Nepal allows Rs 200, Rs 500 Indian notes up to Rs 25,000 per person

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Jul 26, 2026 09:12 IST

Nepal has allowed Indian and Nepali nationals to carry Indian currency notes of Rs 200 and Rs 500 into and out of the country up to a limit of Rs 25,000 per person, as long as the notes were issued on or after November 9, 2016. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) said the rule is in line with prevailing regulations.

The move is expected to help Indian tourists visiting Nepal and Nepali nationals involved in trade and business with India. It also eases restrictions on the movement of Indian currency between the two neighbours, which share an open border and close people-to-people ties.

In a notice issued on Thursday, the NRB said Indian currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 issued before November 9, 2016, will continue to remain prohibited in Nepal. It said Indian currency notes of Rs 200 and Rs 500 issued after that date can be carried, brought into or taken out of Nepal by Indian and Nepali citizens up to INR 25,000 per person.

The central bank said these provisions had already been notified through a notice published in the Nepal Gazette on February 11. The fresh notice issued on Thursday reiterated the regulations and clarified how they would be implemented.

NRB spokesperson Guru Prasad Paudel said on Saturday that Nepali nationals cannot bring Indian currency into Nepal from any country other than India. Likewise, they cannot carry Indian currency from Nepal to a third country other than India.

The notice also said Nepali nationals and foreign visitors can bring up to USD 5,000, or its equivalent in other foreign currencies, into Nepal without making a customs declaration. Any amount above USD 5,000 must be declared to customs on arrival.

India had demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, 2016, and replaced them with redesigned Rs 500 notes while introducing new Rs 2,000 notes, which have since been withdrawn from circulation. After demonetisation, Nepal had imposed restrictions on the use and movement of old Indian currency notes. The latest clarification keeps the ban on pre-November 9, 2016 notes in place while allowing newer Rs 200 and Rs 500 notes to move between the two countries within the prescribed limit.

With PTI Inputs

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