SETV visa run - Kathmandu

[Matt199]

Hi guys,

 

I did a successful SETV visa run in Kathmandu a month ago.

 

First I want to say, that the airline tickets to Kathmandu are expensive. It cost me 12,600 return with Nepal Airlines and flight was delayed by exactly 12 hours. Given the price, it only makes sense if someone wants to have holidays there. Otherwise, the price is too steep to call it a "visa run" more like "visa holidays".

 

If the airline ticket is OK, then you can start by reading his blog post below already very good. 

 

https://steppingoutofbabylon.com/en/2016/12/how-to-apply-for-thai-visa-in-kathmandu/

My story was a little bumpier. I started e-mailing Embassy in Kathmandu a month before just to confirm that I can apply for visa successfully on Monday 1st of May, and have someone else pick it up on my behalf 4 days later, on Friday 5th of May. Embassy has no problem with someone else picking up a passport, as long as we put person's name & give them the pick-up slip. 

 

Here's how it went:

 

• Monday 1st of May - show up at Embassy with all documents that Embassy needs on the official page. One thing I was missing was the onward flight ticket, but as per above report, it was ok not to have it. I was given a bank transfer slip to deposit the equivalent of 35 USD at the Bank of Kathmandu. There were two problems though:
  • Embassy needed me to pay visa fee at a Bank when all banks were closed on Monday due to bank holidays. There was no other was of depositing the money. I was asked to come back again next day with bank transfer confirmation,
  • Embassy told me that they issued recently an announcement saying that time to process visa increased from 3 to 5 working days, so the earliest they can issue it is next Monday (which I could not accept cause I had a flight back to Bangkok early morning). Eventually, after asking them nicely and later begging they confirmed Friday pick-up.
• Tuesday - I was already outside of Kathmandu and my agent deposited the money to the bank and later applied for visa on my behalf
• Friday - my agent receives a call from Embassy at 11:30 am saying that they will not be processing visa that day. Agent is asked to come back on Monday. I'm trying to solve this situation being away from Kathmandu by e-mail/phone. It does not work. I seek help from my country's consulate to intervene. It works. I can pick up visa first thing in the morning when Embassy opens at 930 despite an offical pickup time at 1400. 
• Monday 8th of May - I show up at Embassy at 915 and pick up the passport with SETV at 1000am. There's been a lot of confusion why I was at Embassy that early, who talked with my consulate and where is my passport.

 

tl;dr

 

1. Check national holidays and bank holidays
2. Give yourself 1-2 extra working days for visa processing
3. Be patient

 

 

Cheers,

Matt

[midas]

A nice place to visit and all that but to apply for a Visa I would call it purgatory

[Rob13]

Long way to go for a visa run.

[juice777]

I recommend it to anyone I went there years ago and its a nice place with nice people. I also recommend people to go Trekking in the Himalayas one of the best things I ever did. I plan to go back one day . And I did consider a visa run there but it dose sound a bit of a Pain to get one there so decided against it.

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[Matt199]

I agree it's far, and I wouldn't recommend it as a visa run destination. Rather, a visa possibility. Main reason to go there was trekking, not visa run.

 

Personally, I think if one can find a good visa agency, then he/she can leave passport comfortably in Kathmandu and travel to see the Himalayas. Once done, can pick up the passport before the flight. Only this setup makes sense.