Carrier guidance lists Nepal among the countries whose nationals need a visa to enter or transit the UK, affecting Nepalese passengers, airlines and carriers from 26 January 2026.
Key facts
- Who: Nepalese nationals travelling to or through the UK, and the carriers that check their travel documents
- From: 26 January 2026
- Source: UK visa requirements: list for carriers
The Home Office guidance for international carriers lists the countries and territories whose citizens need a visa for the UK. Nepal appears in the main list headed "Nationals of countries and territories who need a visa to enter or transit the UK". It is not in the separate landside-only list.
The guidance says it is intended to help carriers check passengers' travel documents. The version we checked is the accessible version, which shows an update date of 3 August 2026.
The guidance sets out two kinds of transit. Airside transit passengers do not need to change airports or pass through the UK border. Landside transit passengers need or wish to pass through the border, for example to change airport or collect baggage.
Transit without a visa (TWOV) is possible only in limited cases. For airside transit, a passenger must arrive and depart by air, have a confirmed onward flight the same day from the same airport, and hold the correct documents for their destination. They must also hold one of the listed documents, such as a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA. For landside transit, the onward flight must depart before 23:59 the following day, with the same kind of listed document. An immigration officer at the UK border decides whether a passenger may transit without a visa.
Other exemptions in the guidance include UK permanent residents who return within 2 years of their last departure, and passengers with a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in their valid passport.
The guidance also says UK visas may be physical or a digital eVisa. For an eVisa holder, a "0A – Valid Permission to Travel Found" response message is satisfactory evidence of permission to travel to the UK.
What this means for applicants
Nepalese nationals need a visa to enter or transit the UK, unless they qualify for one of the exemptions above. Passengers can use the government's "check if you need a UK visa" service to determine whether they need a visa.
Related guide
Sources
- UK visa requirements: list for carriers, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK
- UK visa requirements for international carriers, GOV.UK