It’s super easy to get a new SIM Card in Nepal. If you are a foreigner and are looking to purchase a new Nepalese SIM card, you can buy it at the Tribhuvan International Airport itself at a small price right after you check out.

International SIM Cards also provide roaming facilities. You can also use the roaming facility provided by your own SIM card, but it costs a lot more than using a Nepalese SIM card. So, whether it’s a two-week holiday or a month-long stay, getting a new Nepalese SIM card is super effective in saving a lot of money. So, as a traveler first thing you do after getting a Tourist visa is buy a local Nepali SIM. Henceforth, here we will highlight some things to know while you plan to get a new Nepalese SIM card.

Not to get confused, when we say SIM card, it is mostly of GSM technology. And, most people’s mobile phones support GSM SIM cards.

Which Sim card to choose NTC, Ncell, or Smart Cell?

There are three main SIM card providers in Nepal, i.e. Nepal Telecom (NTC), Ncell, and Smart Cell. Nepal Telecom (NTC) is the oldest and the government-owned telecom operator. Whereas, Ncell is the biggest private Telecom Operator. Along with that, Smart Cell is the new service provider in Nepal with fewer customers among the other two. The two NTC and Ncell have 2G,3G, and 4G services in their SIM. While Smart cell only has a 2G and 4G service enabled in their SIM cards. So, if your device is old and doesn’t support 4G, it’s useless to buy a Smart Cell Sim to use Mobile data packs.

Further, as a tourist, you might travel to some rural and mountain areas in Nepal where network services might get poor. Here, people claim NTC has more network coverage than Ncell in rural and mountain areas. However, there’s not much difference between these two. But in terms of data service, Ncell stands out among all three telecom operators. The 4G coverage of Ncell is also more than the NTC or Smart Cell.

As Smart Cell is new in the business, it has less coverage. If you are traveling to major cities and popular destinations in Nepal, it won’t be a problem getting a Smart Cell SIM, but think of choosing the other two if you are traveling to the remote sections or trekking to the high altitudes in Nepal.

Where to Buy/Get a New SIM Card in Nepal?

It’s super easy to get a new sim card in Nepal. It’s available at the Tribhuvan International Airport at the counter outside of the exit gate. After you check out and walk to come out of the Airport, you can see some stalls on your left where can get your new Nepalese SIM Card. Or else, you can ask any of the staff over there, they will point out to the stall.

Let’s suppose you forget to get the new SIM at the airport. Needless to worry, you can buy it at any local shops or the major stations like Bus Park and beside the malls. Most probably, you can get it in the stationery and the photo stores in the city. You can either take help from your travel agent in Nepal or ask anyone in your hotel.

Things Needed for a Tourist to Buy a New Sim Card in Nepal

If you are a Nepalese, your citizenship and a clear photograph will work while you go to get a New SIM Card. But, for foreigners, you need to provide a photocopy of your passport and a visa. If you don’t have a copy of your passport, you can ask them to do it themselves. They might charge you around Rs 5 for the service.

Some SIM card provider does not need your visa detail, However, it’s better to take it with you while you are going to buy a new Nepalese SIM card.

Further, you need to fill the provided form with your details. You can either ask the person over there to fill it themselves or you can do it on your own, as it’s easy to fill in the details. The form requires your signature and both hand thumb fingerprints on it. After filling in the form and paying out the required fee, you get the new SIM.

After you get your SIM, the responsible person in the stall or the shop sends a notification to the telecom to provide for its activation. This way, they will activate your new SIM card in a few hours.

How much does a new Nepalese Sim Card Cost?

You can buy a new prepaid SIM card in Nepal for just around 100 rupees. The cost of the SIM also includes the recharge of Rs 50, which you get for free in the SIM. You will also receive some voice and data offers according to the provider you choose.

For a foreigner, you can ask to get a tourist pack enabled SIM Card before you buy it. It’s mostly available in airports, major hotels, and resorts.

Three in One SIM card

Three in one SIM card means the Standard SIM, which has a cut in three basic sizes to be used based on the SIM slot in your mobile phone. So, check the cut while you purchase a new SIM card in Nepal so that you do not have to cut later to adjust it in your phone’s slot. These days, most phones use Nano-SIM, which is tiny. Above it, there’s also a cut for a micro-SIM slot. On top of all, we use the standard SIM in other devices and some old model phones.

Although, most of the Standard SIM comes with a cut itself as the Micro and Nano-SIM but also it’s important to check so that you don’t have to bother later in cutting it according to your SIM slot size.

How do you perform Top-ups and recharge for your new Sim?

For recharge, you can find paper recharge cards of Rs 50,100,500 and Rs 1000 in nearby local shops. The paper recharge card comes with a 16 digit pin which you dial on your mobile phone.

For NTC, you dial *412*XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# and then make a call. For Ncell, you dial *912*XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# and then make a call. Then, for Smart Cell, dial *122*XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# and make a call.

Here’s the sixteen “X” which means the 16 digit pin which comes covered while you buy a peer recharge card. Nowadays, most people use digital wallets, so you may ask your guide to top up a mobile balance for you. In return, you pay him/her the amount he/she transferred to your mobile phone. Further, you can also find recharge machines just like ATMs in airports, hospitals, and major shopping centers. You just have to select the amount, put in the money and then get your Nepalese SIM recharged.

Mobile Balance Check

To check the main balance in your SIM card, dial different numbers in NTC, Ncell, and Smart Cell.

Dial the numbers below and make a call to know your remaining balance on your phone.

*400# for NTC

*901# or *101# for Ncell

*123# for Smart Cell

Buying Mobile Data packs

You can buy data packs in just a few clicks on any SIM card in Nepal. You can get to choose from various day, night, daily, monthly offers of data and voice dialing the below numbers. Here is how you can buy a data pack in Nepal.

NTC (Nepal Telecom): Dial *1415# and select your required data packages

Ncell: Dial *123# or *17123# and select required data packages

Smart Cell: Dial *141# and select the required package inside.

You can use the voice and the internet data service without buying data packs too. This way, they cut off the service charge from the main balance. Instead, if you buy data packs, it will be a lot cheaper to use mobile networks.

Mobile Data Speed in Nepal

Nepalese SIM cards support GSM (2G), WCDMA (3G), and LTE (4G) services. 4G service is not available everywhere, so you might need to adjust your mobile data speed to 3G and 2G. While using 3G, the mobile data speed ranges from Mbps to 7 Mbps. It’s the 3 Mbps approx. And, while using the 4G service, the speed ranges from 2 Mbps to 15 Mbps. And the speed is 7 Mbps on average.

As the speed depends upon the time, coverage area, and the phone supported, the normal data speed may vary.

At the End

Now, I hope buying a new SIM card in Nepal is easy with all the pieces of information above. Apart from the above, if you have any other queries about getting a Nepalese SIM Card, then you may ask us in the comments below. Further, if you are a tourist and are having a problem getting SIM Cards, then you can email us too.