NTC USSD Codes List (2026): Every Nepal Telecom Short Code That Actually Works

Last verified against Nepal Telecom's official short-code pages: 19 September 2026 · Written and tested on a live NTC prepaid SIM in Kathmandu.

Every NTC user hits the same wall eventually. You're at a tea shop in Baneshwor, your data dies mid-call, and you cannot remember whether the balance code is *400# or *440#. You search for it, and you land on a page that dumps forty codes in one unsorted table — half of them retired years ago — with no way of telling which ones still work.

This page fixes that. Below is the complete NTC USSD codes list for 2026, grouped by what you're actually trying to do, with every code marked as officially listed by Nepal Telecom, widely used but not on NTC's current pages, or retired. It also covers the things the other NTC code lists leave out entirely: the hidden GSM interrogation codes that work on any NTC SIM, the call-forwarding USSD scam that has been circulating in Nepal, which codes silently fail on postpaid, and how to fix the "Connection problem or invalid MMI code" error.

The NTC USSD Cheat Sheet (Screenshot This)

If you only save one thing from this page, save this. These ten codes cover roughly 90% of what NTC subscribers dial in a normal month.

How to Dial an NTC USSD Code (and What USSD Actually Is)

USSD stands for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data. In plain terms, it's a real-time text channel between your phone and Nepal Telecom's servers that runs over the signalling network rather than over data. That's why a USSD code works when your data pack has expired, when you're on 2G in a village with one bar, and on a Rs. 1,500 button phone that has never seen an app store.

1. Open the phone dialer — not the SMS app, not a browser.
2. Type the code exactly, including the leading * and the closing #.
3. Press the call button. On a dual-SIM phone, press the call button for the SIM slot holding your NTC SIM.
4. A text box appears within a few seconds. For menu codes like *1415#, type the option number and press Send.

Two things worth knowing that most guides skip. First, dialling a USSD code costs nothing — the session itself isn't charged, though subscribing to a package from inside the menu obviously deducts the package price. Second, USSD sessions time out, usually in about 30–60 seconds. If you wander off mid-menu and come back, the session is dead and you'll get an error; redial rather than assuming the code is broken.

NTC Balance, Number & SIM Owner Codes

The difference between *9# and *922# confuses a lot of people. The first tells you the number of the SIM in your hand. The second tells you whose citizenship document that SIM is registered against — which matters when you buy a second-hand phone with a SIM still in it, or when you're trying to work out whether an old SIM is still in your own name for KYC purposes. If the name that comes back isn't yours, you'll want to read our full walkthrough on how to check the SIM owner's name in Nepal for NTC and Ncell, which also covers the transfer process at an NTC counter.

NTC Data Pack & Package Codes

Here's the practical distinction. *1415# is a shopping menu — it shows you what you can buy. *1415*55# is an inventory check — it tells you what you've already got left. Most people dial the first when they actually wanted the second, then get annoyed at scrolling through offers. If you want the full set of methods, including the app view and the SMS route, we've broken it all down in how to check your NTC data balance.

One deliberate omission on this page: we don't list package prices or MB amounts. NTC revises bundles frequently, and a code list that hardcodes "Rs. 49 for 1GB" is wrong within a month. Dial *1415# and you'll always get the live catalogue.

NTC Recharge & Balance Transfer Codes

Balance transfer: the rules nobody mentions

Balance transfer fails far more often than it succeeds on the first attempt, and it's almost always one of these constraints rather than a broken code:

• It is a prepaid GSM to prepaid GSM service. Sending to a postpaid number won't go through.
• The amount must fall inside the per-transaction limit NTC sets (commonly Rs. 10 to Rs. 500).
• There is a daily cap on the number of transfers from one number.
• The security code is per-request, not permanent. Get a fresh one via SMS each time; a code you screenshotted last month will be rejected.
• The amount goes in as a plain number. Don't type "Rs." or a decimal.

NTC Loan Code: Namaste Credit (Sapati)

Nepal Telecom's emergency balance service is called Namaste Credit, and locally almost everyone calls it sapati. It's not a cash loan — it's an advance on your own airtime that gets recovered from your next recharge.

Eligibility is the part that trips people up. Namaste Credit is offered to prepaid subscribers whose SIM has been in use for a minimum period (commonly cited as three months), and the amount you're offered depends on how long and how actively you've used the line. Two people standing next to each other can dial the same code and see different offers — or one may see none at all. That's the eligibility engine working as designed, not a fault with your SIM. The mechanics, repayment behaviour and what to do when the code returns nothing are covered in detail in our guide on how to take a loan (sapati) on NTC.

Call Forwarding, Call Waiting & ISD Codes

Hidden GSM Codes That Work on Any NTC SIM

This is the section missing from every other NTC code list, and it's the one that solves the weirdest problems. These aren't Nepal Telecom codes — they're standard GSM/3GPP codes baked into the network and your handset, which means they work on an NTC SIM whether or not NTC documents them.

Why these matter: if your friends say your phone "rings once then goes dead," or your calls are landing somewhere unexpected, dial *#21# before you blame the network or buy a new SIM. Nine times out of ten there's a stale diversion rule sitting on the line from an old voicemail service or a forwarding code someone set months ago. ##002# clears it in two seconds.

4G, VoLTE, eSIM & International Roaming

A 4G-activated SIM is only one of three conditions. You also need a handset that supports NTC's LTE bands, and you need to be standing inside actual 4G coverage. If *444# reports that your SIM isn't 4G-capable, no code will fix it — that's an older SIM and needs a physical swap at an NTC office. While you're considering a swap, note that an NTC eSIM sidesteps the plastic entirely, and the activation flow there is handled through NTC's eSIM portal rather than a USSD code.

For roaming, activate before you fly. Prepaid users can do it from *1415*7# or the NTC app. Postpaid roaming carries a minimum balance requirement and usually a counter visit with photo ID. Once you land abroad, *400# still reports your balance normally, but recharging is far easier through the app or a wallet than through any USSD string.

CRBT, Missed Call Alert, FNF & Other Services

Value-added services are also the most common source of the "my balance disappears on its own" complaint. A caller tune or alert service subscribed to once during a promotion keeps renewing quietly. If your balance is draining without calls to match, work through our list of how to activate and deactivate NTC services and switch off everything you don't recognise.

Landline, ADSL & NT Fiber (FTTH) Codes

Format note that saves a lot of failed SMS: the account number goes in with its area code and no spaces — a Kathmandu landline goes in as 01488xxxx, not 488xxxx or 01-488xxxx. Send from the mobile number linked to the account where possible.

Customer Care, IVR & Emergency Numbers

National emergency numbers (any network, including with zero balance)

Master Table: The Complete NTC Code List

Everything above in one place. On mobile, swipe the table sideways; on desktop, use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to jump straight to the service you need.

Prepaid vs Postpaid: Which Codes Actually Work for You

This is the single biggest reason a code "doesn't work," and no other NTC code list spells it out. Several codes are built around a prepaid balance object that postpaid accounts simply don't have.

USSD Safety: Codes You Should Never Dial Because Someone Asked You To

Three rules that will keep you out of trouble:

• Never dial a code someone reads to you over the phone. Nepal Telecom does not need you to dial anything to verify your identity.
• A legitimate code never starts with a number you were given. Genuine NTC codes are short and public — they're all on this page and on ntc.net.np. If it contains a ten-digit mobile number, it is forwarding your calls somewhere.
• If you already dialled one, act now. Dial *#21# to see what's active, then ##002# to clear every diversion, then call 1498 and change any account passwords that use SMS or voice OTP.

The same caution applies to balance transfer. Nobody from NTC will ever ask for your SCODE, and an "agent" who wants you to dial *422*…# on their instruction is asking you to hand over your own airtime.

NTC USSD Code Not Working? 11 Fixes, Ordered by How Often They Work

If you're seeing "Connection problem or invalid MMI code" — the single most common USSD error on Android — work down this list in order.

1. Check which SIM you dialled from. On a dual-SIM phone the dialler defaults to SIM 1. If your NTC SIM sits in slot 2, the code went to the wrong operator and failed. Long-press the call button to pick the slot, or set NTC as the default for calls.
2. Redial once. USSD sessions genuinely drop under load, especially in the evening. A second attempt fixes this more often than anything else.
3. Retype the code from scratch. Don't edit a code sitting in your dialler history — an invisible leading space or a missing # is enough to break it.
4. Toggle airplane mode on for ten seconds, then off. This forces a fresh network attach and clears a stuck session.
5. Check your signal. USSD rides the signalling channel; one bar in a concrete stairwell isn't enough. Step outside or near a window.
6. Switch network mode. On some handsets, a locked "LTE only" setting blocks USSD. Set the preferred network type back to an auto/LTE-3G-2G option and retry.
7. Turn off Wi-Fi calling / VoWiFi temporarily. It can intercept dialler input on certain phones.
8. Confirm the code applies to your plan. See the prepaid vs postpaid table — a prepaid-only code returns an error on a postpaid line, and that's expected behaviour, not a fault.
9. Check eligibility for the service. Namaste Credit and some offers require a minimum SIM age and are rolled out in phases. A new SIM may simply not qualify yet.
10. Restart the phone. Clears the radio state completely. Worth doing before you conclude the code is dead.
11. Check whether the code is retired. Cross-check against the retired codes section below — a lot of pages still publish strings NTC stopped using years ago.

Still nothing? Call 1498 from the NTC SIM. It's free, and the IVR at 1415 can do balance, recharge and PUK lookups without any USSD at all.

USSD Code, Nepal Telecom App, or Self-Care Portal?

The honest summary: USSD wins on speed and reliability, the app wins on visibility. Keep the five cheat-sheet codes in your head and the app on your phone, and you're covered either way.

Retired and Changed NTC Codes

After Nepal Telecom migrated prepaid and postpaid mobile onto a convergent billing system, a batch of legacy short codes stopped behaving as documented on older blog posts. If a code below is what you found elsewhere, that's why it failed.

• *1414# — first call activation. Rarely needed now; new SIMs activate automatically.
• *1400# as a standalone menu — MCA has moved to the explicit *1400*1# / *1400*2# form.
• *411# for recharge — superseded by *412*PIN# on GSM.
• CDMA-specific strings such as the night-call package code — largely irrelevant as CDMA has wound down.
• Old SEE/result IVR codes (1600, 1601, 1602) — seasonal, active only around result publication.

What I Learned Actually Using These Codes Every Week

I've run an NTC prepaid SIM as my primary line in Kathmandu for years, alongside a second operator in slot 2. A few things you only learn by dialling these daily:

• The dual-SIM trap is real and it's the number one false alarm. I spent twenty minutes convinced *400# was down before realising the dialler had defaulted to the other SIM. If a code that worked yesterday fails today, check the slot before anything else.
• *1415*55# is the code worth memorising, not *1415#. Nine times out of ten the real question is "how much data do I have left," and the offers menu is the slow way to almost-answer it.
• Namaste Credit is best treated as a one-day bridge. It's recovered from your next top-up, so if you take it on the 20th and only recharge on the 30th, you're effectively running on fumes for ten days. Dial *1477# and check status before assuming you have full balance.
• Get the SCODE immediately before transferring, not in advance. I've had transfers rejected because I was pasting a security code from a message an hour old.
• Deactivation codes are worth running on any SIM you've had for years. On an old number I recovered a small but steady monthly drain from a caller tune subscribed to during some long-forgotten festival offer.
• Take a screenshot of *#06# now. The day you need your IMEI is the day your phone is gone and you can't dial anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bottom Line

Five codes cover most of daily life on Nepal Telecom — *400#, *9#, *922#, *1415# and *1477# — and the rest of this list is there for the day you need something specific. Bookmark the page, screenshot the cheat sheet, and if a code ever stops behaving, check the SIM slot before you check anything else.

Nepal Telecom can revise short codes without notice, so ntc.net.np remains the final authority. Everything marked Official above was checked against NTC's own service pages on the date at the top of this article, and this page is re-verified rather than left to rot.

Related guides on wilson.com.np

• How to check SIM owner name in Nepal (NTC & Ncell)
• How to take a loan (sapati) on NTC
• How to check your NTC data balance
• How to activate an eSIM on NTC in Nepal
• How to activate and deactivate NTC services