Last updated: 22 August 2026. Every document list, restricted country, refused level and council contact below was read directly from the Ministry’s own NOC portal (noc.moest.gov.np) on this date. Requirements change — always open the portal’s own FAQ before you assemble your file.
Quick answer: The NOC for study abroad Nepal issues is a No Objection Certificate from the Government of Nepal permitting a Nepali student to study overseas. It is applied for entirely online at noc.moest.gov.np, run by the Ministry of Education from Sanothimi, Bhaktapur. The document list changes by course level, an NOC is not issued at all for Level 3, Level 4, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Top-Up degrees and one-year diplomas, and it is not issued for Taiwan or Mauritius. Several health and aviation subjects need a pre-approval letter from a council before you apply.
Key takeaways
- Apply at noc.moest.gov.np — fully online. Registration asks for a mobile number and the field specifies NTC numbers only.
- Restricted countries: Taiwan and Mauritius. An NOC is not issued for these.
- Levels never issued: Level 3, Level 4, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Top-Up Degree, and 1-year Diploma courses.
- A language course alone does not qualify — you must also have an academic course and apply for both. Japan is the exception.
- Multi-page documents must be scanned into a single PDF before upload.
- Health, engineering, veterinary and pilot-training subjects may need a council licence or pre-approval letter obtained before you apply.
- Contact: 01-6635419, noc@moest.gov.np, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur.
What an NOC actually is
In the Ministry’s own words, the NOC is a No Objection Certificate granted by the Government of Nepal for a Nepali student to study abroad. In practice it is the document that makes your departure for study lawful and your foreign qualification recognisable when you return — and it is required for the currency and visa steps that follow.
The whole application is online. As the Ministry had to state publicly in August 2026, no office visit is required to apply, and consultancies claiming otherwise were warned of legal action.
Before anything else: three ways to be disqualified
Check these first. Assembling documents for an application that cannot succeed is the most common wasted month.
1. Restricted countries
An NOC is not issued for study in:
- Taiwan
- Mauritius
2. Levels for which NOC is not issued
| Not issued for |
|---|
| Level 3 |
| Level 4 |
| Certificate III |
| Certificate IV |
| Top-Up Degree |
| 1-year Diploma course |
If a consultancy is selling you a Certificate III or a Top-Up degree abroad, ask directly how you will obtain an NOC for it. The portal’s own FAQ says you will not.
3. Language course on its own
A student applying for a language course must also have an academic course, and must apply for both together to get the NOC. The single exception is Japan, where a Japanese language course can stand alone.
The document list, by course level
Citizenship certificate, academic transcript, offer letter and invoice letter form the backbone of nearly every application. What changes is the extra evidence.
| Course level | Documents required |
|---|---|
| Japanese language | Citizenship · transcript (+2/PCL or equivalence) · Certificate of Eligibility · admission/offer/acceptance/I-20 letter · invoice letter · equivalence certificate if passed abroad |
| Language + academic course | Citizenship · transcript · offer letter stating subject, level and duration · invoice letter · equivalence certificate if passed abroad · previous NOC copy if issued before · TOPIK result for Korean track |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma / Level 5 (min 2 yr) | Citizenship · transcript (+2/PCL/equivalence) · offer letter (subject, level, duration) · invoice letter · equivalence if passed abroad · English test certificate if applying to New Zealand · previous NOC copy |
| Graduate Certificate / Graduate Diploma / PG Diploma (1 yr) | Citizenship · bachelor transcript · offer letter · invoice letter · equivalence if passed abroad · English test certificate for New Zealand |
| Advanced Diploma / Associate / AP Degree (min 2 yr) | Citizenship · transcript (+2/PCL/equivalence) · offer letter · invoice letter · equivalence if passed abroad · English test certificate for New Zealand |
| Bachelor (min 3 yr) | Citizenship · transcript (+2/PCL/Diploma/equivalence) · acceptance/offer/invitation/I-20/CoA letter · invoice letter · equivalence if passed abroad · Korean University Business Registration Certificate (Korea only) · NHPC registration licence and pre-approval if a diploma degree was achieved · CAAN pre-approval for pilot training · English test for New Zealand |
| Bachelor of Nursing | Citizenship · transcript (PCL Nursing / Bio group) · offer letter · invoice letter · Nursing Council licence (for PCL Nursing) · equivalence if passed abroad · NHPC pre-approval where a diploma degree was achieved |
| Master of Nursing | Citizenship · bachelor transcript · Nursing Council licence · graduation certificate · offer letter · invoice letter · NHPC pre-approval where applicable · equivalence if passed abroad |
| Master | Citizenship · bachelor transcript · offer letter · invoice letter · council licence for engineering, medical, nursing or professional degrees · equivalence and degree-awarded certificate if passed abroad |
| MPhil / PhD | Citizenship · transcript (min master’s or equivalent) · offer letter · invoice letter · previous NOC copy · English test certificate if applicable · equivalence and degree-awarded certificate if passed abroad |
| MBBS / BDS / BAMS / BVMS | Citizenship · transcript (+2/PCL/Diploma NHPC) · Eligibility Certificate from NMC / NAMC / NVC — admit card or entrance-passed list from Patan, KU, TU or BPKIHS, valid two years · offer letter and the rest |
| Juris Doctor | Any bachelor-level passed subject may apply |
Upload rule that catches people out: if one document runs to several pages, scan it and combine it into a single PDF before uploading. Multiple separate images for one document is not what the portal expects. Tools that do this inside your browser without uploading your citizenship anywhere are the safer way to prepare these files.
Engineering has its own eligibility bar
For admission to an engineering college, the portal states the student should have:
- 10+2 or equivalent with minimum GPA 2.4
- Minimum grade C+ in each of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, or minimum grade C in remaining subjects
- Minimum 50% in aggregate, and minimum 50% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics
Students who have passed Grade 11 and are waiting for Grade 12 results may apply on a provisional basis.
Subjects that need pre-approval before you apply
This is where applications stall for weeks. Certain health-related subjects require a pre-approval letter from the Medical Education Commission, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur — obtained before the NOC application, not during it.
Pre-approval needed for subjects including Public Health, Health Education, Medicine, Medical Microbiology, diagnostic streams (health lab, radiography, radiotherapy, cytology, haematology, biochemistry, virology), Nuclear Medicine, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, Acupuncture, Physiotherapy, Community Based Rehabilitation, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Dental Assistant, Naturopathy, Yoga, Ophthalmology, Operation Theatre and Allied Health Sciences, Clinical Psychology, Speech and Hearing, Forensic Medicine, Perfusion Technology, Anaesthesia, Cardiology Technology, Renal Dialysis, Embryology, Nursing, Pharmacology and related fields.
Pre-approval not needed for a separate published list that includes Medical Biotechnology, Pharmacology and New Drug Development, Biomedical and Health Science, Clinical Nutrition, Microbiology, Medical Physics, Master Biomedicine, Medicinal Chemistry, MSc Pharmaceutical Science and others.
The two lists are long and specific. Check your exact subject name against the portal’s FAQ rather than assuming from the field — “Public Health” needs pre-approval while “health promotion and public health” appears on the needed list too, and small wording differences matter.
Which council issues what
| Council | Location | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal Medical Council (NMC) | Bansbari | 01-4371954 / 4377164 |
| Nepal Nursing Council (NNC) | Bansbari | 01-4372521 |
| Nepal Health Professional Council (NHPC) | Bansbari | 01-4373118 / 4375079 |
| Nepal Pharmacy Council (NPC) | Bijulibazar, New Baneshwor | 01-4780747 |
| Nepal Ayurveda Council (NAC) | Nardevi | 01-4259678 |
| Nepal Engineering Council (NEC) | Naxal | 01-4420655 |
| Nepal Veterinary Council (NVC) | Tripureshwor | 01-4259144 |
| Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) | Babarmahal | 01-4262416 |
Already abroad, or continuing after a language course
Two situations with their own document sets.
If you are already studying abroad, the portal asks for: citizenship, academic certificates, guardian’s citizenship, the old NOC, passport copy, valid visa copy, departure slip from Nepal Immigration and arrival slip from the destination country’s immigration, a university bonafide letter, enrolment or offer letter clearly stating subject, level, duration and your name, and the invoice letter. If you passed a course abroad, the pass certificate and equivalence must also be submitted.
If you finished a Japanese language course in Japan and want to continue to an academic course: the JLPT pass certificate (N1–N5 or equivalent), the admission or acceptance letter clearly stating course level, name, start and end dates and duration in English — if it exists only in Japanese it must be translated at Bishwo Bhasa Campus and both letters uploaded as one PDF — plus the invoice letter, passed academic transcript, and residence card, valid visa, arrival and departure slips and college ID combined into a single PDF under supporting documents.
🎓 आफ्नो level को document list पक्का गर्नुहोस्
कुन council को licence चाहिन्छ, pre-approval लाग्छ कि लाग्दैन, PDF कसरी मिलाउने — अल्झिनुभयो भने Digital Solution को team सँग सोध्नुहोस्।
Money comes next
The NOC is the permission. Paying for the course is the separate problem, and it has its own rules — banks want documentation before releasing foreign currency, and there are limits on what individuals may send. Our guides to education loans for studying abroad, bank statements and balance certificates, and SWIFT transfer charges cover what happens after the NOC is in hand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC for study abroad in Nepal?
A No Objection Certificate granted by the Government of Nepal allowing a Nepali student to study abroad, issued by the Ministry of Education through noc.moest.gov.np.
Which countries are restricted for NOC?
Taiwan and Mauritius. The portal lists these as restricted countries for which an NOC is not issued.
Which course levels do not get an NOC?
Level 3, Level 4, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Top-Up Degree and one-year Diploma courses.
Can I get an NOC for a language course only?
Only for Japan. Everywhere else, a language course must be paired with an academic course and both must be applied for together.
Do I need a council licence for my NOC?
It depends on the subject. Nursing, medical, engineering, veterinary, pharmacy, Ayurveda and pilot-training routes may require a licence or pre-approval letter from the relevant council or CAAN before you apply.
My documents run to several pages. How do I upload them?
Scan them and combine the pages into a single PDF per document before uploading. The portal states this explicitly.
What are the minimum marks for engineering?
10+2 or equivalent with a minimum GPA of 2.4, minimum C+ in each of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics or C in remaining subjects, and minimum 50% in aggregate as well as 50% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Grade 11 passers awaiting Grade 12 results may apply provisionally.
Who do I contact about my NOC?
The Ministry of Education at Sanothimi, Bhaktapur — phone 01-6635419, email noc@moest.gov.np. The portal also carries an official User Manual.
The bottom line
The NOC for study abroad Nepal requires is not difficult, but it is unforgiving about three things: the country, the level, and the pre-approval. Confirm your destination is not Taiwan or Mauritius, confirm your course is not one of the six levels never issued, and confirm whether your subject needs a council letter before you start assembling anything. Get those three right and the rest is a document checklist and an online form you can complete without leaving your house.
Digital Solution disclaimer: Digital Solution Pvt. Ltd. is an independent private company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Medical Education Commission, any professional council or any consultancy. Document lists, restricted countries, refused levels and pre-approval subject lists were read from the official portal on 22 August 2026 and can change without notice. Always confirm against noc.moest.gov.np before submitting.
Rabin Paudel
Rabin Paudel is the Founder of Digital Solution, a Content Creator, and an AI Trainer. He shares practical and easy-to-understand content on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy, Online Services, FinTech, and Technology. His mission is to make technology simple, accessible, and useful for everyone.
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