aircraft type as well as airline before booking.