The government has announced a new policy to attract international students to Nepali universities by offering free visas and introducing regulatory reforms in higher education.

Presenting the budget for fiscal year 2025-26, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel said foreign students will be granted free visas valid for the full duration of their academic calendar. Their parents or guardians will be eligible for multiple-entry visas.

To improve the overall quality and management of higher education, the government plans to introduce an umbrella law aimed at streamlining university operations. The law is expected to bring consistency in governance and academic structures across institutions.

The government also intends to restructure university departments and faculties, reduce the trend of students going abroad, and develop a robust higher education regulatory body by reorganising the current university commission.

“Universities will receive grants based on educational quality, student numbers, and infrastructure,” Paudel said. “An academic calendar will be made mandatory and must be published before the start of the academic session. Non-compliance will result in the withholding of grants.”