Verify NRB Licence & Deposit Guarantee for Nepali Banks

Verified October 2026

If you hold money in a Nepali bank or are thinking of opening an account, two questions matter: is the institution actually authorised by Nepal Rastra Bank, and what protection — if any — covers your deposit? The answer depends on the institution's current licence status and on the rules of the Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund (DCGF). Below is a two‑step process you can follow today.

Step 1: Confirm the institution holds a current NRB licence

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) is the central bank and the licensing authority for all banks and financial institutions in Nepal. Only NRB's own published records can confirm whether an entity is authorised to operate.

Find the licensed‑institutions list on the NRB site

Open nrb.org.np and go to the "Supervision" section, then look for the page titled "List of Licensed Banks and Financial Institutions". (If the site layout has changed, use the search bar with the words "licensed institutions").

Search by the exact registered name

Enter the full legal name as it appears on the bank's signage, website, or your account documents — not a shortened brand name. Some institutions operate under a parent company name that differs from the branch you know. If the search returns a match with a licence type (Class A, B, C or D) and a status marked "Active" or "Licensed", the institution is authorised as of the date NRB last updated that page.

What the licence classes mean

• Class A – commercial banks
• Class B – development banks
• Class C – finance companies
• Class D – micro‑finance institutions

Treat only NRB's page as authoritative

Third‑party directories, news articles, or comparison sites may be outdated. NRB updates its list when licences are granted, renewed, suspended, or revoked. If you cannot find the institution on NRB's current list, do not assume it is licensed — contact NRB directly through the contact details published on their site.

Check for warnings or unauthorised‑entity notices

NRB occasionally publishes alerts about entities operating without a licence or using misleading names. Look for a "Public Notice", "Warning" or "Unauthorised Institutions" section on the NRB site. If the name you are checking appears there, treat it as a red flag and avoid depositing funds until you have written clarification from NRB.

Step 2: Get written confirmation of what deposit protection applies

A licence means the institution may operate; it does not by itself guarantee your deposit. All NRB‑licensed banks and financial institutions are compulsory members of the Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund (DCGF). The fund publishes its current coverage limit, the date of that notice, and a list of member institutions on its own website.

First, check the DCGF’s own notice

Visit the DCGF website (look for the link in the NRB "Consumer Protection" section or search for "Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund Nepal"). On the homepage or under a tab called "Coverage Limit" you should find a dated notice — for example, "Coverage Limit Notice, 1 July 2026". Note the date; a limit published years ago may not reflect today's rules. The notice will state the maximum amount protected per depositor per institution (currently NRs 500,000, but verify the figure on the notice). It will also list any exclusions; as of the latest notice (accessed October 2026) foreign‑currency deposits are excluded from coverage.

Then obtain written confirmation from your bank

Request a written statement (email on bank letterhead or a signed letter) that specifies: what protection scheme covers your deposit type (savings, fixed, current), the coverage limit per depositor per institution, whether the limit applies per account or aggregated across accounts, and any conditions. Ask the bank to cite the specific DCGF rule or NRB circular that governs your deposit’s protection. Keep this document with your records.

If the bank’s answer conflicts with the fund’s published notice

Give priority to the DCGF’s dated public notice. A bank letter that contradicts the fund’s rules is not reliable; ask for clarification or escalate the issue to NRB’s consumer‑protection channel.

How to file a complaint if something goes wrong

If you believe a licensed institution has violated rules — unauthorised charges, refusal to honour terms, misleading advertising — start with the bank’s own grievance desk. File a complaint, keep the reference number, and if the issue is not resolved within the bank’s stated timeline, escalate to NRB. On the NRB site look for "Grievance Handling" or "Consumer Protection" sections. Submit your complaint with supporting documents (account statements, correspondence, the written protection statement you obtained). NRB's process is for regulatory violations; it does not guarantee recovery of lost deposits.

Quick checklist before you deposit

• Found the institution on NRB's current licensed-institutions page? Yes / No
• No warning notice for that name on NRB's site? Yes / No
• Obtained a dated coverage notice from the DCGF website? Yes / No
• Received written confirmation from the bank stating the protection scheme, limit, and conditions? Yes / No

If any answer is "No", pause and reassess. A licence check takes minutes. Getting the fund’s notice and the bank’s written details takes a day or two. Both are worth the effort before you commit funds you cannot afford to lose.