Nepal UK
New securities rules let eligible companies sell shares to non-resident Nepalese in foreign currency. The scheme could channel diaspora savings into Nepal, but the systems to make it work are not yet in place.
Nepal's government has brought into effect the Securities Registration and Issuance (Eighth Amendment) Regulations, 2083, which allow eligible companies to issue between 10 and 85 per cent of their capital to non-resident Nepalese (NRNs) in foreign currency, ShareSansar reported on 6 October 2026. For the Nepalese community in the UK, it is the clearest route yet to invest in Nepal without travelling or converting funds in advance.
According to ShareSansar, shares may not be issued at a premium, the minimum trading unit is 1,000 shares, and companies need approval before issuing. Joint-investment companies formed by NRNs and the Government of Nepal may also use the route. The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) will determine the trading system. A SEBON official said companies seeking approval can now proceed. The report does not give a registration date.
The change builds on an amendment reported by the Kathmandu Post on 16 August, which was then awaiting Cabinet approval. That report said existing rules generally cap public share offers at 49 per cent of capital, and that Finance Minister Wagle told the 11th NRNA Asia Pacific Conference approval was near.
The main intended beneficiary is the proposed NRN Nepal Development Fund. The Post reported in August that it would have planned capital of Rs 10 billion, split 5 per cent government, 10 per cent founding promoters and 85 per cent from NRNs through a foreign-currency public offering. Individuals could invest between Rs 100,000 and Rs 100 million, with returns repatriable in foreign currency; the fund targets 500,000 to 600,000 investors and sectors including hydropower, tourism, agriculture and IT. The Post said it would be an independent commercial company and that the NRNA would not bear its liabilities. These are plans, not an open offer.
The Rasuwa floods have raised Nepal's reconstruction needs to about US$4.8 billion (World Bank figures reported by the Post). Diaspora capital is one potential source, alongside remittances, which reached Rs 2,363.13 billion in 2025/26 according to Nepal Rastra Bank data reported by Business 360. Whether investors will prefer equity to household remittances is untested; that is an editorial observation, not a finding.
The Nepal News economic brief of 6 October says the amendment lets companies allocate 10–85 per cent to non-resident investors, but ShareSansar quotes the NRN Nepal Development Fund's chief executive saying accounts and investment systems are still being developed with Nepal Rastra Bank, SEBON, NEPSE and CDS and Clearing. No company has yet been reported as approved to issue under the route. Readers should also consider currency risk, thin secondary-market liquidity, and tax treatment in the UK, which NepalUK has not verified. This article is not financial advice; readers should consult a qualified adviser and SEBON notices.
