Birgunj at a glance — Birgunj Metropolitan City, Parsa district, Madhesh Province.
- Pvt. Ltd. company: registered at the Office of Company Registrar via CAMIS, online. Same process, fees and timeline as anywhere in Nepal.
- Firm (sole proprietorship / partnership): registered locally — through Birgunj Metropolitan City or the district Cottage and Small Industries office, depending on the activity.
- Business licence and ward registration: Birgunj Metropolitan City, across its 32 wards.
- PAN / VAT: Inland Revenue Department, through the tax office serving Parsa.
What Is Actually Local, and What Is Not
Most pages about registering a company in a particular Nepali city imply the whole process is local. It is not, and knowing which half is which saves real time.
| Step | Handled where | Does Birgunj change it? |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation & Pvt. Ltd. incorporation | OCR, via CAMIS (online) | No |
| MOA / AOA | Prepared by you, filed on CAMIS | No |
| Firm registration | Local — Birgunj Metropolitan City / district office | Yes |
| PAN, and VAT if applicable | IRD office serving Parsa | Yes (which office) |
| Business licence & ward registration | Birgunj Metropolitan City | Yes (fees differ) |
| Sector licence (food, tourism, health…) | Varies by sector and tier | Sometimes |
Why Birgunj Businesses Ask Different Questions
Birgunj handles a very large share of Nepal’s overland trade, and that single fact reorders the whole registration checklist for businesses here. For most Birgunj businesses the company or firm is the easy part; the things that actually gate trading are the EXIM code from the Department of Customs, the VAT registration that the EXIM application depends on, and — if you intend to clear goods on other people’s behalf rather than your own — a separate customs agent licence, which is a different business from carrying or importing goods.
The guides that usually apply here
- Import and export businesses
- Logistics, cargo and customs clearing
- Wholesale and trading houses
- Warehousing and manufacturing
If your line of business is not above, the directory of 104 business types shows which licence chain applies to each one.
Your Ward and the Local Business Licence
Birgunj Metropolitan City issues the local business licence and ward registration. Premises close to the customs and dry port areas attract their own conditions, and warehouse or yard space is worth confirming with the ward before committing.
Two practical points that apply in every municipality. The ward that matters is the one your registered office sits in, not where you live. And local business licence fees are set by the municipality, so a figure quoted for another city — or for Birgunj two years ago — is a guide and not a quote.
Cost and Timeline
| Item | Indicative cost (NPR) | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pvt. Ltd. registration (OCR, all-in) | 15,000 – 35,000 | 7 – 12 working days |
| Firm registration (all-in) | 5,000 – 20,000 | 2 – 5 working days |
| PAN | No government fee | With incorporation (CAMIS) |
| Birgunj Metropolitan City business licence | Set locally | A few days |
| Sector licence, if any | Varies widely | Varies widely |
The full breakdown of entity types, fees and documents is in our company registration guide.
Registering in Birgunj? Tell us what you are starting and which ward you will be based in. We will tell you which steps are actually local for you, what Birgunj Metropolitan City will ask for, and what the whole thing costs — then handle the filing.
Register my business in Birgunj“UdhamSathi helped me build my company.” — UdhamSathi client
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to start an import business in Birgunj?
Register the business, register for VAT, then apply for the EXIM code at the Department of Customs — in that order, because the EXIM application expects the VAT registration to exist. The EXIM code is renewable and lapses if you miss it, and a lapsed code stops consignments rather than merely generating a penalty, which is why Birgunj importers treat the renewal date more seriously than most compliance dates.
Is a customs agent licence the same as an EXIM code?
No, and conflating them is expensive. An EXIM code lets you import and export goods for your own business. A customs agent licence lets you clear goods through customs on behalf of other people, which is a service business with its own approval. If your plan is to handle other importers’ consignments, the EXIM code alone does not authorise it.
Do I have to travel to Kathmandu to register a company from Birgunj?
No. Pvt. Ltd. incorporation is filed on the CAMIS portal and the PAN now issues through CAMIS too, so the company side is done online. What still needs someone locally is the ward registration and the Birgunj Metropolitan City business licence — and, for a firm, the local registration itself. We handle all of it remotely for clients across Nepal.
About this page. Birgunj Metropolitan City is a metropolitan city in Parsa district, Madhesh Province. Local business licence fees, ward requirements and office locations are set locally and change; the figures here are indicative and the national steps come from our main registration guide. We confirm the current local requirement before filing.
Starting a Business in Birgunj?
We register companies and firms across Nepal — OCR filing, PAN/VAT, ward registration and the local licence — without you travelling anywhere.
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