Working Conditions in Nepal
Permits
Nepal is a film friendly country. All international productions are required to obtain Film Shooting Permits which is provided by Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. All international productions are required to authorize a local production company/service provider to process required permits. Time frame for obtaining permits may vary depending on the locations.
If the locations doesn’t involve National Parks, Conservation Areas and Drones then permits can be processed within a week. If Filming at National Parks, Conservation area or Archaeological / Heritage sites are involved then it may take up to 2 weeks. Most of the trekking routes, mountain locations are inside the National Park or Conservation areas. If Drones are involved then it may take up to 8 weeks.
A liaison officer is attached with all international filming teams.
To learn more about Permit application and other requirements: https://mocit.gov.np/application/resources/admin/uploads/source/Communication%20Division/04.pdf
Working Hours & Overtime
Nepalese work 6 days a week. Film shoots are 12 hours per day.
Overtime is added as half day for up to 3 hours and full day after 3 and up to 6 hours.
There should be a 10-hours turnover between end of shooting and start of next shooting day.
Travelling days are also considered working day.
Lunch break is usually 60 minutes.
Salaries
Each production company has its own rate card in USD and varies from the size and budget of the production.
Tax
Foreign production must pay a VAT 13% tax to be added to on all final cost.
Allowances
Production is expected to cover all accommodation and transportation if crew is travelling outside Kathmandu.
Actors & Extras
Day rate for local cast is negotiable and varies if cast is class A, B or C
$750 - $1,000 Class A
$500 - $750 Class B
$250 - $500 Class C
Featured Extras: $100 - $250
Extras: $35 - $100
Weather
Weather in Nepal depends on the part of the country. Generally July – August is monsoon across the country. Occasionally there may be intermittent rain throughout the year.
Generally Nepal has 12 hours of day light. It can be down to 10 hours during peak of winter in December – January.
Snow is expected in the mountains during winter. Hills and southern plains does not have any snow.
Southern plains (Terai) has similar climate with India and temperature can be up to 40 degrees during Summer.
Catering
Production Company is expected to provide breakfast and lunch including snacks and craft.
During night shoots production company is expected to provide lunch and dinner including snacks and craft in between
Studios
Nepal doesn’t have any big studios and offers mostly outdoor locations. Filming inside the real buildings can be arranged by the local production service provider.
Transportation
While in the cities, production provides transportation for local and foreign crew by home pickups or gathering points or from the hotel the crew are staying at.
All vehicles comes with a driver.
Rebate & Tax Exemption
At the moment, there is no rebate or tax exemption available in Nepal.