Naksa pass in Kathmandu Valley: steps, documents and how long it takes
How a building permit works in Kathmandu Valley, from the first drawings to the completion certificate, with the documents to collect, the rules your design must meet and realistic timings.
No house in a Nepali municipality can be built legally without a building permit, the naksa pass. It is more than a stamp on a drawing. The municipality checks your design against the building by-laws and the National Building Code, asks your neighbours if they object, and inspects the work twice before signing it off.
The good news is that the process follows the same pattern almost everywhere. Kathmandu, Lalitpur and several other cities now run it online through an electronic building permit system (e-BPS), but the stages are the same as on paper.
In short: expect three stages: a temporary permit up to plinth level, a permanent permit for the rest of the building, and a completion certificate at the end. Getting the first permit usually takes about a month when papers are clean.
The three stages at a glance
| Stage | What you get | What has to happen first |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Temporary permit | Permission to build up to the plinth tie beam | Drawings checked, 15-day neighbour notice and site inquiry, permit fee paid |
| 2. Permanent permit | Permission to build the superstructure (columns, slabs, walls above plinth) | Municipal technician inspects the plinth and confirms it matches the approved drawings |
| 3. Completion certificate | Official proof the building was built as approved | Final inspection after the building is finished |
Stage 1: the temporary permit
Drawings and application. Your registered designer (an architect or engineer registered with the municipality or the Nepal Engineering Council) prepares the drawings and submits them with the application. Both you and the designer sign the form, and the designer’s registration number goes on it.
Desk checks. The municipal surveyor first checks access road and plot details. An engineer then checks the design against the building by-laws (setbacks, coverage, height), and another checks it against the building code. If anything doesn’t comply, the file comes back to your designer for corrections.
Neighbour notice and site inquiry (sarjamin). The ward office sends a 15-day notice to the owners of every plot that touches yours, so they can raise any problem with the boundary, setbacks or land area. Municipal staff then visit the site with you, your neighbours and a ward representative and record the inquiry. If a neighbour files a complaint, the permit is put on hold until it is resolved.
Fee and permit. Once the ward’s field report recommends approval, you pay the permit fee at the municipality’s revenue section. The temporary permit is then issued, along with a set of approved drawings. Keep these on site.
Stage 2: the plinth inspection and permanent permit
You can now build up to plinth level, and not a centimetre further. Your designer supervises and prepares a short technical report with photographs.
When the plinth is complete, apply for the plinth inspection. A municipal technician visits and checks that the foundation, column positions and setbacks match the approved drawings. If they do, the municipality issues the permanent permit for the superstructure.
This is the inspection that catches misplaced setbacks. A plinth built half a metre into the setback is far cheaper to fix now than a finished house later.
Stage 3: the completion certificate
As the building goes up, your designer keeps supervising and reporting. When it is finished, apply for the final inspection. The municipality issues the building completion certificate (nirman sampanna) if:
- the building matches the approved drawings
- it has at least one coat of paint inside and outside
- any damage to the public road or drains has been repaired
- the septic tank has been built (no completion report is issued without one)
Don’t skip this last step. Banks generally want the completion certificate before lending against a house, and buyers ask for it when you sell.
Documents to collect
For a new house, the government’s reference list includes:
- Drawings (plans, elevations, sections, site plan), signed by you and the designer: 5 copies
- Attested copy of the land ownership certificate (lalpurja)
- Current land tax receipt (or integrated property tax receipt if there is already a building on the plot)
- Attested copy of the owner’s citizenship certificate
- Cadastral map showing the plot number
- The designer’s registration certificate
- Passport-size photos of the applicant: 3 copies
- The land registration and transfer papers
Some plots need more:
- Access road not shown on the cadastral map: a ward office letter confirming the road exists
- Guthi land: permission from the Guthi Sansthan (and from the tenant or landowner, as applicable)
- Mortgaged land: written permission from the bank
- Larger buildings (categories A and B): a structural design report, electrical and sanitary drawings, and the structural analysis file
Your municipality may ask for a few extra items, so check its current list before you start.
Design rules the municipality checks
Each municipality sets its own by-laws within the national framework, so the final numbers come from your local office. As a guide, the national model by-laws and the government’s 2023 reference book give these figures for ordinary homes:
| Rule | Typical figure for a house |
|---|---|
| Ground coverage | Up to 70% of plots up to 250 m², 60% for larger plots |
| Floor area ratio (FAR) | 1.75 in the model by-laws; the same reference book cites 2.5 for homes in Kathmandu Metropolitan City |
| Side setback with windows or doors | At least 1.5 m from the neighbour’s boundary (a blank wall needs none) |
| Local road | 12 m right of way, plus a 1.5 m setback for houses |
| Inside the setback | No permanent structures such as steps, ramps or walls |
Floor area ratio is the total floor area of every storey divided by the plot area. On a 1,000 sq ft plot with an FAR of 1.75, all your floors together can add up to 1,750 sq ft.
Height is limited too, both by FAR and by the “light plane”, which keeps a building from blocking the light to the plot across the road. Your designer will draw both on the site plan.
How long it takes
- Temporary permit: plan for about a month when the land papers are clean and no neighbour objects. The 15-day notice alone sets the minimum.
- Neighbour complaint: add weeks or months, depending on how quickly it is settled.
- Plinth inspection and permanent permit: usually a short wait, as long as the plinth matches the drawings.
Most delays come from three things: land papers that don’t match the ground, a missing access road on the cadastral map, and drawings that need a second round of corrections.
Five ways to avoid delays
- Check your papers before you design. The plot on your lalpurja and cadastral map should match what is on the ground, including the road.
- Talk to your neighbours early. Most objections at the sarjamin are about boundaries and windows facing their land.
- Use a designer who knows your municipality. Local by-laws vary, and a designer who files there regularly gets fewer files returned.
- Don’t dig before the temporary permit. Work started early can be stopped and fined.
- Build exactly what was approved. Moving columns, adding a floor or pushing a balcony over the boundary needs a revised permit, and can cost you the completion certificate.
Sources
- Reference Book on Building By-laws and Building Permit System in Nepal (2023), Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme, Government of Nepal: permit stages, the 15-day notice, completion conditions, required documents, coverage, FAR, setbacks and road widths (citing the Model Building By-laws 2016 and Nepal Urban Road Standards 2076)
- Kathmandu Metropolitan City electronic building permit system (e-BPS)
- Building Act, 2055 (1998), Ministry of Urban Development
By-laws, fees and forms change. Always confirm the current requirements with your municipality before you apply.