Nepal, May 7 -- The government has formally reopened the door for duty-free shops at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), ending nearly two decades of closure. The decision comes with the publication of the Customs Regulations 2026 in the Nepal Gazette, which lays out clear legal and procedural frameworks for licensing and operating such outlets.

The regulation marks a significant policy shift, as duty-free shops had been absent from Nepal's only international airport since 2008. That year, then Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai ordered the closure of the decades-old shop operated by National Trading Ltd, citing heavy financial losses. The enterprise was later merged into the Food Management and Trading Company, leaving travelers wit...