Which Bank in Nepal Has the Most Branches?

Somewhere in the past four years, this became a more complicated question to answer than it used to be. Nepal's banking sector went through a merger wave that Nepal Rastra Bank mandated through minimum paid-up capital requirements, and the rankings for branch networks shifted dramatically as large institutions absorbed smaller ones and combined their footprints under single brands.

The confusion is completely understandable. A person who opened an account at Bank of Asia in 2010 and has not thought much about it since would not immediately know that Bank of Asia no longer operates under that name. It merged with NIC Bank in 2013 to form NIC Asia Bank, giving NIC Asia the foundation for the national network it has spent the past decade expanding. The customer's account still works. The brand has changed. This pattern repeated itself many times across Nepal's banking system between 2019 and 2024.

Any article written before 2022 about Nepal's bank branch rankings is significantly outdated. This one is current to 2026, drawing on NRB Bank Supervision Reports, individual bank publications, and the most recent available data. And it starts by explaining the why behind the what, because understanding the merger wave makes the current branch count rankings genuinely meaningful rather than just a list of numbers.

WHY THE BRANCH COUNT CHANGED: A DECADE OF FORCED CONSOLIDATION

Nepal's banking system grew faster than the economy could sustain between 1990 and 2012. Following economic liberalization in 1990, the government issued licenses to banks and financial institutions at a pace that produced 220 total banking and financial institutions by 2012. Nepal is a country of roughly 30 million people. Having 220 financial institutions serving that population meant that many were undercapitalized, unprofitable, operationally weak, and not realistically able to survive a significant economic shock.

Nepal Rastra Bank had been aware of this structural fragility for years. The 2015 earthquake, while primarily a humanitarian crisis, demonstrated what many had feared: undercapitalized financial institutions cracked under stress while better-capitalized ones absorbed shocks and continued operating. NRB's response was the monetary policy of fiscal year 2015/16, which raised the minimum paid-up capital requirement for commercial banks (Class A) from NPR 2 billion to NPR 8 billion. Development banks (Class B) were required to raise capital to NPR 2.5 billion. Finance companies (Class C) needed NPR 800 million at the national level.

Four times the previous requirement. Overnight, every institution that could not raise this capital independently had only two options: merge with someone who could help meet the threshold, or fail.

The scale of the consolidation that followed: Nepal went from 27 commercial banks at the end of fiscal year 2021/22 to 20 commercial banks by mid-July 2025. The NRB's own study, published in April 2022, estimated that the optimal number of commercial banks for Nepal's economy is somewhere between 11 and 20. One-fifth of respondents in NRB's survey preferred 5 to 10. The current 20 may itself still be reduced further in coming years.

The specific commercial bank mergers and acquisitions that created the current landscape:

Nepal Bangladesh Bank was acquired by Nabil Bank, giving Nabil a larger national network.

Bank of Kathmandu merged with Global IME Bank, creating what is now one of the two largest branch networks in the country.

Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank merged with Kumari Bank.

Mega Bank Nepal merged with Nepal Investment Bank to form Nepal Investment Mega Bank.

Century Commercial Bank merged with Prabhu Bank.

Civil Bank was acquired by Himalayan Bank.

Sunrise Bank merged with Laxmi Bank to form Laxmi Sunrise Bank.

Janata Bank had previously merged with Global IME in 2019, which was one of the early significant commercial bank mergers in the modern consolidation wave.

Each of these mergers involved not just combining balance sheets but physically integrating branch networks, staff, IT systems, and customer bases. The immediate effect was sometimes a reduction in total branch count as duplicate branches in the same localities were consolidated. But the medium-term effect has been expansion, with the combined institutions having significantly larger capital bases to support new branch openings in underserved areas.

As of mid-October 2025, Nepal has exactly 20 Class A commercial banks, confirmed by NRB's licensed financial institution data. These 20 banks operate 5,101 branches as of mid-October 2025, holding approximately 83% of total banking assets in Nepal and 86% of all deposits.

THE ANSWER: NIC ASIA BANK HAS THE MOST BRANCHES

NIC Asia Bank Limited holds the largest branch network among Nepal's commercial banks, with 360 branches, supplemented by 473 ATMs, 110 extension counters, and 65 branchless banking outlets across Nepal. By any measure of physical branch count, NIC Asia is first among the 20 commercial banks.

NIC Asia is a private sector commercial bank listed on NEPSE with the symbol NICA. Its origins trace to NIC Bank Limited, which was established in 1998. In 2013, NIC Bank merged with Bank of Asia Nepal, creating NIC Asia Bank. That merger was the foundation for the national expansion that followed. The bank has since been recognized twice by The Banker (Financial Times, UK) as "Bank of the Year Nepal," a distinction that reflects its customer reach, digital platform development, and overall institutional strength.

NRB's Bank Supervision Report for FY 2023/24 explicitly confirmed NIC Asia Bank as having the largest branch network among commercial banks as of mid-July 2024. The data shows NIC Asia leading by a margin that reflects not only the 2013 merger but more than a decade of consistent branch expansion afterward.

GLOBAL IME BANK: THE SECOND-LARGEST NETWORK

Global IME Bank Limited has 420 branch offices by some published data, which by raw branch count would make it the second-largest network. This figure incorporates the Bank of Kathmandu branches absorbed through the 2022 to 2023 merger.

Global IME Bank was established in 2007. Before absorbing Bank of Kathmandu, it had already completed multiple earlier mergers including Janata Bank Nepal in 2019 and mergers with finance companies during the broader BFI consolidation wave. The absorption of Bank of Kathmandu was one of the largest commercial bank mergers in Nepal's recent history. Bank of Kathmandu had a well-developed branch network in the Kathmandu Valley and selected districts, and Global IME's existing national presence combined with BOK's regional strength created a combined institution of significant scale.

Global IME is listed on NEPSE with the symbol GBIME and holds the largest market capitalization in Nepal's banking sector by some measures. Its paid-up capital following the merger places it among the most capitalized private commercial banks in Nepal.

One nuance worth flagging for anyone comparing branch counts across sources: different publications count "branches" differently. Some include only full-service branches where all standard banking transactions can be conducted. Others include extension counters, which provide a subset of services. Still others include branchless banking agent locations. The figures cited in this article for NIC Asia and Global IME use full-service branch counts unless otherwise noted. For precise current counts, each bank's official website publishes a branch locator tool that is updated as new locations open.

THE BROADER TOP TIER: BRANCHES BY BANK

After NIC Asia and Global IME, the ranking of the major commercial banks by branch count reflects both the scale of their pre-merger networks and the specific institutions they absorbed:

Prabhu Bank: approximately 371 branches. Formed by the merger of Prabhu Bank and Century Bank Limited. Prabhu Bank had significant presence in western Nepal and Kathmandu Valley markets.

Kumari Bank: approximately 354 branches. Formed after Kumari Bank absorbed Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank. NCCCB had a distinctive rural-focused branch network that added geographic spread to Kumari's urban presence.

Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB): approximately 346 branches, plus 93 branchless banking units and 200 ATMs. RBB is Nepal's largest state-owned commercial bank, fully owned by the Government of Nepal. Established January 23, 1966, it is the only commercial bank in Nepal that is not listed on NEPSE. Despite its historical dominance as the country's most trusted government institution, its branch count now ranks below the leading private banks in the post-merger environment. RBB's network remains extraordinary in one respect: its rural and district-level penetration is deeper than most private banks, reflecting its government mandate to provide banking access across all of Nepal's geography.

Nepal Investment Mega Bank: approximately 335 branches. Formed by the merger of Nepal Investment Bank Limited and Mega Bank Nepal. Nepal Investment Bank was one of the most profitable private commercial banks in the country before the merger, with a strong corporate banking franchise. Mega Bank had a growth-oriented retail branch expansion model. The combined institution has a large balance sheet and significant geographic reach.

Laxmi Sunrise Bank: approximately 302 branches. Formed by the merger of Laxmi Bank and Sunrise Bank. Both had strong positions in Kathmandu and selected urban markets.

Nepal Bank Limited: approximately 288 branches. Nepal Bank is the historical anchor of Nepal's banking system, established October 30, 1937, as the country's first commercial bank under the special Nepal Bank Act. It has government ownership alongside private shareholders. Its branch network reflects decades of expansion that predates the modern era of aggressive private sector growth.

Nabil Bank: approximately 288 branches (after absorbing Nepal Bangladesh Bank). Nabil Bank was established in 1984 as Nepal Arab Bank, the first commercial bank with foreign investment in Nepal. It brought international banking practices including ATM systems and credit cards to Nepal for the first time. Its acquisition of Nepal Bangladesh Bank expanded its network meaningfully.

Krishi Bikash Bank (Agriculture Development Bank of Nepal, ADBL): approximately 287 branches. ADBL is a Class A commercial bank with a specific development mandate focused on the agriculture sector. Its branch network has heavy representation in rural districts where commercial banks have historically been absent. Listed on NEPSE with the symbol ADBL.

At the smallest end of the commercial bank spectrum: Standard Chartered Bank Nepal, which operates approximately 15 branches. Standard Chartered focuses deliberately on corporate banking and premium retail services, serving multinational companies, larger businesses, and high-net-worth individuals. The choice of a small, high-service branch network is a strategic business model decision rather than a constraint.

THE FULL COMMERCIAL BANK LIST AND THEIR HERITAGE

For completeness, the 20 commercial banks operating in Nepal as of mid-2025 are:

Rastriya Banijya Bank, Agriculture Development Bank of Nepal, Nabil Bank (after acquiring Nepal Bangladesh Bank), Nepal Investment Mega Bank (after merging with Mega Bank), Standard Chartered Bank Nepal, Himalayan Bank (after acquiring Civil Bank), Nepal SBI Bank (joint venture with State Bank of India), Everest Bank (joint venture with Punjab National Bank of India), Prabhu Bank (after acquiring Century Bank), Laxmi Sunrise Bank (after merging Laxmi and Sunrise), Global IME Bank (after merging with Bank of Kathmandu), Citizens Bank International, Prime Commercial Bank, NMB Bank Nepal, NIC Asia Bank, Siddhartha Bank, Sanima Bank, Machhapuchchhre Bank, Kumari Bank, and Nepal Bank Limited.

Each of these institutions publishes annual reports and quarterly financial statements regulated by NRB. Their branch locators, interest rate schedules, and service offerings are available on their official websites.

THE PROVINCE-WISE DISTRIBUTION: WHERE THE BRANCHES ACTUALLY ARE

Understanding Nepal's branch count requires understanding where those branches are located, because the distribution is deeply uneven and reflects the country's economic geography.

Bagmati Province, which contains Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and the surrounding districts, has by far the highest concentration of bank branches of any province. This reflects the concentration of economic activity, government services, businesses, and population in the Kathmandu Valley. Karnali Province, Nepal's most remote and economically underdeveloped province in the far west, has the fewest branches of any province.

NRB's financial inclusion data shows that the banking access gap has been narrowing. Before the major branch expansion of the past decade, one branch served approximately 10,150 Nepali citizens as of mid-July 2015. By mid-July 2020, this had improved to one branch per 5,255 citizens. By mid-July 2023, it was one full branch per 4,514 citizens when considering commercial banks, development banks, and finance companies together. When microfinance institutions are included, the ratio improves further to approximately one BFI outlet per 2,517 to 2,529 citizens.

Out of Nepal's 753 rural municipalities, commercial banks now have service presence in 752. The one remaining without direct commercial bank service is typically covered by other financial institutions or microfinance. This represents a transformation from the situation a decade earlier when large portions of Nepal's rural municipalities had no commercial bank branch at all.

BRANCHLESS BANKING: THE HIDDEN NETWORK THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING

Any honest discussion of Nepal's banking reach in 2026 cannot stop at branch counts because branchless banking has fundamentally changed what "access to banking" means.

NRB has actively promoted branchless banking since 2012, authorizing commercial banks to work through local agents, typically small shops, cooperatives, or community-level organizations, who can conduct basic banking transactions on behalf of the bank without a physical branch being present. These agents, using a point-of-sale device and the bank's mobile system, can handle deposits, withdrawals, account inquiries, and fund transfers.

By mid-July 2024, according to NRB's Bank Supervision Report, there were 1,129 branchless banking centers across Nepal, serving 301,589 branchless banking customers. These numbers were growing rapidly.

Rastriya Banijya Bank has 93 branchless banking units beyond its 346 traditional branches. NIC Asia has 65 branchless outlets beyond its 360 branches. These numbers mean that the total service points available through these banks is substantially larger than the branch count alone suggests.

The importance of this extends to digital banking as well. Mobile banking customers across Nepal's commercial banking system reached 24,648,846 as of mid-July 2024, a 15.4% increase from the previous year. Internet banking customers stood at 1,919,322. ATMs numbered 5,193 across the system. Debit cards in circulation: 12,893,528. These figures describe a banking system that increasingly reaches customers through digital channels rather than requiring physical visits.

QR code merchant acceptance grew from approximately 40,000 acceptance points in 2020 to over 300,000 across every district by mid-2024, driven by the Nepal Clearing House's QR Code Nepal initiative and NRB's active promotion of digital payments. This means that in markets, tea shops, and small businesses across Nepal, digital payment is available even where no bank branch exists within practical travel distance.

NRB's Cybersecurity Framework, introduced in 2025, mandated enhanced security measures across all commercial banks' digital channels, requiring improved customer authentication, transaction monitoring, and data protection protocols. This followed a string of security incidents between 2017 and 2023 and reflected the regulator's recognition that the digital channel's growth created new risks that needed systematic management.

HOW TO FIND YOUR NEAREST BRANCH OR ATM

All commercial banks in Nepal maintain online branch and ATM locators on their official websites. The Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) at nchl.com.np maintains a directory of member institutions. NRB's website at nrb.org.np publishes the complete list of licensed banks with their head office contact information.

For the banks with the largest networks:

NIC Asia Bank (360 branches): nicasiabank.com. Their branch locator is searchable by province and district.

Global IME Bank (420 branches by some measures): globalimelbank.com. Searchable branch locator with province-level filters.

Rastriya Banijya Bank: rbb.com.np. The government bank with deep rural penetration. Publishes branch and ATM lists organized by province.

Prabhu Bank: prabhubankltd.com

Nepal Investment Mega Bank: nimbank.com.np

Kumari Bank: kumaribank.com

Laxmi Sunrise Bank: laxmisunrisebank.com

Nepal Bank Limited (est. 1937): nepalbank.com.np

Agriculture Development Bank: adbl.gov.np (specifically useful if you are in the agriculture or rural sector and need priority sector lending products)

THE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT BANK: RURAL REACH THAT COMMERCIAL DATA MISSES

If the real question behind asking which bank has the most branches is "which bank has the deepest presence in rural Nepal," the Agriculture Development Bank of Nepal (ADBL or Krishi Bikash Bank) deserves extended attention.

ADBL was established in 1968 with the specific mandate to finance agricultural development, rural entrepreneurship, and cooperative development. Its mandate from NRB and from its enabling legislation keeps it focused on agricultural credit, small farmer support, and rural financial inclusion in ways that purely profit-driven commercial banks cannot replicate.

Its approximately 287 branches have geographic distribution that includes districts and municipalities that most private commercial banks have not served because the commercial economics of serving very rural, low-income, dispersed populations do not justify branch investment. ADBL's government-mandated purpose allows it to serve these communities at a scale that the pure commercial logic would not support.

For farmers seeking agricultural loans, livestock financing, or crop insurance-linked credit, ADBL is often the most relevant institution regardless of its position in the raw branch count ranking. Its Rural Credit Division, Small Farmer Agriculture Cooperative Limited (SFACL) program, and various deprived-sector lending programs have reached millions of rural Nepali households over its operating history.

ADBL is listed on NEPSE with the symbol ADBL and generates sufficient profit from its agricultural lending book to sustain its operations and provide shareholder returns while maintaining its development mandate.

THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE BRANCH QUESTION

A genuine intellectual challenge in answering the "which bank has most branches" question in 2026 is that the branch itself is becoming a different thing from what it was a decade ago.

Ten years ago, visiting a bank branch was the only realistic way to open an account, apply for a loan, or execute a significant transaction. Today, NRB mandates that all commercial banks offer digital banking platforms. Account opening can be initiated online at most banks. Loan applications can be submitted digitally. Fund transfers happen through eSewa and Khalti. Bill payments happen through QR codes. The branch is now primarily where you go for high-complexity transactions, formal documentation, and face-to-face advisory services.

This shift matters for how branch count data should be interpreted. A bank with 360 branches in 2026 is not simply "more accessible" than a bank with 200 branches in the way that would have been true in 2010. The 200-branch bank might have superior mobile banking, better QR coverage in rural districts, and more effective agent banking partnerships that collectively serve more customers more conveniently than the larger physical network.

NRB's Digital Finance Innovation Hub, launched in 2025, provides a regulatory sandbox where fintech startups can test new digital payment ideas before going to market. The Digital Nepal Framework 2.0, also from 2025, targets expanded digital infrastructure, improved digital literacy, and sustainable growth in digital economic participation. These initiatives signal that the branch count story of Nepal's banking will be supplemented and eventually partially supplanted by a digital access story.

Deposit rates across commercial banks have moderated in Baisakh 2083 (April 2026), with maximum rates on individual fixed deposits falling below 5% across all banks, down from rates above 5% in Chaitra 2082. This easing reflects excess liquidity in the banking system and the NRB's accommodative monetary stance. For depositors comparing banks, the rate difference between institutions has narrowed significantly compared to the competitive rate environment of 2022 to 2023.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR CHOOSING A BANK IN NEPAL

The branch count question is usually, when you dig into what the person is actually asking, a proxy for a more specific need. Here is a framework for matching that need to the right institution.

If you need a bank with guaranteed presence in your specific district or municipality: use any bank's online branch locator filtered by your location. NIC Asia and Global IME have the highest probability of having a branch in your area of any private bank. RBB and ADBL are the best options for government bank reach in very rural areas.

If you need agricultural or small farmer credit: ADBL is the first call, followed by NMB and NIC Asia which have significant deprived-sector and agricultural portfolios.

If you are a business doing international transactions and need a bank with strong correspondent relationships: Standard Chartered, Nabil Bank, Himalayan Bank, and Nepal SBI are known for their trade finance capabilities and correspondent bank networks.

If you are an NRN sending remittances to family in Nepal: Global IME Bank has the IME remittance corridor integration, making it particularly convenient for family members who receive remittances through the IME network. Multiple other banks also have remittance partnerships with major transfer operators.

If you want the best digital banking experience: NIC Asia, Nabil Bank, and Global IME are consistently cited for their mobile banking applications, while Standard Chartered's SC Mobile app has won international recognition for quality.

If you prioritize deposit safety above all else: All 20 commercial banks are regulated by NRB with minimum capital adequacy requirements. Government-owned banks (RBB, Nepal Bank, ADBL) carry implicit government backing. The Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund (DCGF) provides deposit insurance up to a regulatory limit for all licensed commercial banks.

The branch count ranking tells you something real about accessibility and reach. It does not tell you everything about which bank will serve you best for your specific needs.

HOW NEPAL'S BANKING SYSTEM RECOVERED FROM THE 2022-2023 CREDIT CRUNCH

Any discussion of Nepal's banking sector in 2026 that does not mention the credit crunch of fiscal year 2022/23 is missing a significant chapter that explains why the sector looks the way it does today.

In 2021 and early 2022, Nepal's post-pandemic recovery created a credit boom. Banks expanded their loan books aggressively, particularly in real estate, share-margin lending (loans against NEPSE stocks), and consumer credit. Nepal Rastra Bank, watching credit-to-deposit ratios reach unsustainably high levels and private sector credit growth running well above 20% annually, tightened monetary policy sharply from mid-2022 onward. Interest rates rose. The credit-to-capital-and-deposit (CCD) ratio ceiling was enforced strictly. Credit growth slowed abruptly.

The consequence: businesses and individuals who had borrowed at lower rates in 2020 and 2021 found themselves servicing those loans at higher costs in 2022 and 2023. Non-performing loan ratios climbed across the banking system. NPL ratios for commercial banks rose from relatively low levels in 2021 to elevated levels in 2023, with some mid-tier banks reporting NPLs approaching 5% to 6% of total loan portfolios, well above the acceptable threshold.

The merger-and-consolidation wave that was simultaneously happening was both a structural reform driven by capital requirements and a practical tool for managing troubled institutions. Some of the mergers involved stronger institutions absorbing weaker ones, which is a classic pattern in banking consolidation globally. The absorbing institution takes on the acquired institution's branch network, customer base, and loan portfolio, and uses its stronger capital and risk management infrastructure to work through the problematic assets.

By fiscal year 2023/24, credit conditions had begun normalizing. NRB's Bank Supervision Report for that year showed total deposits growing 13.18% to NPR 5,756.81 billion and loans growing to NPR 4,569.08 billion. The interest spread, which had been compressed by the rate environment, stood at 3.98% in 2023/24, somewhat down from 4.45% the previous year. The system was stabilizing.

For deposit holders and businesses choosing where to bank in 2026, the NPL history matters. A bank that managed its loan quality well through the 2022 to 2023 stress period, maintained strong provisioning, and entered 2024 with clean books is better positioned to continue serving customers effectively than one that entered 2024 with significant problem loan legacies still on its balance sheet. NRB's quarterly banking statistics, available at nrb.org.np, publish NPL ratios for all commercial banks. Checking these before making a major banking decision (opening a business account, taking a loan) is sensible due diligence.

THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUND AND EMPLOYER BANKING OBLIGATIONS

A significant development in Nepal's formal sector banking that directly affects how employees interact with commercial banks is the Social Security Fund (SSF), which became mandatory for formal sector employers in 2019 and has progressively expanded.

The SSF requires employers in the formal sector to deduct a defined percentage of employees' salaries and contribute an employer portion to the fund, which provides benefits including medical care, accident insurance, retirement benefits, and maternity/paternity benefits. These contributions are processed through the SSF's digital system and deposited in accounts held at designated banks.

For small businesses, understanding SSF compliance is now inseparable from understanding banking because: SSF contributions must be deposited in specific accounts; the bank account used for business operations must be linked to the SSF system; payroll processes must include SSF deduction calculations; and failure to comply with SSF requirements triggers fines.

Most commercial banks have developed SSF-linked payroll services for their business customers. NIC Asia, Global IME, and other large banks with substantial SME client bases have streamlined processes for registering employees in SSF through the bank's business banking platform. This integration of banking and employment compliance infrastructure is one of the ways that having an account at a large, well-resourced commercial bank with good digital systems adds practical value beyond basic transaction processing.

REMITTANCES AND THE BANKING SYSTEM: NEPAL'S CRITICAL INFLOW

Nepal's remittance inflows are one of the most important economic statistics in the country and have a direct relationship with the commercial banking system. In fiscal year 2023/24, remittances accounted for approximately 25% of Nepal's GDP, making Nepal one of the most remittance-dependent economies in the world.

Every remittance transfer that arrives through formal banking channels passes through the commercial banking system. The major remittance corridors for Nepal are: the Gulf countries (Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman), Malaysia, India, Japan, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The volume from the Gulf and Malaysia dominates by number of transactions; the volume from the US, UK, and South Korea dominates by average transaction size.

The banks with the strongest remittance corridor partnerships are among the most important institutions in the country for millions of Nepali families. Global IME Bank has a particularly strong position through its IME remittance brand, which has one of the widest payout networks in Nepal and strong relationships with Gulf and Southeast Asian money transfer operators. Nepal SBI Bank leverages its relationship with State Bank of India for the India-Nepal remittance corridor. Everest Bank (joint venture with Punjab National Bank) similarly benefits from its Indian banking partnership for the India corridor.

For a family member waiting for a remittance in a rural district, the question of which bank to use is often answered by which bank has a branch or branchless agent nearest to them, or which bank is connected to the remittance service their family member abroad uses to send money. This practical routing reality is one of the reasons that branch count and branchless banking agent network both matter enormously in rural Nepal, where the physical access to receive cash continues to be the bottleneck for many families.

By the end of fiscal year 2023/24, remittances had grown significantly in NPR terms, partly reflecting the depreciation of the NPR against the USD and Gulf currencies. Families with members working abroad received more rupees for the same USD amount, which improved household income in real terms for many rural Nepali families even as the cost of imports rose for the broader economy.

OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT IN NEPAL: WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED

This is a practical question that both Nepali citizens and NRNs (Non-Resident Nepalis) ask regularly, and the answer differs by account type.

For a standard individual savings account in Nepal, the typical requirements at most commercial banks in 2026 are: your citizenship certificate (nagarikta) or National Identity Card (NID), a recent passport-sized photograph, your PAN number, and the minimum deposit to open the account (varies from NPR 0 at some banks to NPR 5,000 or more at others). NRB has pushed banks to reduce minimum balance requirements as part of financial inclusion policy, and many banks now offer zero-minimum-balance accounts.

For NRNs opening accounts in Nepal from abroad, the requirements include: a valid Nepali passport, NRN identity card if held, documentation of foreign address, and in some cases proof of source of funds. Some commercial banks have dedicated NRN banking desks. Standard Chartered, Nabil Bank, and Himalayan Bank have experience serving NRN customers given their international orientation. The process may require either an in-person visit during a Nepal trip or use of authorized representative arrangements, depending on the bank and the account type.

For business accounts (corporate current accounts), the required documents include: company registration certificate from OCR, PAN certificate, MOA and AOA, resolution of the board of directors authorizing account opening, and identity documents for the authorized signatories. Most banks can open a standard business account within one to three business days when all documents are in order.

For farmers and rural customers, the Agriculture Development Bank's Jan Dhan Yojana-equivalent accounts and similar simplified account products have reduced documentation requirements as part of NRB's financial inclusion mandate. Some microfinance institutions and cooperatives operate even simpler account opening processes specifically designed for customers without formal documentation.

THE QUESTION BEHIND THE QUESTION

Most people who search "which bank has the most branches in Nepal" are not actually interested in the abstract ranking. They are asking one of several underlying questions: which bank can I open an account at wherever I live? Which bank can my family member in a remote district access to receive my remittances? Which bank should I trust with my business account? Which bank is safest for my savings?

Those are all answerable questions, and the branch count provides partial but not complete guidance for all of them.

If you need the widest geographic reach for personal banking: NIC Asia (360 branches) and Global IME (420 branches) are the two institutions most likely to have presence wherever you are in Nepal. For government banking and rural districts: Rastriya Banijya Bank and the Agriculture Development Bank have the deepest historical penetration in areas where private banks have been slower to open.

If you are building a business and need corporate banking services with strong digital integration: Nabil Bank, NIC Asia, Himalayan Bank, and Standard Chartered have track records in corporate and SME banking with international transaction capabilities.

If you are receiving remittances from abroad: check which bank your family member's money transfer service uses as its Nepal partner. Global IME's IME connection, Everest Bank's PNB connection, and Nepal SBI's SBI connection each serve specific corridors particularly well.

If you want the best mobile banking and digital services: NIC Asia's NIC Asia Mobile app, Nabil's Nabil SmartBanking, and Global IME's digital platforms have been consistently recognized for quality. Standard Chartered's SC Mobile has won international awards for Nepal specifically.

The branch count number is the starting point. Your specific situation is where the useful answer lives.