Nepal- Portugal Relations

Nepal- Portugal Relations

Political Relations

Nepal and the Portuguese Republic established their diplomatic relations on 1 September 1976. The bilateral relationship is marked by cordiality, friendship, and cooperation. Nepal established its residential Embassy in Lisbon in March 2025. The Portuguese Embassy in New Delhi is concurrently accredited to Nepal. Portugal has its Honorary Consulate in Kathmandu.

High-level visits

Foreign Minister Mr. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali visited Portugal in July 2018. A delegation led by Foreign Secretary Mr. Amrit Bahadur Rai visited Portugal in February 2026 to participate in the First Meeting of Bilateral Consultation Mechanism.

Bilateral Consultation Mechanism

A Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of Bilateral Consultation Mechanism between the two countries was signed in 2018. The first meeting of Nepal-Portugal Bilateral Consultation Mechanism was held in February 2026 in Lisbon.

Trade

The volume of trade between the two countries remains minimal, with the balance of trade favoring Portugal over the past two years. Nepal’s exports to Portugal mainly consist of Nepali paper and paper products, woollen carpets, handicrafts, ready-made cotton garments and accessories, silverware and jewellery, raw hides, and percussion instruments. In contrast, imports from Portugal primarily include personal deodorants, sparkling wine, medicaments, footwear, safety headgear, as well as corks and stoppers.The following table reflects the trend of export/import between the two countries in the recent years.

(Value in 000 Rupees)

Portugal, as a member of EU, channels its development assistance to Nepal through EU and international organizations.

Tourism and People-to-People relations:

Nepal and Portugal earliest recorded people-to-people contact dates back over 400 years when a Portuguese national visited Nepal in the 15^th century. Nepal welcomes on an average 5,000 Portuguese tourists every year. Tourists inflow from Portugal in the last two years is reflected in the table below:

An estimated 40,000 Nepali Diaspora currently reside in Portugal.

Europe Division

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

As of March 2026