Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has doubled the amount of foreign currency Nepali citizens can get each year for medical treatment abroad.
The yearly limit has gone up from US$15,000 to US$30,000. The change came in an amendment to the bank's Unified Foreign Exchange Circular 2082, dated October 5, 2026 (Asoj 19, 2083).
What the facility covers
The foreign currency can be used for:
- Payments to hospitals abroad for treatment
- Medicines needed for treatment
- Medical equipment connected with the treatment
It is provided through banks and other financial institutions after the patient completes the required procedures and shows the right documents.
The $30,000 is a ceiling on the foreign exchange a patient can get through the banking system.
It is not a cash grant, and the government is not paying for treatment.
It does not mean that every patient automatically receives $30,000, and it does not cover the cost of care. A bill for cancer treatment, a transplant or other complex care could still be much higher.
The earlier rule
NRB's annual report for 2024/25 recorded the earlier limit as $15,000 a year. An older NRB guide gave a general limit of $10,000 a year for treatment outside India, with more allowed only with NRB approval. The ceiling has been raised step by step over time.
NRB's existing guidance has separate arrangements for treatment in India. It allows up to INR 50,000 in cash for treatment at Indian hospitals, with payments to the hospital made through banking channels based on documents.
The change is one of several made in the same amendment. Others cover aircraft engines and spare parts, satellite services, imports, tourism services and payments by foreign-currency cards.
Questions remain about how the limit works in practice. These include whether it can be used for several treatments in a year, whether unused amounts carry over and whether more can be approved in special cases.
