Nepal phone code +977: mobile format & how to dial

Key facts

International code+977

International format+977 1 XXXX XXXXe.g. +977 981 234 5678

Mobile prefixes98X XXXX XXXXe.g. 981 234 5678

Mobile length10 digits

Domestic trunk0

How to read a number

First draft — not yet verified item by item

+9779812345678

+977Country code: Nepal.
98Mobile prefix (example): Written 098 domestically — 0 is the trunk prefix, dropped when dialling from abroad. Other mobile ranges are listed under “Number ranges & quality”.
12345678Remaining 8 digits: Allocated to carriers in blocks; usually doesn’t reveal the current carrier.

Domestic format: 0981 234 5678.

This section checked 2026-09-13.

Number ranges & quality

Range	Type	Notes
`98X XXXX XXXX`	Mobile carrier	Physical carrier ranges (see Mobile prefixes / length above). Always use a physical SIM — MVNO and data-only ranges are frequently rejected by platforms.

Intl SMSStable

Virtual-number riskLow

ID requiredRegistration required: visitors use an original passport plus visa or arrival stamp, and shops usually want a photo; phones brought from abroad need IMEI registration (MDMS).

Physical SIMs can sign up without issues; foreign visitors usually need to register with a passport.

Carriers & prefixes

Mobile prefixes by carrier.

First draft — not yet verified item by item

Number portability status unverified.

Nepal Telecom Mobile carrier

Owner: Nepal Doorsanchar Company Ltd.
Ncell Mobile carrier

Owner: Spectrlite UK Limited
SmartCell Mobile carrier

Owner: Smart Private Telcom Limited

This section checked 2026-09-13. Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators_in_Asia_and_Oceania

SIM cards & keeping a number

Tourists need an original passport and a visa (an arrival stamp from visa-on-arrival works); Ncell, Nepal Telecom and SmartCell have counters in the arrivals hall, and shops usually also want a passport photo (third-party guides). Nepal Telecom’s terms only require a copy of a national ID, passport or driving licence at registration.

Keeping a number follows operator rules, not the “NTA rules” previously shown here: Ncell’s customer-care page says a number unused for six months goes into a “pre-deactivate” state and must be reactivated in person at an Ncell centre with original documents for Rs 100; Ncell’s official account said in 2017 that six months after that the number is reissued to someone else. Nepal Telecom’s terms (clause 5.1.f) only say the number belongs to NT and may be re-allocated once a service has been inactive or disconnected “for a period as determined by Nepal Telecom”, without giving a number of days.

Phones brought into Nepal also need IMEI registration: devices cleared through customs are registered automatically in the NTA’s MDMS system, and IMEI status can be checked at mdms.nta.gov.np. Third-party guides say a phone unregistered after a 15-day stay gets blacklisted; that 15-day figure was not found on NTA’s own pages.

Ncell prepaid

Local prepaid

Network: Ncell’s own network (MNO)
Price: Validity depends on the top-up; officially from 30 days up to 730 days
Keeping the number: Ncell customer care: a number unused for six months goes into a “pre-deactivate” state and must be reactivated in person at an Ncell centre with original documents, for Rs 100; Ncell’s official account said the number is reissued six months after that. Once the main balance validity lapses, Ncell says outgoing service stops for 365 days, after which incoming stops too
ID check: Original passport plus visa or arrival stamp; shops usually also want a passport photo (third-party guides)
SMS & calls: A normal Nepali number; cost of receiving SMS while roaming in China not verified

Pros

Counters right in the arrivals hall
One use every six months, and reactivation costs only Rs 100

Watch out

Reactivation must be done in person in Nepal — impossible from abroad
The “reissued six months later” figure comes only from an official social-media reply

Where to buy: ncell.axiata.com

Sources: www.ncell.axiata.com/en/individual/contact-us · x.com/Ncell/status/891595083585396736 · www.ncell.axiata.com/en/individual/how-to-recharge · mdms.nta.gov.np

Nepal Telecom (Namaste) prepaid

Local prepaid

Network: Nepal Telecom’s own network (state-owned; best mountain coverage)
Price: Top-up based; the official C-Phone prepaid page allows up to Rs 10,000 and validity up to 720 days
Keeping the number: NT terms clause 5.1.f: the number belongs to Nepal Telecom and may be re-allocated to another subscriber once the service has been inactive or disconnected for a period determined by NT — the terms give no day count. The official C-Phone prepaid page gives a 30-day recharge period after validity expires
ID check: Terms: a copy of a national ID, passport or driving licence; visitors in practice use a passport plus visa
SMS & calls: A normal Nepali number; cost of receiving SMS while roaming in China not verified

Pros

Best coverage in the mountains and on trekking routes
Top-up validity can run up to 720 days

Watch out

The terms never say how long inactivity is allowed before the number goes
Cost of receiving SMS in China not verified

Where to buy: ntc.net.np

Sources: www.ntc.net.np/post/terms-and-conditions · www.ntc.net.np/services/c-phone-prepaid · www.ntc.net.np/services/gsm-prepaid-service

From user and blogger reports; platform risk rules change often — treat as a guide only. This section checked 2026-09-16.

Sign-up availability

What to expect when signing up for these services with a physical SIM from this country:

ChatGPT Works

Claude Works

WhatsApp Works

Telegram Works

LINE Works

WeChat Works

X Works

TikTok Works

Gemini Works

Jump to another country

Calling Nepal from abroad

Dial +977, then the local number. Drop the leading trunk prefix 0.

Generate the full number →

Dialing within Nepal

For domestic long distance dial 0 first, then the area code. Local calls and mobiles: dial directly.

Elsewhere in Asia

Community tips

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Common premise & disclaimer

Applies to every platform: VoIP / virtual numbers and heavily-reused number pools get rejected. Physical SIM only.

Checked 2026-09-12. Platform region policies and number-range allocations change — always confirm against each platform’s official supported-regions list and the carrier’s notices.

Sources：help.openai.com/articles/7947663 · www.anthropic.com/supported-countries · support.google.com/gemini?p=gemini_web_availability · www.mappr.co/tiktok-bans-by-country/

Nepal +977