Nepal SIM or eSIM for Indians (2026): does your Indian SIM work?

Nepal is next door, and your Indian SIM does work there on roaming, but Airtel and Jio price it very differently. Here is what a roaming pack, a Nepal Telecom SIM and a travel eSIM each cost, and what keeps working on your Indian number.

Prices side by side

Other sizes: 1 GB for 7 days is ₹299 for a short visit, and 20 GB for 30 days is ₹4,699. Unlimited plans give 1 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps: ₹899 for 3 days, ₹1,499 for 5 days, ₹1,999 for 7 days, ₹2,799 for 10 days, ₹4,199 for 15 days and ₹7,599 for 30 days. For frequent visitors, Jio's 132-country list also has ₹2,799 for 365 days (3 GB, 100 minutes) and ₹2,899 for 30 days (5 GB). All our plans are on the Nepal plans page.

How much data you need

Networks and coverage in Nepal

eSIMKite's Nepal plans connect to Ncell and NT Mobile, the mobile service of Nepal Telecom (NT), whose prepaid brand is Namaste. NT says its 4G covers all 77 districts and 741 of the country's 753 local bodies. It uses Band 20 (800 MHz) for rural reach and Band 3 (1800 MHz) in cities, and phones need both bands for the best coverage, so check that your phone's specifications list them.

We could not check Ncell's own coverage claims, so we cannot rank the two networks. 5G is not commercial in Nepal as far as we can tell: in July and August 2026 the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) put a draft plan for Nepal's road to 5G out for public comment. Ookla's September 2026 Speedtest index gives no mobile ranking for Nepal, so there is no national speed figure to quote.

For treks, we have no coverage data for high routes such as Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna circuit, so download offline maps before you set off. Heading on to Kailash Mansarovar? The Nepal plan is sold for Nepal, and we have not checked it beyond the border.

By road from India: what changes at the border

If you drive or take a bus into Nepal, your Indian SIM starts roaming once your phone joins a Nepali network. Without a pack, Jio charges about ₹10 per MB and ₹10 a minute for calls there, so switch data roaming off on the Indian SIM before you cross, and buy any pack while you still have a home signal.

With an eSIMKite plan, install it at home on Wi-Fi and turn the eSIM line on after you cross. Your Indian SIM stays in for calls and SMS.

Bank OTPs, WhatsApp and UPI

eSIMKite plans are data only. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone as the second line, so your number, WhatsApp account and UPI apps stay as they are. More in keeping WhatsApp and bank OTPs working abroad.

• Jio: the ₹1,499 pack includes 100 SMS. Without a pack, incoming calls in Nepal cost ₹10 a minute. Check in MyJio whether your plan receives SMS abroad without a pack.
• Airtel prepaid: the 5-day and 10-day packs include 20 SMS and the 1-day pack 10 SMS. The IR activation pack is ₹118 for 28 days at standard charges.
• Airtel postpaid: new plans from ₹499 a month include one free roaming trip a year from 8 Oct 2026 (5 GB, 60 minutes, free incoming SMS, 5 days). The announcement does not list countries, so confirm Nepal in the app.
• Vi: we did not check Vi's Nepal rates. Look in the Vi app before you go.
• WhatsApp: messages and calls go over data. On 18 July 2025 the NTA ordered all telecom providers to block Telegram, and it has blocked and later unblocked TikTok before. We could not confirm whether the Telegram block still applies, so keep a second way to call, such as FaceTime or a normal call.
• UPI: Nepal is one of the countries where Indian UPI apps can pay merchants (BusinessLine, August 2026).
• Cash: Nepal Rastra Bank lets Indian citizens bring in and exchange ₹200 and ₹500 notes issued since 9 Nov 2016, up to ₹25,000 per person. Older ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes cannot be used.

Before you land

• No visa for Indians: Nepal's Department of Immigration says Indian citizens do not need a visa to enter Nepal. Its ETA and eVisa portal is for other nationalities.
• ID for flights: for air travel, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu accepts only a valid Indian passport or an original Election Commission voter ID with photo. Aadhaar, PAN, a driving licence and printed or downloaded voter IDs are not accepted.
• Local SIM: a Nepal Telecom SIM card costs NPR 90. NT's postal and online SIM costs NPR 160 with delivery and accepts a photo of a valid passport or citizenship certificate plus a recent profile photo. We could not confirm tourist SIM counters or prices at Kathmandu airport.
• Trekking permits: you can apply online, including for an individual trekking permit, through the Department of Immigration's Nepali Port system, linked from immigration.gov.np.
• Rides: Pathao runs bike, car and food services in Nepal. Its Nepal site does not list cities, so check the app where you are staying.

Set it up at home

1. Check your phone takes an eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S and Z models. Dial *#06#: if an EID shows, it does.
2. Buy the Nepal plan and scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave India. It takes about two minutes.
3. On most plans the validity starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy or install it.
4. On landing, or once you have crossed the border, turn the eSIM line on, switch on data roaming for it, and set it as the mobile data line.

Step-by-step pictures for iPhone and Android are in how to install a travel eSIM.

When a local SIM or roaming is the better choice

Airtel users who call a lot: the ₹1,298 10-day pack gives 6 GB and 200 minutes for about the price of our 5 GB plan, so roaming is the better buy if you call home every day. For a shorter trip, the ₹998 5-day pack gives 4 GB and 150 minutes.

Jio users: Nepal is only on Jio's dearer lists, so ₹1,499 buys 2 GB and 100 minutes for 14 days. If you only make a few calls, the pay-as-you-go rate of ₹10 a minute may be enough, with data roaming kept off. Jio's Wi-Fi calling packs, ₹121 for 100 minutes or ₹521 for 500 minutes, cover calls to India over hotel Wi-Fi if your phone supports Wi-Fi calling.

Long stays and trekking seasons: a Nepal Telecom SIM gives you a Nepali number for NPR 90 plus a pack. NT also supports calls and SMS over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) on compatible phones such as iPhone XR and later, with VoLTE on (dial *444*2#), which helps in a teahouse with Wi-Fi but weak signal. The travel eSIM is simplest when you want data from the moment you land or cross, with your Indian SIM kept for OTPs. More in Jio vs Airtel vs Vi roaming packs.

Questions

More guides

• Bhutan SIM or eSIM for Indians
• Sri Lanka SIM or eSIM for Indians
• Bangladesh eSIM for Indians
• How much data you need
• Jio, Airtel and Vi packs compared

Get your Nepal eSIMQR code on screen and by emailQR code by email after a document check · 4G · from $3.49

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Written by the eSIMKite team and checked by Vicky Pathak. Prices checked on 21 October 2026. We sell travel eSIMs, so every outside figure links to where we found it.