Nepalis Spend Rs 209 Billion on Foreign Education and Travel in One Year

KATHMANDU, Sept 28: Nepalis spent Rs 209 arba on overseas education and foreign travel in fiscal year 2025/26, according to a report released by the Ministry of Finance.

Of the total, Rs 141 arba was spent on education abroad, while Rs 67.18 arba was spent on foreign travel during the fiscal year.

Rs 141 Billion Spent on Overseas Education

Nepal saw a large outflow of money as increasing numbers of students pursued higher education abroad.

Government data show that 548,717 Nepalis obtained No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to study in 83 countries between fiscal years 2020/21 and 2025/26. During the same period, Rs 556.68 arba flowed out of Nepal for education.

Students taking money abroad generally use it for tuition fees, accommodation, food, transportation and other education-related expenses.

Better education opportunities, employment prospects and international exposure are among the factors encouraging Nepali students to study abroad.

Some students later enter the workforce in their destination countries and send money back to Nepal through remittances.

Foreign Travel Spending Reaches Rs 67.18 Billion

Nepalis spent another Rs 67.18 arba on foreign travel in FY 2025/26 as international holidays, business trips and other overseas travel continued to grow.

India, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Japan are among the destinations popular with Nepali travelers.

Thailand, Dubai and Malaysia have also attracted Nepali travelers through relatively affordable travel packages. Short package tours, including five- to seven-day trips, have become increasingly common.

India remains a major destination for religious and cultural travel, while other overseas trips are linked to tourism, business, training and education.

What Counts as Travel Spending?

According to Nepal Rastra Bank, travel expenditure covers a range of expenses incurred by Nepalis while abroad.

These include air tickets, hotels, food, local transportation, shopping and entertainment. Spending at casinos and entertainment centers is also included.

Expenses by companies for employees traveling abroad for short-term training, conferences, exhibitions and business meetings are similarly recorded as travel expenditure under the services account.

Remittances Also Rise

The increase in overseas spending comes alongside strong growth in remittance income.

Nepal received Rs 23.63 kharba in remittances during FY 2025/26, an increase of 37.1 percent from the previous fiscal year.

In the final month of the fiscal year alone, Nepal received Rs 242.33 arba in remittances, compared with Rs 189.11 billion during the same month a year earlier.

During the year, 406,414 Nepalis received final labor permits for new foreign employment, while 385,789 received renewed labor permits.

Foreign Education and Travel Reshape Spending

The figures show the scale of money Nepalis are spending outside the country on education and travel.

The growing number of students seeking education abroad and increasing international travel will continue to affect household spending, foreign exchange outflows and the broader economy.

At the same time, Nepalis working abroad continue to send significant amounts of money back home through remittances, creating another major flow of foreign currency into the country.