How to Invite Relatives Abroad to a Wedding in Nepal

To invite relatives abroad to a wedding in Nepal, tell them early, by phone, as soon as the sait is fixed. Follow with a save the date, then the full invitation with each event's date in both BS and AD, the time marked as Nepal Time, the venue and a way to RSVP. Send it where they already talk to you: WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger or email.

The rest of this guide explains each step: how much notice to give, a time zone table for common countries, visa basics for relatives with foreign passports, posting cards to elders, and copy-ready messages you can send today. If most of your family lives overseas, the Nepali families abroad page shows how one invitation link can reach everyone at once.

How Early to Invite Relatives Abroad to a Wedding in Nepal

Relatives overseas need far more notice than guests in Kathmandu. They have to ask for leave, book long flights and sometimes arrange visas or school holidays for children. Flights home also tend to fill up in the busy months.

Nepal's main wedding season adds pressure. The Kathmandu Post describes Mangsir, Magh and Falgun, roughly December to February, as the country's main wedding season. Onlinekhabar explains why so many weddings crowd into a few auspicious dates, which also means venues, flights and family schedules fill up together.

A simple timeline

For a sense of how much notice travelling guests expect, The Knot's save the date guide says save the dates should go out no later than six months before the wedding, and that under four months is too late. Nepali families often get the sait closer to the date than that, which is exactly why the first phone call matters.

Save the Date First, Then the Invitation

A save the date is a short note that says who is getting married, when and where. It does not need times, a venue or every event yet. For a Nepali wedding for relatives abroad, it is the most useful message you will send, because it starts their planning months earlier.

The full invitation follows once the details are fixed. This is where you list each ceremony, such as mehendi, janti, the wedding and the reception bhoj, with its own date, time and venue. If you need help with formal lines, the wedding invitation wording guide has Nepali and English examples you can adapt.

Time Zones: Nepal Time Versus Where Your Relatives Live

Nepal runs on Nepal Time (NPT), which is UTC+5:45, and timeanddate.com notes that Nepal does not use daylight saving time. The 45 minutes catches many people out, so always write the Nepal time clearly and, for live calls, the local time too.

The table uses the winter wedding season (Mangsir to Falgun). It shows the difference from Nepal and what 7:00 pm in Kathmandu means for each place.

Watch for daylight saving changes

Because Nepal never changes its clocks, the gap moves when other countries do. The USA, Canada, the UK and parts of Australia switch between summer and winter time, and the timeanddate.com daylight saving guide lists the exact dates each year. For example, the gap to New York is 10 h 45 min in winter but 9 h 45 min in summer. Gulf countries and Japan do not change their clocks, so their gap stays the same all year.

Write the Date in Both BS and AD

Your elders think in Bikram Sambat. Your cousin in Texas thinks in AD. A date written only one way leads to calls, guesswork and, sometimes, a booked flight on the wrong day.

Write both, with the day of the week, for every event:

• Good: Shukrabar, [gate] Mangsir 2083 BS ([date] [month] 2026 AD), 11:00 am Nepal Time
• Risky: [gate] Mangsir, 11 am

Check every conversion against a trusted Nepali calendar before you send anything. If a ceremony starts at night, such as a late lagan, give the AD date carefully, because the event may run past midnight.

Visas for Relatives With Foreign Passports

Many relatives abroad now hold another country's passport. They will need to sort out entry before they fly. Keep your advice general and point them to the official sources, because rules, fees and lists of eligible countries can change.

The Department of Immigration is the official source for Nepal visas. Many foreign passport holders can get a tourist visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, and the department offers an online form that can be filled in before travel. Citizens of some countries cannot get a visa on arrival and must apply through a Nepali embassy first.

Relatives of Nepali origin

Relatives who were born Nepali, or whose parents or grandparents were, may qualify for a Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) identity card. The Embassy of Nepal in Washington explains that foreign nationals of Nepali origin with this card still need a visa, but it is issued free of charge at entry points. Ask them to check the current rules with their nearest Nepali embassy well before the wedding.

How to Send the Invitation Abroad

Choose the channel your relatives already use. One family group can hold relatives on four continents, but elders often prefer a personal message or a paper card.

Messaging apps and email

WhatsApp, Viber and Messenger reach relatives anywhere in moments, and they are free over the internet. Email works well for formal invitations to older relatives, in-laws and colleagues of the family. Whatever you use, send a personal line first and the invitation after, never only a forwarded picture.

To send a wedding invitation to the USA from Nepal, an online invitation link is the simplest route. It opens on any phone, needs no app, and you can update a time or venue later without sending a new card to everyone.

Postal cards for elders

Some grandparents and senior relatives abroad treasure a paper card. If you post one, send it early, because international mail can be slow and delivery times vary by country. For important cards, Nepal Post's EMS service is a time-bound express option. Send the digital invitation too, so they have the details even if the card is late. For the full trade-offs, see digital vs printed wedding cards in Nepal.

RSVP: Why Counts Matter for the Bhoj

Caterers and party venues in Nepal plan food by head count. Guests from abroad are hard to count, because plans can change with flights and leave. A clear RSVP with a reply date helps you avoid both waste and empty plates.

Ask three things: will they come, how many people, and which events. A relative flying in for one week may come to the wedding and the reception but miss the mehendi. With an online invitation, guests reply on the invitation itself, and Nimtto shows who is coming, how many and to which events in your dashboard, which you can export for the caterer. The features page explains how replies work.

For Relatives Who Cannot Come

Some relatives will not manage the trip, and that is fine. Invite them anyway. Being invited tells them they are still part of the family, and many will send blessings, a gift or a video message.

Make it easy for them to join from afar. Share a video call link for the main ceremony, and tell them the start time in their own time zone. Ask a cousin to hold the phone near the mandap so elders abroad can see the rituals. Afterwards, send photos and a short thank-you note.

Nepali Wedding Invitation Wording for Relatives Abroad

These messages are ready to copy. Replace the words in square brackets and change the tone to suit each relative.

Namaste [Name] ji,
We have happy news! [Groom's name] and [Bride's name] are getting married in Nepal.
Please save the date: [gate] Mangsir 2083 BS ([date] AD) in [City].
We know travel takes planning, so we wanted you to hear first.
The full invitation with all event times will follow.
With love, [Your names]

Namaste [Name] ji,
With great joy, we invite you and your family to the wedding of
[Groom's name] and [Bride's name].
Wedding: [Day], [gate] [month] 2083 BS ([date] AD), [time] Nepal Time
Reception bhoj: [Day], [date] AD, from [time] Nepal Time
Venue: [Venue name], [City]
All events, maps and RSVP are here: [link]
Please reply by [date] so we can plan the bhoj.

Hello [Name] ji, we are so happy you are coming!
A quick reminder for your trip:
Wedding on [date] AD at [time] Nepal Time, [venue].
Nepal Time is UTC+5:45, so it is [local time] in [their city].
Call [contact name] on [phone number] when you land.
Safe travels, see you soon!

आदरणीय [नाम] ज्यू,
सादर नमस्कार। हाम्रो छोरा/छोरी [नाम] को विवाह
मिति २०८३ [महिना] [गते] ([AD date]) मा [सहर] मा हुने भएको छ।
हजुरको आशीर्वाद हाम्रा लागि सबैभन्दा ठूलो उपहार हो।
आउन मिल्ने भए सपरिवार पाल्नुहोला, नमिले भिडियो कलमा सँगै हुनुहोला।
निमन्त्रणा यहाँ छ: [link]

Dear [Name] ji,
Thank you for your blessings and love for [Groom's name] and [Bride's name].
Having you with us, in [City] or on a video call from [their city],
it meant so much to the whole family.
Here are a few photos from the day: [link]
With love and gratitude, [Your names]

Final Thoughts

Inviting family overseas comes down to a few habits. Call early, write every date in BS and AD, mark times as Nepal Time, point visa questions to official sites, and ask for an RSVP by a clear date. Do those, and your relatives can plan with confidence.

Nimtto makes online wedding invitations with every ceremony, maps, BS and AD dates and RSVP, set up with a real designer. See the Nepali families abroad page for how it helps families split across countries. Designs like Himal, Durbar and Dhoka bring a touch of home to every screen, and plans are on the pricing page. If a cousin abroad is planning their own wedding overseas, point them to the international site.