# Nepal travel eSIM guide

> Getting a Nepal mobile line: Nepal Telecom and Ncell compared, Ncell's tourist plans, MDMS phone registration, the 2025 social media ban and trek planning.

Page: https://esimnest.com/nepal/guide/

Nepal's mobile market is effectively a two-operator contest between the state-linked Nepal Telecom and the private Ncell, and the regulator's own figures show they are close in size. Visitors usually meet Ncell first because it publishes a dedicated tourist plan range. Beyond the SIM itself, a visitor should understand the national handset registration system, the way the government handled social media in 2025, and how little a phone can be trusted on a high trail.

By eSimNest Team. Facts last checked 2026-10-02 against the sources listed at the end.

## Two operators of almost equal weight

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority's indicators report for Falgun 2082, with data to the end of February 2026, counted 15,652,563 mobile subscriptions on Nepal Doorsanchar (Nepal Telecom) and 14,027,895 on Ncell. Out of 27,368,293 mobile broadband subscriptions, 26,582,001 were 4G and 786,292 were 3G, so a modern phone will normally find 4G wherever there is a signal at all.

Those numbers are national subscription counts, not coverage maps, and they say nothing about the Himalayan valleys. They do show that neither operator is a minor choice. A traveller who stays in Kathmandu, Pokhara and the main road corridors can expect either to work; the difference matters mainly off the standard routes, where the practical advice is to ask the lodge or guide which network they get.

## Ncell's tourist plans, physical or eSIM

Ncell's tourist page lists three plans for non-Nepalese citizens. At the time of checking, TouristPro Sprinter ran for 7 days at NPR 595, Explorer for 14 days at NPR 995 and Voyager for 28 days at NPR 1,995. Each is described as unlimited data and voice subject to a fair usage policy, with 100 SMS, and Ncell says voice and SMS are all-net. It adds that the plan expires based on the time of activation, which matters if you buy on an evening flight.

Physical SIMs are sold at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, at Ncell centres at major entry points and cities, and at authorised retailers. The eSIM is sold online through Ncell's tourist eSIM platform. In both cases the page asks for the original passport to register and activate the line, so keep it with you rather than in checked baggage.

Because the plans are priced by days, work out your actual itinerary before buying. A 14-day plan bought for a 10-day trek-and-city trip leaves little saving; a 7-day plan for a 9-day stay will lapse before departure.

## Nepal Telecom: ordinary prepaid and an eSIM portal

Nepal Telecom's prepaid tariff page lists a new SIM at Rs 90, which includes talk time worth Rs 10 plus 40 minutes of calls, 20 SMS and 300 MB of data, with data otherwise charged at Rs 1 per MB unless a package is bought. That page is the standard prepaid tariff; it does not describe a tourist-specific product, so we cannot say what a visitor is offered at the counter or what documents the shop will ask for.

The same page links to an eSIM portal. Nepal Telecom's pages we opened did not explain eSIM eligibility for visitors, so check the portal before relying on it. Whichever line you choose, test data on the spot before leaving the shop.

## What the handset registration system means for a visitor

Nepal runs a Mobile Device Management System operated by the telecom authority, which tracks handsets by their 15-digit IMEI. The system's portal says phones that foreign visitors bring in for personal use are registered automatically after customs inspection, and that a visitor can also register manually by submitting a passport and the pages carrying the arrival and departure stamps. Dial *#06# to see your IMEI.

When the system launched in July 2021, the Kathmandu Post explained that people who bring in phones through unofficial channels had to register, and that travellers using international roaming did not. That is background rather than current guidance for a short tourist stay, so if you intend to put a Nepali SIM into a foreign phone, check the portal for the current wording and keep your passport stamps handy.

## The September 2025 social media shutdown

In late August 2025 the government set a one-week deadline for foreign platforms to register under a 2023 directive on social media use. When Meta, Google and X did not comply, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported, access to 26 platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and X was ordered shut in early September, while TikTok and Viber had registered and stayed available.

The Kathmandu Post reports that the ban was lifted after protests in which police killed 19 people, and that the Cabinet reversed the decision. The episode is a reminder that an app a visitor depends on can be blocked at short notice. Keep a second way to reach family and your accommodation, such as ordinary SMS, a voice line or email, and do not assume WhatsApp alone will always be available.

## On the trail: plan as if the phone will fail

Neither operator page we opened gives a coverage map for the Everest, Annapurna or Langtang trails. Trekking agencies describe a signal that thins with altitude and distance from the larger villages, but we have not confirmed that against an operator or regulator source, so treat any claim about a given lodge as unverified. Ask your guide and your lodge which network works at each stop.

The Nepal Police website shows 100 as the police control number and a toll-free line of 16600141516. Beyond that, we did not find an official source for other emergency numbers, so ask your hotel or trekking agency for the local rescue and tourist police contacts and write them down.

Save permits, booking confirmations and your agency's contact details offline. If you are going without a guide, tell someone your intended route and check-in days in advance.

## Setting up a travel eSIM without losing the home number

Apple's guidance says an iPhone must be unlocked to take a local carrier's line, that setup needs Wi-Fi, and that you pick the line used for cellular data under Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data while iMessage and FaceTime continue on the home line. Google says Pixel 3a and later phones support one physical SIM plus one eSIM, and Samsung says eSIMs are added in Settings under Connections and SIM manager.

Install the profile on Wi-Fi before the airport, then confirm that mobile data uses the Nepali line and that roaming is off on the home line. If you buy a physical SIM instead, keep the home SIM safe. For our own offer, see the Nepal plan page.

Emergency calls: Many travel eSIMs carry data only, and a data-only profile may not place a normal phone call. Keep a voice-capable SIM for emergencies, such as your home SIM or a local plan, and save the local emergency number from this guide.

Plans and current prices for Nepal: [eSIM for Nepal](https://esimnest.com/nepal/).

## Questions

### Which operators sell SIMs to tourists in Nepal?

Ncell publishes a tourist SIM and eSIM page with named plans for non-Nepalese citizens. Nepal Telecom, the other major operator, lists standard prepaid tariffs and links to an eSIM portal.

### What do I need to register a tourist SIM?

Ncell's page says to bring your original passport to register and activate the SIM. Check with Nepal Telecom separately for its requirements, which we could not confirm.

### How long do Ncell's tourist plans last?

At the time of checking, Ncell listed 7, 14 and 28 day plans at NPR 595, 995 and 1,995. It says each plan expires based on the time of activation.

### Do I have to register my foreign phone?

The telecom authority's MDMS portal says personal devices brought in by foreign visitors are registered automatically after customs inspection, with manual registration available using a passport and entry stamps.

### Were Facebook and WhatsApp blocked in Nepal?

Yes. In September 2025 the government blocked 26 platforms that had not registered, then lifted the ban after deadly protests. Keep a backup way to contact people.

### Will my phone work on the Everest or Annapurna treks?

We could not confirm coverage from operator or regulator sources. Trekking agencies describe signal that weakens with altitude, so ask your guide and carry offline maps and contacts.

### Which network has more users, Nepal Telecom or Ncell?

The telecom authority's data to the end of February 2026 shows about 15.65 million mobile subscriptions for Nepal Telecom and 14.03 million for Ncell.

## Sources

- [Nepal Telecommunications Authority: Telecommunication Indicators, Falgun 2082](https://nta.gov.np/uploads/contents/MIS_2082%20Falgun.pdf)
- [Ncell: Tourist SIM and eSIM](https://www.ncell.com.np/en/individual/tourist-sim)
- [Nepal Telecom: GSM prepaid service tariff](https://www.ntc.net.np/tariff/gsm-prepaid-service-tariff)
- [Nepal Telecommunications Authority: Mobile Device Management System portal](https://mdms.nta.gov.np)
- [The Kathmandu Post: what you need to know about the MDMS](https://kathmandupost.com/money/2021/07/11/explained-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-mobile-device-management-system)
- [Committee to Protect Journalists: Nepal orders ban on major social media platforms](https://cpj.org/2025/09/nepal-orders-ban-on-major-social-media-platforms/)
- [The Kathmandu Post: Nepal lifts social media ban](https://kathmandupost.com/money/2025/09/10/nepal-lifts-social-media-ban-in-wake-of-deadly-crackdown-that-killed-19-protesters)
- [Nepal Police](https://www.nepalpolice.gov.np)
- [Apple Support: use eSIM while travelling internationally](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118227)
- [Google Pixel Help: use dual SIMs](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9449293?hl=en)
- [Samsung Support: SIM cards for your Galaxy phone or tablet](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10001619/)