Buying & Selling Art and Handicrafts

Nepalese law treats art and handicrafts in two very different ways. Old or culturally significant objects — antiquities and cultural heritage — are tightly protected and largely cannot leave the country. New work — contemporary handicrafts and art— is ordinary trade goods that move through normal export licensing. The dividing line is an object's age and cultural significance.

The principal law is the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 2013 B.S. (1956 CE), amended through 2010 and administered by the Department of Archaeology (DoA). It protects objects that are roughly 100 or more years old — temples, statues, religious art, paubha and manuscripts, and historic institutional buildings.

Under Article 13, no historical, archaeological, or artistic object may be taken out of Nepal — and in some cases moved from place to place — without prior written approval (an export permit) from the Department of Archaeology. In practice, genuine old religious and cultural art effectively cannot be legally exported. The Government may also purchase a privately owned ancient monument at an "evaluated price" where it deems this necessary for protection.

New work — handicrafts, new paubha and thangka, metalwork, woodcraft, and contemporary art — is treated as ordinary export goods under the Export Import (Control) Act, 2013 (1957) and the Export Import Rules, 2034 (1978), plus customs rules.

To trade or export legally, a business generally needs, in sequence:

1. Company registration (an art/craft business)
2. Tax registration — PAN/VAT
3. Department of Commerce enrollment
4. An EXIM code from the Department of Customs

Customs requires the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (HAN) to certify the valuation on handicraft invoices (a small fixed fee applies). For silver and precious-metal handicrafts, a valuation certificate under Nepal Rastra Bankrules is required, with a minimum value addition of about 35% over the metal's international market price. Older-looking or religious pieces often also need a DoA "non-antique" clearanceconfirming the item is not a protected antiquity.

• Is the piece likely 100+ years old or culturally significant? If so, treat it as a protected antiquity.
• For anything being taken abroad, confirm whether a DoA export permit or non-antique clearance is needed.
• For commercial export, ensure the seller holds the proper registration, tax, and EXIM credentials.
• For handicrafts, ask for HAN-certified valuation (and an NRB certificate for silver).
• Keep invoices and provenance documentation for every transaction.

Illegally exporting a protected object is punishable under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act by a fine of up to NPR 25,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both — and the object is confiscated. This legal framework underlies the many repatriation cases of stolen Nepalese deities.

This page is a general informational summary, not legal advice. Requirements change and individual cases vary. Anyone actually buying, selling, or exporting should confirm current requirements with the Department of Archaeology, the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal, and Nepal Customs. See also our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Questions? Email us at hello@nepalart.space.