How to Call Nepal From the US: Complete Guide (+977)

How to Dial Nepal From the US

Nepal uses the country code +977. The Nepali diaspora in the US has grown rapidly, with over 200,000 Nepali-Americans now living primarily in Texas, New York, California, and Virginia. Staying connected with family back in Nepal is a priority for this community.

Dialling Format

From a US phone: 011 + 977 + area code (without leading 0) + local number

From a mobile with + dialling: +977 + area code (without leading 0) + local number

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Nepali landline numbers start with 0 locally. Drop the leading 0 when calling from the US. Kathmandu is 01 locally, becoming 977 1 internationally.

Example Calls

Nepali Area Codes and Mobile Carriers

Nepal has two main mobile carriers:

Nepal Telecom (NTC): State-owned, largest network. Mobile prefixes include 984, 985, 986 (10-digit numbers).
Ncell: Private carrier (formerly Mero Mobile). Prefixes include 980, 981, 982 (10-digit numbers).
Smart Telecom: Smaller third carrier. Prefix 961, 962.

Mobile numbers in Nepal are 10 digits total. Drop the leading 0 if present when calling from the US.

Cost Comparison

Nepal is one of those destinations where the price gap between services is enormous. Google Voice charges $0.12/min — that is 12x the BubblyPhone rate. For a 30-minute weekly call, Google Voice costs $14.40/month; BubblyPhone costs $1.20/month.

Best Time to Call Nepal

Nepal is on Nepal Time (NPT, UTC+5:45) — one of only a handful of countries with a 45-minute offset. Nepal does not observe daylight saving time.

10 hours 45 minutes ahead of ET: 9 AM in New York = 7:45 PM in Kathmandu
13 hours 45 minutes ahead of PT: 9 AM in LA = 10:45 PM in Kathmandu
Best window from ET: 8-10 AM ET = 6:45-8:45 PM NPT (evening in Nepal)

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Nepal's 45-minute time offset catches many people off guard. If it is 9:00 AM in New York, it is 7:45 PM in Kathmandu — not 7:30 or 8:00. Set your world clock correctly.

Practical Tips

Viber is extremely popular. Nepal has one of the highest Viber adoption rates in the world. Viber-to-Viber calls are free and widely used. Install Viber if you regularly call Nepal.
WhatsApp is the backup. WhatsApp is growing in Nepal but Viber still dominates for voice calls. Having both apps ensures you can always connect.
Load shedding history. Nepal historically suffered from severe power cuts (load shedding), sometimes 18 hours per day. The situation has improved dramatically since 2018 thanks to hydroelectric expansion. Power is now mostly stable in cities, though rural areas can still face outages.
Dashain is the biggest holiday. Dashain (September/October) is Nepal's largest festival — a 15-day celebration. Phone networks get busy. Calling during Dashain to wish "Happy Dashain" is culturally important and very appreciated.
Earthquake preparedness. Nepal is seismically active. After the devastating 2015 earthquake, communication infrastructure has been strengthened, but major earthquakes can still disrupt networks. After seismic events, text messages may get through when calls do not.
Terrain affects coverage. Nepal's mountainous terrain means cell coverage drops off quickly outside major valleys. If calling someone in a remote area, be patient with connectivity.

Summary

To call Nepal from the US, dial 011 + 977 + area code (without 0) + number. BubblyPhone offers $0.01/min — dramatically cheaper than Google Voice ($0.12/min). Nepal is 10 hours 45 minutes ahead of ET (note the unusual 45-minute offset). Viber is the most popular calling app in Nepal.