Are IOE seats reserved for foreign nationals, and how do they apply?

One-twelfth of the full-fee seats at constituent campuses is reserved for foreign nationals, with three different entrance routes depending on where you studied and whether your country is in SAARC.

There is a published reservation and, unusually, three separate entrance routes rather than one.

The reservation

At IOE constituent campuses, a number of seats equal to one-twelfth of the full-fee seats in the full-fee programme is reserved for foreign nationals. It sits on the full-fee side only, so it does not draw on the subsidised Regular pool.

The three routes

Category of applicant	Entrance route
Foreign students who studied at a campus or higher secondary school in Nepal	Must sit and pass the entrance examination on the same basis as Nepali students
Students from SAARC countries	Must sit and pass the examination designated by the IOE Entrance Examination Board
Students from countries outside SAARC	May be admitted with the approval of the Entrance Examination Board

What the routes have in common

Applicants who meet the minimum eligibility and pass are then eligible for admission at the constituent campuses. Route three is an approval rather than an examination, but it is still an approval you have to obtain rather than a formality.

The documents

Foreign applicants submit an attested copy of their passport. Indian applicants submit an identity certificate with photograph issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal.

And check the arithmetic before assuming a government campus is cheaper

The foreign rate at a constituent campus is about Rs 14,50,761 for four years, or Rs 15,65,761 with deposits. A TU-affiliated private college can work out considerably cheaper for an international student, which is the reverse of the position for a Nepali student holding a Regular seat.

Section 6.5 of the booklet, page 18, with documents from section 7.2. Fee figures from section 9, page 20.

Sources

IOE B.E./B.Arch Booklet 2083 · published 7 August 2026 · read 18 August 2026

Last reviewed 19 August 2026 by Ram Raj Thapa, Admissions Officer, Imperial College of Engineering. Every figure on this page is cited to the document it came from.

What do foreign students pay for a BE at IOE?
About Rs 14,50,761 for four years at a constituent campus, or Rs 15,65,761 including deposits, with Rs 5,35,599 payable at first admission.
Which documents do I need at IOE admission?
Originals plus one attested copy of your SEE and +2 transcripts, board certificates, character certificates and citizenship. Equivalence and migration certificates apply only if you came from outside TU or NEB.
What is the difference between an IOE Regular and Full Fee seat?
Regular seats are heavily subsidised and allocated on merit; Full Fee seats cost roughly nine times as much for the same degree. They are separate seat pools with separate counts.