It seems nothing gets done in the Department of Immigration if you do not bribe someone. Recently, an employee asked a foreign woman for a bribe. The woman pounced on him and gave him a piece of her mind. After that, frustrated, she broke down and cried. Everyone was stunned for a moment. Then the woman shouted that she would never again come to Nepal and that she really hated this country.

This is nothing new-most foreigners will be able to relate to this and probably narrate similar stories. It is an open secret that department employees won't lift a finger unless bribed. People who do not offer a bribe are forced into a tangle of red tape. Eventually they get frustrated, and give up.

Tourism industry insiders say that even as the number of tourists is drastically decreasing, the Department of Immigration seems to be doing all it can to chase away the few who do come. Most tourists unfortunate enough to have a run in with these officials swear they will never return to Nepal.

Even after completing all formalities you need to pay a bribe of anything between Rs2,000-10,000 for a trekking license. In some cases the bribe shoots up to Rs15,000. The bribe for a visa extension is anywhere between Rs1,000-Rs10,000. (Deshanter has named three Department of Immigration employees who it says are the most corrupt. -Ed)