Filing a court case in Nepal requires paying a court fee based on the monetary value of your claim. The Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 (2017) governs how these fees are calculated across District Courts, High Courts, and the Supreme Court. Use the calculator below to instantly determine the exact court fee for your case.
Calculate Your Court Fee
Fee Breakdown
| Claim Slab | Rate | Amount (NRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Court Fee | ||
Court Fee Slabs in Nepal (Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074)
The Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 establishes a progressive slab system. Instead of charging a flat percentage, Nepal's court fee increases at a declining rate as the claim amount rises. This makes the system proportionally fairer for large claims.
| Claim Amount (NRS) | Court Fee Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to 25,000 | Flat Rs 500 |
| 25,001 to 50,000 | 5% of excess over 25,000 |
| 50,001 to 1,00,000 | 3.5% of excess over 50,000 |
| 1,00,001 to 5,00,000 | 2% of excess over 1,00,000 |
| 5,00,001 to 25,00,000 | 1.5% of excess over 5,00,000 |
| Above 25,00,000 | 1% of excess over 25,00,000 |
All slabs are cumulative. For example, a claim of NRS 3,00,000 passes through the first four slabs: Rs 500 (flat) + Rs 1,250 (5% of 25,000) + Rs 1,750 (3.5% of 50,000) + Rs 4,000 (2% of 2,00,000) = Rs 7,500 total court fee.
Which Cases Require Court Fee Payment?
Court fees apply to civil cases where a monetary claim is involved. The fee is paid at the time of filing the case at the court registry. Common case types that require court fee payment include:
- Property disputes — land ownership, boundary disagreements, partition suits
- Debt recovery — loan repayment claims, cheque bounce cases under the Negotiable Instrument Act
- Contract disputes — breach of contract, non-performance claims
- Family property — ancestral property division, marriage-related property claims
- Insurance claims — disputed insurance payouts
- Commercial disputes — partnership dissolution, business valuation disputes
- Compensation claims — damages, personal injury where monetary value is claimed
Cases Exempt from Court Fee
- Criminal cases filed by the state (government prosecution)
- Habeas corpus and fundamental rights petitions
- Cases filed by indigent persons (with court permission)
- Labour disputes under the Labour Act 2074
- Certain family law matters where no monetary claim is made
Court Fee for Appeals and Revisions
The slab rates shown above apply to District Court (first instance / trial court) filings. When a case is appealed or revised, additional fees are calculated as a percentage of the original court fee:
| Filing Type | Fee Calculation | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Original Plaint (District Court) | Full slab calculation on claim amount | Section 68-69, Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 |
| Appeal (High Court) | 15% additional on the original court fee | Section 73, Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 |
| Review / Revision Petition | 10% additional on the original court fee | Section 74, Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 |
For example, if your District Court fee is Rs 10,000, the High Court appeal fee would be Rs 1,500 (15% of 10,000) and a review petition fee would be Rs 1,000 (10% of 10,000). These are additional fees paid on top of the original court fee already paid.
How to Pay Court Fee in Nepal
Court fees must be paid before your case is officially registered. The payment process is straightforward:
- Calculate your fee — use the calculator above or consult the court registry
- Obtain a court fee stamp (Adalat Shulka Ticket) — available at the court's revenue counter or designated bank branches
- Attach the stamp to your plaint — the court fee stamp is affixed to the first page of your court filing (firdaad patra)
- Submit to the court registry — the registrar verifies the correct fee amount before accepting the case
Many courts in the Kathmandu Valley now accept payment through bank deposit as well. Confirm the accepted payment method with your specific court before visiting.
Court Fee Refund Rules
You may be eligible for a court fee refund in these situations:
- Mediation settlement — if your case is resolved through court-annexed mediation before the final hearing, you can claim a refund of the court fee
- Overpayment — if you paid more than the required fee amount
- Case withdrawal — partial refund may be available if the case is withdrawn at an early stage
- Duplicate payment — if the same fee was paid twice due to administrative error
To request a refund, file an application with the court where the fee was paid, along with the original receipt and supporting documents.
Court Fee for Common Case Types: Examples
| Case Type | Typical Claim Amount | Court Fee (District Court) |
|---|---|---|
| Small debt recovery | Rs 50,000 | Rs 1,750 |
| Cheque bounce case | Rs 2,00,000 | Rs 5,500 |
| Property partition | Rs 10,00,000 | Rs 19,000 |
| Land dispute | Rs 50,00,000 | Rs 66,500 |
| Major commercial dispute | Rs 1,00,00,000 | Rs 1,16,500 |
Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074: Key Provisions
Part 5 (Sections 63–74) of the Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 governs court fee calculation and collection. It replaced the older Court Fee Act 2017 BS and introduced the current slab-based system. Key provisions every litigant should know:
- Section 63 — establishes the obligation to pay court fees when filing any civil case involving monetary claims
- Sections 68–69 — define the progressive slab rates for calculating court fees based on claim amount (as shown in the calculator above)
- Section 70 — prescribes flat fees for specific case types: Rs 500 for divorce petitions, Rs 1,000 for partition suits, and Rs 2,500 for unspecified contract disputes
- Section 73 — appeal fees: 15% additional on the original court fee for appeals to a higher court
- Section 74 — review/revision fees: 10% additional on the original court fee for review or revision petitions
If you need legal representation for filing a court case, a law firm in Nepal can assist with fee calculation, document preparation, and case filing at the appropriate court.
Need Help Filing a Court Case?
Court Marriage in Nepal Pvt. Ltd. and Alpine Law Associates provide court fee calculation, case filing, and representation across all courts in Nepal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Court fees in Nepal use a progressive slab system under the Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074. Claims up to Rs 25,000 pay a flat Rs 500. Higher amounts are charged at declining rates: 5% (25,001-50,000), 3.5% (50,001-1,00,000), 2% (1,00,001-5,00,000), 1.5% (5,00,001-25,00,000), and 1% (above 25,00,000).
The minimum court fee in Nepal is Rs 500 for civil cases with a claim amount up to Rs 25,000. This flat fee applies regardless of whether your claim is Rs 1,000 or Rs 25,000.
For a Rs 10,00,000 claim: Rs 500 (first slab) + Rs 1,250 (5%) + Rs 1,750 (3.5%) + Rs 8,000 (2%) + Rs 7,500 (1.5%) = Rs 19,000 total court fee at the District Court level.
Criminal cases prosecuted by the state do not require court fee payment. However, private complaints with monetary claims (like cheque bounce cases) do require court fees based on the claimed amount.
Under Section 73 of the Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074, the High Court appeal fee is 15% additional on the original District Court fee. If your District Court fee was Rs 10,000, the High Court appeal fee would be Rs 1,500. For review or revision petitions, Section 74 prescribes 10% additional on the original court fee.
Yes. Court fees may be refunded if the case is settled through mediation before the final hearing, if there was an overpayment, or if the case is withdrawn early. Apply to the court that received the fee with your original receipt.
The Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 (मुलुकी देवानी कार्यविधि संहिता, २०७४) governs court fee calculation and collection in Nepal. It replaced the earlier Court Fee Act 2017 BS and established the current progressive slab system.
Purchase a court fee stamp (Adalat Shulka Ticket) from the court's revenue counter or designated bank branch. Affix the stamp to the first page of your court filing and submit it to the court registry for verification.
The slab rates are the same across all District Courts in Nepal. However, additional fees apply at higher court levels: appeals attract a 15% additional fee on the original court fee (Section 73), and review/revision petitions attract a 10% additional fee (Section 74).
If you underpay, the court registry will reject your filing until the correct fee is paid. If you overpay, you can apply for a refund of the excess amount. The court may also reject or dismiss a case filing if the prescribed court fee is not paid correctly.
Yes. The Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 allows indigent persons to apply for fee exemption. The court may waive the fee after verifying the applicant's financial status. Legal aid services in Nepal also help cover court costs for eligible persons.
Divorce petition filing itself has a nominal fee. However, if the divorce involves monetary claims such as property division, alimony, or compensation, court fees are calculated on the claimed monetary amount using the standard slab rates.
Yes. Your lawyer or legal representative can purchase the court fee stamp and file the case on your behalf under a power of attorney. This is standard practice when clients hire a law firm in Nepal for case filing.
No. The Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 does not differentiate between Nepali citizens and foreign nationals. The same slab rates apply regardless of the nationality of the litigant.
You can use the free court fee calculator on this page. Enter your claim amount and the calculator instantly shows the exact fee with a slab-by-slab breakdown. You can also calculate manually using the Muluki Civil Procedure Code 2074 slab rates.
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