Nepal Tightens EV Import Rules: New Directive Proposes 10 Key Conditions

Kathmandu, June 2025 - The Government of Nepal is set to impose stricter regulations on the import of electric vehicles (EVs) through a new policy draft. The Department of Transport Management has prepared the “Vehicle Import, Production, and Installation Directive 2082”, aiming to regulate unstructured EV imports by enforcing ten mandatory standards for all importers.

The directive, drafted under the coordination of Shreekant Yadav, Director of the Vehicle Testing and Transport Standards Division, is now awaiting stakeholder consultations before finalization.

New EV Import Guidelines: What Importers Must Know

Approval Required from Department of Transport

Importers must obtain prior approval from the department before bringing in any electric or internal combustion vehicles. As per the draft, eight essential documents must be submitted, including:

1. Company registration certificate
2. Authorization from the manufacturer to operate in Nepal
3. Detailed technical specifications
4. Type approval certificate from the manufacturer’s home country
5. Recent production confirmation
6. Proforma invoice
7. After-sales service and maintenance plan
8. Any additional documents specified in the directive

Infrastructure and Workforce Standards

Importers are now required to establish minimum physical infrastructure such as service centers, essential machinery, and technical manpower before importing vehicles. Specifically for EVs, they must set up:

1. Charging stations
2. Battery management centers

The directive emphasizes that sales and service responsibility remains with the importer, even if handled by a designated dealer.

“Companies wishing to sell vehicles manufactured outside Nepal must ensure adequate infrastructure and technical personnel as per Schedule 9,” the directive states.

For ICE vehicle imports, minimum infrastructure requirements are based on annual import volume: