ID and Cash Limits for Buying Gold in Nepal

Since 15 January 2026 Nepal bans cash for any purchase or sale of goods worth NPR 5 lakh or more, gold included. Gold and silver dealers must record your identity for cash of NPR 1 lakh or more in a day. A sale of NPR 10 lakh or more must be paid from your own or a family member's bank account and is reported to the Financial Information Unit.

Facts checked 31 October 2026 · Not financial, legal or tax advice

At a glance

Situation	Rule	Notes
Buying jewellery or bars	Dealer records your identity for cash of NPR 1 lakh or more in a day.	Counts one transaction or several in the same day. Details are recorded at NPR 10 lakh+ whatever the payment method.
Paying cash	Cash not allowed for NPR 5 lakh or more in one transaction.	Use a bank, cheque, QR or mobile banking. For NPR 10 lakh+, payment must come from your or your family's bank account.
Selling	The NPR 5 lakh cash ban applies to sales too.	Dealers must use business accounts, not personal or staff accounts.
Reported	Threshold transaction report for NPR 10 lakh or more a day; suspicious transactions at once.	Filed with FIU-Nepal through goAML within 15 days. Purchases from banks are exempt.

The rules in detail

Cash ban: a Cabinet decision under section 44G(1) of the Asset (Money) Laundering Prevention Act, published in the Nepal Gazette on 8 January 2026, requires any purchase, sale or other transaction of goods or services worth NPR 5 lakh or more in one go to go through a bank or approved banking instrument. It took effect on 15 January 2026 and applies to individuals and businesses.
Inland Revenue Department directives (December 2025 and April 2026) for precious-metal dealers. Customers paying NPR 1 lakh or more in cash in a day, in one or several payments, must be identified and recorded. A sale of NPR 10 lakh or more must be paid from the customer's or an immediate family member's bank account. Dealers may not trade under anonymous or false names or through personal accounts.
Reporting: under FIU-Nepal's guidelines (updated July 2025), dealers report transactions of NPR 10 lakh or more by one customer in a day, in a single payment or a series, within 15 days, and may ask you to declare the source of funds. Suspicious transactions are reported immediately.
Fines for breaches run up to NPR 1 crore (10 million).

When you sell

For NPR 5 lakh or more, the dealer must pay you through a bank, not in cash.
Expect to give ID. Large deals are recorded and reported at NPR 10 lakh in a day.

Silver and travel

The IRD directives cover gold and silver traders alike, so the same thresholds apply to silver.
Bringing gold into Nepal is a customs matter with its own allowances. See the travel-allowance page.

These points come from Nepali news reports (Kantipur, Republica, ShareSansar) on the Cabinet cash ban and the IRD directives, and from FIU-Nepal's reporting guidelines. The directives themselves weren't read, and the reports don't say which ID documents (citizenship certificate, national ID, passport) dealers accept. No start date was reported for the April 2026 NPR 1 lakh ID rule.

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Gold ID and Cash Limits in Nepal: FAQ

How much cash can I pay for gold in Nepal?

Less than NPR 5 lakh per transaction. Since 15 January 2026, any purchase or sale of goods worth NPR 5 lakh or more must go through a bank, cheque or approved electronic payment.

Do I need ID to buy gold in Nepal?

Yes, if you pay NPR 1 lakh or more in cash in a day. Under an Inland Revenue Department directive, gold and silver dealers must identify and record such customers.

Are gold purchases reported in Nepal?

Dealers report transactions of NPR 10 lakh or more by one customer in a day to the Financial Information Unit within 15 days, and suspicious transactions immediately. Purchases of NPR 10 lakh or more must be paid from your own or a family member's bank account.

Sources (4)

General information for individuals buying or selling gold, checked October 2026. Rules change and dealers may ask for more than the legal minimum; check with the dealer or the regulator. Not legal advice.