Educational Consultancy License in Nepal: New Rules, 2083
Operating an educational consultancy in Nepal requires compliance with the licensing requirements prescribed by the Government of Nepal. The Educational Counselling, Language Teaching and Preparatory Classes (Operation and Management) Rules, 2083 (“Rules”) establish the legal framework for the operation, licensing, regulation, and supervision of educational consultancy services in Nepal. The Rules were framed under the Education Act, 2028 and published in the Nepal Gazette on 2083/03/25.
Under the Rules, educational counselling service generally refers means advice, suggestions or counselling given on matters including the courses, the required duration of study, the applicable fees, and the procedure to be followed for admission, relating to higher education study abroad. This guide provides an overview of the key legal requirements for obtaining and maintaining an Educational Consultancy License in Nepal.
1. Mandatory Requirement of Educational Consultancy License in Nepal:
Any entity that wants to provide educational counselling services must obtain an Educational Consultancy License from the federal Ministry.
2. Process to obtaining an Educational Consultancy License in Nepal
The same process applies to the main office and to any additional branches.
i. Submission of an Application: Submit the application, with the required documents, to the Ministry.
ii. Verification: The Ministry verifies the application and supporting details.
iii. Pay fees and deposit the bank guarantee: The applicant pays the government license fee and submits the required bank guarantee, after which the license is issued.
iv. Commencement of the Educational Consultancy: The license holder must begin business within 3 months of receiving the license.
3. Information and documents required for an educational consultancy license
Following information and documents are required to apply for the license of educational consultancy license:
a. Application stating the institution’s name in Nepali and English, its address and the place where services will be provided; details of the services to be offered (educational counselling); registration number, date and registering authority, plus VAT registration details; address, contact information, citizenship and shareholding of the promoter; qualifications, training and experience of the Counsellor; details of any foreign institution represented; premises details; and objectives of the institution;
b. Certified copy of the promoter’s citizenship certificate;
c. Company Incorporation Certificate, Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Articles of Association (AOA);
d. Latest tax clearance certificate;
e. Partnership deed (if the applicant is a partnership firm); and
f. Consent of any other authority, if required.
4. Fees and Bank Guarantee
| Particulars | Amount (NPR) |
Obtaining the license
| |
| Security deposit (bank guarantee) | 25,00,000 |
| Additional deposit per extra branch | 25,00,000 |
| License fee | 50,000 |
| License fee per extra branch | 20,000 |
| Renewal of the license | |
| Renewal fee | 25,000 |
| Renewal fee per extra branch | 20,000 |
| Fine for late renewal (within 3 months after expiry) | 10,000 |
5. Validity and Renewal of the License
- The license is valid for 1 year.
- Renewal must be applied for at least 1 month before expiry.
- If expiry date is missed, the holder may still apply within 3 months after expiry by paying a fine of NPR 10,000.
- If no renewal application is filed within that period, the license is automatically cancelled, and the Ministry publishes a notice on its website and in a national daily newspaper.
6. Qualification of the Educational Counsellors
Every licensed educational consultancy in Nepal must appoint a consultant to counsel students. The consultant must:
- hold at least a bachelor’s degree;
- have completed educational consultancy training from a university, college, recognized training institution or diplomatic mission; and
- if a foreign national, have the permission required under prevailing law.
Minimum Standards for an Educational Consultancy
Every licensed consultancy must meet the following standards:
- Its own office building, or a rental agreement for at least three years
- An email address, website and telephone line
- A location accessible by fire engine and ambulance
- Rooms with good natural light and cross-ventilation, or a climate-adapted design
- An earthquake-resistant building
- Fire-fighting equipment installed in the building
- Separate rooms for administrative work
- Disability-friendly building and facilities
- Free, clean drinking water
- A library with reference materials, subject journals, magazines and newspapers, and adequate study space
- Classroom furniture for sitting and study
- Internet access that students can use easily
Note: Institutions licensed before the Rules came into force that do not meet these standards must comply and submit details to the Ministry within 1 year of the Rules’ commencement.
8. Terms and Conditions for Licensed Consultancies
A licensed educational consultancy must:
- Provide clear and complete information about its services.
- Offer only the services covered by its license.
- Ensure instructors hold a bachelor’s degree and the required training.
- Conduct seminars, conferences and workshops through subject-matter experts.
- Publish and keep its service fees updated on its website.
- Submit agreements or MOUs with foreign educational institutions to the Ministry on request.
- Pay foreign educational institutions through banking channels only after a No Objection Letter is issued.
- Display a citizens’ charter showing registration, license and VAT/PAN details, services and fees.
- Keep records of students sent abroad for higher education.
- Provide online counselling and support to students already studying abroad.
- Charge consistent fees for similar services and issue bills, receipts and payment records.
- Give students copies of documents submitted to foreign institutions on their behalf.
- Provide information and help on accommodation, insurance, ticketing, visas and other non-academic matters.
- Remain domestically owned, or transfer any foreign-owned interest to domestic ownership within one year.
- Collect only certified copies of required documents.
- Ensure partner foreign institutions are legally established, accredited, quality-assured and authorized to enroll international students.
- Obtain a valid tax clearance certificate every year.
- Issue VAT invoices for all service fees.
- Deposit all service fees into a bank account; cash payments are prohibited.
- Maintain a grievance-handling mechanism for students studying abroad.
9. Requirement of the written Agreement with Students
A consultancy may begin work for a student only after signing a written agreement that discloses:
Term and Condition | Clause |
Counselling fee | The fee charged to the student or guardian |
Foreign institution | Its authorization, minimum qualifications and admission conditions, level of admission, study duration and subjects taught |
Facilities | Scholarships, library, laboratory, accommodation and research opportunities |
Fees during study | All fees payable during the study period and how they are paid |
Completion | The certificate awarded, its equivalence, conditions to be met and prerequisites for admission |
Refund | How any money collected from the student will be refunded |
10. Compliances after getting the License
- Begin operations within 3 months of licensing.
- Renew the license on time every year.
- File an annual work report within 6 months of the end of each fiscal year.
- Conduct all financial transactions through digital channels.
- Have accounts audited every fiscal year under prevailing law.
- Report quarterly on students sent abroad, fees paid to foreign institutions, and any income received (or not received) from those institutions.
- Maintain the standards set by the Rules.
- Employ only qualified counsellors, with approval from the relevant authority for foreign counsellors.
- Enter data into the Ministry’s electronic system, including institution details, students served, university partnerships and itemized fees.
- Follow the Ministry’s directions on operation and management.
- Compensate students who are left stranded because of the consultancy’s advice or whose foreign institution is found to be illegal. No compensation is due where the problem was caused by the student’s own fault.
11. Grounds for Cancellation of the License
The Ministry may cancel the license and forfeit the security deposit if the consultancy:
- operates without renewal or after its registration has been cancelled;
- sends students to a country, subject or level not opened by the Government;
- fails to keep transparent, bank-based financial records, accepts unauthorized payments or benefits from institutions for student referrals, gives misleading counselling, or otherwise jeopardizes students’ study-abroad opportunities;
- fails to rescue and support students when services differ from what was promised or the institution is declared illegal;
- financially exploits or defrauds prospective students;
- engages in misleading or unlawful promotion, spreads false information, or carries out unauthorized activities in another’s name;
- has its institutional registration revoked; or
- fails to file tax details or obtain tax clearance certificates regularly.
12. Transitional Provisions
Consultancies licensed by a province or local level:
These must apply to the Ministry within 3 months of the Rules coming into force, which, counting from the gazette date of 2083/03/25. The Ministry may allow the license to continue if the consultancy meets the prescribed standards and will notify the relevant province and local level. Until then, such a consultancy may operate only within the province or local level named in its license.
Pending applications:
Applications submitted to the Ministry before 2075/04/14 that are still awaiting a decision will be inspected, and a license granted if they meet the standards in the Rules.
Read More:
Who needs an Educational Consultancy License in Nepal?
Any entity that advises students on studying abroad, including destinations, course duration, fees or admissions.
Who issues the license?
Only the federal Ministry of Education and Sports. Provinces and local levels cannot issue licenses for educational counselling.
How much is the bank guarantee?
NPR 25,00,000 for the main office, plus NPR 25,00,000 for each additional branch.
How long is the license valid?
One year, renewable annually.
Is foreign investment allowed in an educational consultancy in Nepal?
No. Existing foreign ownership must be transferred to domestic ownership within one year.
Can a consultancy accept cash payments from students?
No. All service fees must be deposited into a bank account and transactions must be carried out digitally.