Guide · Sending money · 3 min read
Sending money abroad for study from Nepal: the NOC, the bank, the limits and the traps.
Tuition and other study payments leave Nepal by bank transfer (SWIFT), under Nepal Rastra Bank's foreign exchange rules, and banks need your NOC from the Ministry of Education to send them. NRB's limits on living money have changed several times and each bank applies them, so ask yours for the current figure the week you send. Confirm every university account by phone first: fake 'updated bank details' emails target families every intake.
The short version
- Tuition goes bank to university by SWIFT, with your NOC, offer letter and the invoice.
- Living-money limits for students are set by NRB and applied by each bank. Reports differ; ask your bank the week you send.
- Blocked accounts (Germany) and university deposit accounts (Norway, Netherlands) are funded the same way, as study payments.
- Carrying cash: the general limit reported for 2025/26 is USD 3,000. Most money should already be in your account abroad.
- Confirm bank details by phone or the university's official site. Never pay into an account from an email alone.
The order of payments
| Payment | How | Paid to | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fees | Card or bank transfer | University or portal | Usually a card works |
| Deposit or first tuition | SWIFT through your bank | University | NOC, offer, invoice |
| OSHC (Australia) | With the deposit or separately | Insurer | Often card or transfer |
| Blocked account (Germany) | SWIFT through your bank | Account provider | Admission letter; NOC as your bank asks |
| University deposit account (Norway, Netherlands) | SWIFT | University | Admission letter; NOC as your bank asks |
| Visa fees | Card or bank | Government or visa centre | |
| Later tuition and living money | SWIFT | University or your account abroad | NOC; the bank checks against earlier payments |
At the bank, step by step
- Call the university to confirm the account details on the invoice.
- Take to your bank: the NOC, the offer, the invoice, your passport, and the payer’s documents.
- Fill the bank’s forms for a foreign exchange payment for education.
- Pay in rupees; the bank converts at its rate and sends by SWIFT.
- Keep the SWIFT copy. It’s your proof for the university and the visa.
- Check arrival with the university after a few working days.
The limits, honestly
Nepal Rastra Bank’s foreign exchange rules for students have changed several times, and reports of the limits don’t agree:
| Report | What it said |
|---|---|
| December 2023 | The cap for students going to Australia, the US, Canada and European countries raised to USD 12,000 (from 10,000) |
| 2024 (reported) | Tuition, affiliation and exam fees allowed up to USD 25,000; living costs on a country schedule |
| 2026 (myRepublica) | USD 2,500 to 5,000 for living expenses, plus a 5% buffer and more on documents |
| April 2026 (reported) | Later payments need proof of no duplicate payment and the NOC |
Your bank applies the current rule, so ask it before you plan the amounts. We check with our families’ banks every intake.
Cash to carry
The 2025/26 monetary policy reportedly raised the general limit for travellers to USD 3,000. You don’t need to carry much: your living money should already be in your account abroad, or released from a blocked account. Carry enough for the first days, and a card.
The scams
From our files. Twice in FY 2025/26 a family received an email with “updated” bank details for a university. Both were fake. We now confirm every university’s bank details by phone before a family pays.
Other warning signs:
- An agent asks you to pay tuition into their account to “speed things up”.
- A “discount” if you pay in cash or to a personal account.
- Pressure to pay a deposit before your NOC or a written contract.
- A landlord abroad who wants a deposit before you’ve seen the room or signed anything.
After you arrive
Open a local bank account in the first week, so later payments from home can go directly to you. Keep a folder of every SWIFT copy: you’ll need them for later NOCs, visa renewals and scholarship checks.
