Tuition can only be paid after your NOC is issued — no Nepali bank will release foreign currency for education without one. A 3% education tax applies to the fee amount paid. Separately, you may carry USD 2,500 worth of foreign currency with you. Annual forex ceilings are set by Nepal Rastra Bank circular and change — confirm the current figure with your bank rather than a website. Getting the money out of Nepal is a
Sending Money Abroad for Study from Nepal — NRB Forex Rules Explained
Getting the money out of Nepal is a separate problem from having it, and it has its own gates. Tuition cannot move until the NOC is issued, there is a tax on the amount you send, and there is a hard limit on what you can carry in cash.
By Rahul Chhetri, Director, House of Admissions · Updated 11 Sep 2026
Tuition can only be paid after your NOC is issued — no Nepali bank will release foreign currency for education without one. A 3% education tax applies to the fee amount paid. Separately, you may carry USD 2,500 worth of foreign currency with you. Annual forex ceilings are set by Nepal Rastra Bank circular and change — confirm the current figure with your bank rather than a website.
This page covers moving money out of Nepal. For obtaining the NOC first see the NOC guide; for the UK-side balance requirement see the 28-day rule.
- Gate 1
- A valid MoEST NOC — no NOC, no tuition transfer
- Tax on tuition
- 3% education tax on the fee amount paid
- Cash you may carry
- USD 2,500 in foreign currency
- Where it goes
- Directly to the university named on your NOC
- Annual ceilings
- Set by NRB circular — confirm the current figure with your bank
- Not permitted
- Paying a full tuition invoice on a Nepali debit or credit card
- Never use
- Informal transfer channels — unrecoverable if the money goes missing
What Is the Correct Order for Paying UK Tuition from Nepal?
- Get the unconditional offer from your UK university.
- Obtain the MoEST NOC. NPR 2,000, 1 to 5 working days. How to apply →
- Take the NOC to your bank along with the offer letter, invoice and your passport.
- Pay the 3% education tax on the fee amount being sent.
- The bank remits the tuition directly to the university named on the NOC.
- Keep every receipt. You will need them for the CAS, for the visa application, and for any subsequent payment.
A bank cannot release foreign currency for education without a valid NOC, and it cannot send money to any institution other than the one printed on it. Students who pay a deposit to one university and then switch have to cancel the NOC and start again.
What Is the 3% Education Tax?
A 3% education tax is charged on the fee amount you send abroad. On tuition of GBP 15,000 — roughly NPR 29.25 lakhs at NPR 195 to the pound — that is about NPR 87,750. It is a real cost that most students do not budget for, and it is separate from the bank’s own transfer charges and exchange spread.
How Much Foreign Currency Can You Carry from Nepal?
You may carry USD 2,500 worth of foreign currency. That covers arrival costs — airport transfer, initial accommodation, a first grocery shop, a UK SIM — but it is not intended to fund a term. Plan to open a UK bank account in your first weeks.
| What | Route | Condition | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Bank transfer to the university on the NOC | Valid NOC required | 3% education tax, plus bank charges |
| Cash on departure | Foreign currency you carry | Purchased through a bank or authorised dealer | USD 2,500 limit |
| Living expenses later | Bank remittance to your UK account | NRB annual ceiling applies | Confirm current figure with your bank |
What Should You Avoid When Sending Money?
Do not attempt to pay a full tuition invoice on a Nepali debit or credit card — card spending sits under separate and much smaller limits. And do not use informal transfer channels. Beyond being illegal, if the money never reaches the university there is nobody to complain to, and you will have no receipt to show UKVI or your university.
Not sure of the order or the cost?Tell us your university and tuition amount and we will map out the NOC, the transfer and the real total cost including the education tax — free.
Free WhatsApp checkFrequently Asked Questions
No. A Nepali bank cannot release foreign currency for education without a valid MoEST No Objection Certificate. The NOC is the gate — get it first. How to apply for the NOC.
A tax of 3% on the fee amount you send abroad for education. On GBP 15,000 of tuition — about NPR 29.25 lakhs — that is roughly NPR 87,750. Budget for it: it is separate from the bank’s transfer fee and exchange spread.
USD 2,500 worth of foreign currency. That is intended for arrival costs — transport, first accommodation, initial shopping — not to fund a term. Open a UK bank account in your first weeks.
Nepal Rastra Bank sets annual ceilings by circular, and those figures have changed more than once in recent years. Rather than rely on a number published online, confirm the current limit with your bank at the time you transfer. Your NOC, offer letter and invoice determine what they can release.
No — not a full tuition invoice. Card spending sits under separate, far smaller NRB limits. Cards and prepaid forex cards are for living expenses and small fees, not a semester invoice.
The NOC names one institution and the bank can only remit to that institution. Changing university means cancelling the NOC and obtaining a new one, and recovering an already-paid deposit is a matter between you and the original university.
No. It is illegal, and the practical risk is worse than the legal one: if the money never arrives there is nobody to complain to, and you have no receipt to show your university or UKVI. Use the banking channel.
Get this checked before you submit — free
Most refusals from Nepal come from paperwork, not from weak profiles. We check every document against the UKVI and MoEST requirements before you pay a fee. House of Admissions is free to students at every stage — we are paid by universities after enrolment, never by you.
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Where Does This Information Come From?
- MoEST No Objection Certificate portal
- Nepal Rastra Bank
- UKVI — Financial evidence for Student route applicants
- House of Admissions operational experience, 2016–2026 (self-reported)
Last updated 11 Sep 2026. Nepali foreign-exchange rules and MoEST procedure change by circular and are not always announced in English — confirm current figures with your bank or at noc.moest.gov.np before you rely on them. Nothing here is immigration or financial advice; for a decision on your own case, consult a regulated adviser.