Foreign Direct Investment

Foreign Direct Investment


What are foreign investments?

Foreign investment means investments made by foreign investors in any industry in the form of:

  • Investment in share (equity)
  • Reinvestment of the earnings derived from investment in shares
  • Investment made in the form of loan or loan facilities

Why invest in Nepal?

  • Foreign Investors are allowed 100 percent ownership of company in most sectors (except the following sensitive sectors)
    • Cottage Industries
    • Services
    • Arms and ammunition industries
    • Gunpowder and explosives
    • Industries related to radio-active materials
    • Real estate
    • Film industries
    • Security Printing
    • Bank notes and coins
    • Retail
    • Travel Agency
    • Trekking Agency
    • Water Rafting
    • Pony Trekking
    • Horse Riding
    • Cigarette, Bidi and Alcohol (excluding more than 90% exportable)
    • Internal Courier Services
    • Atomic Energy
    • Tourist Lodging
    • Poultry
    • Fisheries
    • Bee Keeping
    • Consultancy Services such as Management, Accounting, Engineering, Legal Services
  • Repatriation of principle, dividend and interest is permitted
  • Industrial Enterprises Act 1992 guarantees against nationalization of privately owned industries
  • Foreign investment in protected areas is permitted in form of Technology Transfer
  • Deregulation of market and prices ensures free and fair competition
  • Various bilateral investment protection and double tax avoidance arrangements in place:
    • Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) signed with Finland, India, Germany, Mauritius, United Kingdom, and France
    • Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement signed with Austria, China, India, Korea, Mauritius, Norway, Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Thailand
    • Member of Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agreement (MIGA) of the World Bank Group
    • Member of World Trade Organization
    • Duty free, quota free market access to European Union under the Everything But Arms (EBA) arrangements
    • Duty free, quota free access to the United States of America’s market for products under 66 HS Codes under Nepal Trade Preferences Act
    • Duty free, quota free access to majority of products to India, South Asian countries and China
  • Geographical proximity to India and China
  • Low cost of labor

Application for FDI

How much do you want to invest?

  1. Greater than or equal to NRS 10 billion
    1. If yes, submit an application at Investment Board Nepal (IBN) and get approved by the IBN
  2. Greater than or equal to NRS 2 billion
    1. If yes, submit an application at Department of Industry and get approved by Industrial Promotion Board
  3. Less than NRS 2 billion

If yes, submit an application at the Department of Industry and get approved by the Director General of Department of Industry