The government of Nepal will shutter its Consulate General in San Francisco along with five other overseas diplomatic missions as part of an aggressive cost-cutting and diplomatic restructuring plan, according to the fiscal year 2026-27 budget announced Thursday.
Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle delivered the announcement during a joint session of the federal parliament in Kathmandu, citing the need to reduce administrative overhead and optimize state resources. Government officials noted that the targeted missions carried heavy financial burdens relative to their economic diplomacy returns, such as foreign investment attraction, tourism, and trade.
The sweeping closures eliminate two consulates general, three embassies, and one embassy branch office. In addition to the San Francisco post, Nepal will close its consulate general in Chengdu, China. The Nepali embassies in Denmark (Copenhagen), Brazil (Brasilia), and South Africa (Pretoria) are also slated for closure, along with an embassy liaison office in Visakhapatnam, India.
The dissolution of the San Francisco consulate comes less than a year after it began full operations. The Nepali government formally approved the establishment of the post on Jan. 10, 2025, to address the growing needs of the diaspora on the U.S. West Coast. The mission opened its doors on July 1, 2025, and initiated full consular services on Sept. 22, 2025.
The closure is expected to directly impact hundreds of thousands of Nepali residents living in California and neighboring western states. For the past nine months, the San Francisco post provided regional access to passport renewals, visa processing, power of attorney authorizations, and document legalization.
With the West Coast office closing, residents in the region will once again have to rely on the Embassy of Nepal in Washington, D.C., or the Consulate General in New York for routine consular services. Local community members have already expressed concerns that the move will revive prolonged processing times and shipping logistics for essential paperwork.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to initiate the administrative process to wind down the operations, recall or reassign active diplomatic staff, and transition services to the remaining U.S. missions. A detailed timeline regarding the final operational date for the San Francisco consulate and transition instructions for applicants will be released by the ministry in the coming days.
Susan Shrestha
View More PostsSusan Shrestha is a Europe-based journalist. He covers a wide range of topics, from local matters to global affairs. Shrestha previously worked as a reporter for Khasokhas in Nepal.
