Travel insurance
Travel insurance for Nepal
The visa does not require any insurance, but leaving without it would be unwise: good clinics are private and expensive, and a serious case can end in an evacuation out of the country. What a policy must cover for a trip to Nepal, what credit-card cover is worth, and what to do on the spot. For a trek the requirements are stricter: see trekking insurance on Trek Nepal. Checked in October 2026, with no sponsored links or commission.
Why you need it
- The French foreign ministry calls it “imperative”: an assistance or insurance policy covering medical costs and medical repatriation, taken out before you leave. The embassy pays no medical costs (France Diplomatie health page, 15 September 2026).
- Care for foreigners is private and expensive, and almost all of it is in Kathmandu and Pokhara; elsewhere healthcare is very limited. Clinics often ask for payment or a guarantee before treating you.
- Unreliable ambulances: the 102 number exists, but it is often quicker to call the nearest hospital or clinic directly. For a serious case, a transfer to a better-equipped hospital, sometimes outside Nepal, is paid by your assistance company… if you have one.
- Your home health cover is not enough: most national schemes only reimburse emergency care after you return, at home rates, and pay for neither evacuation nor repatriation. The European Health Insurance Card is not valid in Nepal.
What the policy must cover
| Cover | What you need |
|---|---|
| Medical costs abroad | A high limit, in the region of €150,000 or more, with a low excess. |
| Assistance and repatriation | Medical repatriation at actual cost and transfer to a suitable hospital, including in a neighbouring country; a 24/7 assistance line. |
| Direct payment | The assistance company must be able to guarantee payment to the hospital, not only reimburse you later: that is often what gets you through a clinic's door. |
| Duration | The whole trip: many policies, and credit cards, stop at 90 days. |
| Activities | The ones you will actually do: rafting, paragliding, bungee jumping, mountain biking or safaris are often excluded or sold as an option. High-altitude trekking needs separate cover. |
| Riding a scooter or motorbike | If you hire one: riding must be covered, often only with a valid motorcycle licence and a helmet. In Nepal you need an international driving permit as well as your national licence. |
| Baggage, theft, cancellation | Useful but secondary: theft, delayed or lost baggage, cancellation or interruption of the trip (strike, natural disaster, a relative's illness). |
| Personal liability | Damage you cause to others, for example on a scooter or in your accommodation. |
Read the exclusions as carefully as the cover: alcohol, undeclared pre-existing conditions, “risky” sports, areas advised against.
What about credit-card insurance?
Premium cards (Visa Premier, Mastercard Gold and equivalents) include assistance that is often enough for a trip without trekking: for example, a 2026 French Visa Premier policy covers medical costs abroad up to €155,000 (€50 excess), with repatriation, for the first 90 days of a trip. Standard cards have much lower limits.
Three limits to check in your card's policy: the duration (often 90 days), the conditions (some cover requires the trip to have been paid with the card), and the excluded activities. As France Diplomatie points out, the “snow and mountain” cover of French Visa cards does not pay mountain rescue costs upfront. For a trek it is almost never enough: see trekking insurance.
On the spot, if something goes wrong
- Call your assistance company before running up costs, unless it is life-threatening: they will direct you to a clinic, guarantee payment and organise any transfer. Some costs are not reimbursed without their prior approval.
- Keep the assistance number and policy number on paper and on your phone (see Packing list), and leave them with someone at home.
- Be wary of “offered” evacuations: France Diplomatie reports proven cases of evacuation fraud. Insist on your insurer's prior approval.
- Keep everything: prescriptions, invoices, a police report in case of theft (tourist police: 1144). Hospitals and useful numbers: Health & safety.
Depending on your trip
| Trip | What to plan |
|---|---|
| Cities and sights (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan…) | Standard travel insurance, or a premium card's cover if it covers the length of the trip and the planned activities. |
| Activities (rafting, paragliding, canyoning) | Check that they are named in the policy, or take the sports option (see Activities). |
| A trek, even a short one | Cover for the altitude you will reach, search and helicopter rescue, with direct payment: details on Trek Nepal's insurance page. |
| Long stay, volunteering | Beyond 90 days, long-stay or expat insurance that also covers evacuation (see Long stay). |
You get your visa on arrival, at Kathmandu airport or at the border: form, fees and pitfalls to avoid on our dedicated site.
Visa Nepal →Fancy a few days of walking? Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Langtang… permits, guides, transport and day-by-day itineraries on our trekking site.
Trek Nepal →Comments
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