Nepal Driving Licence Online Application Guide

1. How the Nepal driving licence process works

Nepal’s driving licence is a hybrid online + office process run by the Department of Transport Management (DoTM). You complete the application online at the official DoTM driving licence portal, but you must still attend a Transport Management Office in person for biometrics, the written (likhit) computer exam and the practical trial. The final document is a smart-card licence printed after you pass and pay.

2. Vehicle categories and age

Your category decides the minimum age and which exam/trial you take. The exact category codes and conditions appear on the official portal when you apply; the common groups and age thresholds are:

Use the exact category shown on the official portal for your vehicle. There has been public discussion about raising the two-wheeler age, but the age that applies is the one shown by the official portal at the time you apply.

3. Prepare your documents

Keep clear scans ready before the application window opens, because slots can fill quickly. Use the Tools Pasal Image Compressor to keep document uploads readable but within size limits, and the BS–AD Date Converter when a form field needs the other calendar.

4. The application window and form

Open the official DoTM portal and create your applicant profile. New application slots open periodically (the portal has shown a recurring morning opening) and stay open until the quota fills, so be ready during an open window. Fill your details exactly as on your citizenship, choose your category and the office where you will sit the exam and trial, then upload the requested document scans.

5. The likhit (written) exam

The written test is a computer-based exam of 25 multiple-choice questions, available in Nepali or English, drawn from the official public question bank. You can practise from the official provincial question sets, such as the provincial Transport Management Office licence portal.

• Questions cover traffic signs, rules, and safe driving from the official bank.
• Mobile phones are not allowed inside the written and trial examination centres.
• A failed candidate may retake the exam up to three times within 90 days.

6. The practical trial

After the written exam, you take a practical trial on a designated DoTM track for your category (for example, a controlled riding course for two-wheelers or a manoeuvring and road section for cars). Practise real control of the vehicle — starting, stopping, slow control and manoeuvring — because the trial checks safe handling. The exact track layout and pass criteria follow the current DoTM rules at your testing office.

7. What happens at the office

8. Adding a category to an existing licence

If you already hold a licence and want to drive another vehicle type, apply through the same official portal and choose the add-category option. Upload a scan of your current licence and take the original to the office. You complete the written and/or trial requirements for the new category as the office directs.

9. Renewing your licence

Renew through the official portal before your licence expires to avoid penalties. Letting a licence lapse can attract escalating late fees, and a basic eyesight/health check is commonly required at renewal. Renewed licences are issued in the smart-card format. Because penalty amounts and grace rules can change, confirm the current renewal fee, any late penalty and the medical requirement with your Transport Management Office.

10. Fees and payment

The licence fee depends on your category and on whether it is a new licence, a category addition or a renewal. The official portal and your testing office show the exact amount payable for your case — pay through the official channel and keep the receipt for your office visit and collection. Avoid paying cash to an unofficial middleman.

Common mistakes that cause rejection or delay

• Creating more than one applicant profile, which the official portal prohibits.
• Missing the open application window, then chasing unofficial “agents”.
• Choosing the wrong vehicle category for the licence you actually need.
• Uploading blurred, cropped or oversized document scans.
• Carrying a mobile phone into the written or trial examination centre.
• Relying on an old blog’s pass mark instead of the current DoTM rule.
• Letting a licence expire and incurring escalating renewal penalties.
• Sending citizenship, login or payment details to an unofficial form-filling site.

Frequently asked questions