In March 2021, Nepal’s central bank, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), issued Forex Circular No. 10/2077-78 (dated 2077/12/08), amending the Unified Foreign Exchange Circular–2076 by introducing a new Clause 7 on foreign-currency prepaid cards for online purchases from abroad. This reform enabled licensed Class “A” commercial banks and national-level Class “B” development banks to issue foreign-currency prepaid cards, thereby opening access to international online payments that had previously been infeasible with cards issued by Nepali banks.
Clause 7 authorises the use of these cards for the purchase of goods and services online from overseas, but imposes an annual cap of USD 500 (or the equivalent in convertible currency). In practice, this cap limits the value of cross-border e-commerce transactions that individuals can conduct each year using such cards. This rule was subsequently incorporated into the Nepal Rastra Bank’s consolidated foreign-exchange unified circular framework, including Unified Circular-2079 (2022), which tightened the use of these USD 500 prepaid cards by restricting payments for specified merchant category codes, and later the Revised Unified Circular-2023.

Under Directive No. 5/2081 of the Unified Directives Related to Payment Systems 2081, specific transaction limits apply to electronic transactions, including those conducted via mobile banking, internet banking, and e-wallets.
Pursuant to Sections 2–3 of the Directive on transactions conducted through mobile banking and web applications, daily transaction limits apply depending on the channel and instrument used. Transactions carried out through a mobile application, including QR-code payments, are capped at NPR 300,000 (approx. USD 2,000) per day, while transactions conducted through a web application are capped at NPR 2,000,000 (approx. USD 13,000) per day. For electronic wallets, transfers from a bank account to a wallet are limited to NPR 200,000 (approx. USD 1,300) per day and NPR 1,000,000 (approx. USD 6,600) per month. Transfers from a wallet to a bank account, including QR-code payments, are subject to the same daily and monthly caps. Wallet-to-wallet transfers are subject to lower limits of NPR 50,000 (approx. USD 330) per day and NPR 500,000 (approx. USD 3,300) per month, regardless of whether funding is derived from multiple bank accounts or wallets. In addition, a natural person’s wallet may be loaded no more than 10 times per day, and an electronic wallet may not hold an overnight balance exceeding NPR 50,000 (approx. USD 330), with any excess required to be transferred to the customer’s linked bank account.
The Nepal Rastra Bank, serving as Nepal's Central Bank, has established these ceilings on maximum daily and monthly electronic transaction amounts through various directives, starting with one issued in 2018.

Nepal does not implement any de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties.

According to the NP CCTLD domain name registration policy, only foreign companies registered in Nepal or registered trade names (trademarks) with the government can register a '.np' domain.

Under the Directives for Managing the Use of Social Networks, 2023, Nepal operates an authorisation regime based on registration for social network platform operators. Under Art. 3.1, any person, company, or institution intending to operate a social network platform must enlist the platform with the Ministry. The Ministry must issue a public notice for enlistment (Art. 3(2)), and existing platforms must enlist within 3 months of commencement (Art. 3(3)). Operators must apply using the prescribed format and supporting documents (Art. 3(4)–(6)), after which the Ministry issues an enlistment memorandum. Platforms that are not enlisted may be prohibited from operating in Nepal (Art. 3(7)).
In addition, Art. 6 requires the operator to arrange a point of contact in Nepal. Where a platform does not have an office in Nepal, it must establish an office or designate a local contact person.
Art. 2 of the Directive defines SNPs as Internet or information technology-based operating systems available to the public, such as Facebook, TikTok, Viber, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, WeChat, and others, that facilitate the exchange of ideas or information among individuals or organisations and enable the dissemination of user-generated content.

The Consumer Protection Act and the Electronic Transactions Act provide a comprehensive framework for consumer protection that also applies to online transactions. The Law on Electronic Transactions regulates electronic communications and records and establishes legal provisions for authenticating and regulating electronic data. It also establishes a secure, authentic method of electronic communication while addressing regulatory issues related to electronic transactions.

Nepal has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

In 2023, Nepal adopted the Social Media Management Directive 2080, establishing a regulatory framework for the operation and use of social media platforms. Under Section 3(1), any person, company, or institution seeking to operate a social networking platform in Nepal must register the platform with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Sections 3(4)–(6) set out the enlistment procedure, while Section 3(7) authorises the Ministry to ban non-enlisted platforms from operating in Nepal.
In September 2025, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority issued a notice requiring mobile and internet service providers to deactivate 26 social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X and LinkedIn, for non-compliance with the Social Media Management Directive 2080 and a Nepal Supreme Court order. Earlier that year, the Authority also instructed telecom and internet service providers to restrict access to Telegram, following a directive issued by the National Coordination Committee for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorist Activities. The ban was reportedly justified on the basis of Telegram’s alleged use in online fraud, money laundering and other cybercrimes.
Reports indicate that, except for Telegram, these restrictions were lifted later in 2025.

The indicator "7.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 3 in Nepal for the year 2025. This corresponds to "Rarely but there have been a few occasions throughout the year when the government shut down domestic access to Internet."

According to Section 3 of the Online Media Operation Directive, online news companies are required to be registered with the Department of Information and Broadcasting to operate.

The National Broadcasting Regulation was amended in 2022 to incorporate Over-the-Top (OTT) services and internet television within the definition of "other means of communications." With this inclusion, the amended Regulation mandates that OTT and internet television providers obtain licences to operate their services in Nepal. The term "OTT" refers to the broadcasting of content on demand via the internet, encompassing media streaming services delivered through various platforms that utilise internet connectivity. In addition, "internet television" is defined as the regular transmission of self-produced audiovisual programmes via the internet.

The Internet of Things/Machine-to-Machine Communication (IoT/M2M) Regulatory Framework, 2079, establishes a licensing and authorisation regime in Nepal for specific categories of IoT services. Under Art. 5.3(a), outdoor IoT/M2M services, defined in Art. 3.1(b) as services connected to the internet or a corporate intranet, are treated as value-added services (VAS) and therefore require an authorisation from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA). The Framework also provides, in Art. 5.4(a)–(c), for a separate special authorisation for IoT/M2M research and development (R&D) activities, limited to non-commercial purposes and granted for a limited period.
Art. 5.2(a) expressly states that indoor/private IoT/M2M services do not require a licence or authorisation. The Framework further indicates that licensed telecommunications operators do not need a separate licence to build and operate IoT/M2M networks. However, if they intend to act as IoT/M2M network providers for end users, they must obtain the Authority’s approval under Art. 5.1(b).

Pursuant to Art. 3 of the Data Center and Cloud Service (Operation and Management) Directives, data centre operators and cloud service providers must be listed with the Department of Information Technology before providing services. Any organisation intending to operate a data centre or provide cloud services must submit an application in the format prescribed by the Department. Existing data centre operators at the time the Directive enters into force must apply for mandatory registration in accordance with subsection (2), and existing cloud service providers must apply in accordance with subsection (3), in both cases within six months of commencement and accompanied by the documents specified in the relevant subsection.

Under the Directives for Managing the Use of Social Networks, 2023, Nepal operates an authorisation regime based on registration for social network platform operators. Under Art. 3.1, any person, company, or institution intending to operate a social network platform must enlist the platform with the Ministry. The Ministry must issue a public notice for enlistment (Art. 3(2)), and existing platforms must enlist within 3 months of commencement (Art. 3(3)). Operators must apply using the prescribed format and supporting documents (Art. 3(4)–(6)), after which the Ministry issues an enlistment memorandum. Platforms that are not enlisted may be prohibited from operating in Nepal (Art. 3(7)).
In addition, Art. 6 requires the operator to arrange a point of contact in Nepal. Where a platform does not have an office in Nepal, it must establish an office or designate a local contact person.
Art. 2 of the Directive defines SNPs as Internet or information technology-based operating systems available to the public, such as Facebook, TikTok, Viber, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, WeChat, and others, that facilitate the exchange of ideas or information among individuals or organisations and enable the dissemination of user-generated content.

Nepal allows foreign companies to self-certify compliance with radio transmission, electromagnetic interference (EMI), or electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards through a Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC).
According to Arts. 13-14 of the Telecommunications Act, 2053, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) oversees type approval in Nepal, and compliance with these regulations is mandatory before importing or selling any radio telecommunication Customer Premises Equipment (CPEs) in the country.
Decision No. 3,327 provides further information about the procedure.