The Nepalese rupee symbol is written as रू, the Devanagari short form of रुपैयाँ (rupaiyā), or as the ISO code NPR. There is no single Unicode character for it, the way the Indian rupee has ₹. To use it, copy रू or NPR below, or just type the three letters NPR on any keyboard.
रू is not one symbol but two Devanagari characters: र (letter Ra, U+0930) with a u-vowel sign stacked on it (U+0942). Because it is an abbreviation rather than a purpose-built glyph, no operating system has an Alt code or a one-key shortcut for it. That is the key thing to know before you go hunting for one.
Nepalese rupee symbol: codes and characters
The Alt code column below is empty on purpose. The Windows Alt-code tables cover Latin, punctuation and a handful of symbols, not Devanagari, so there is nothing to type. Use the hex Unicode values for Word, or the copy buttons above.
| Form | Name / note | Unicode (hex) | Windows Alt code (decimal) | HTML entity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| रू | Devanagari rupee abbreviation (र + u-vowel) | U+0930 U+0942 | No Alt code (two-character sequence) | रू |
| र | Devanagari letter Ra | U+0930 | No standard Windows Alt code | र |
| ू | Devanagari vowel sign Uu | U+0942 | No standard Windows Alt code | ू |
| NPR | ISO 4217 currency code (Latin letters) | n/a | Type on any keyboard | NPR |
How to type रू on every platform
The fast routes are the same everywhere: paste रू, or type NPR. If you need the Devanagari text natively, add a Nepali keyboard layout. Here is the exact path on each platform.
Windows
There is no Windows Alt code for रू, and the Win+. emoji panel does not carry Devanagari letters either. Copy the glyph above, or type NPR.
To pull the characters without pasting, open Character Map (press Start, type charmap, Enter), set the font to Nirmala UI or Mangal, find र and ू, and copy both. To type Nepali often, add the layout under Settings, Time & language, Language & region, Add a language, नेपाली.
Mac
Macs have no Alt codes, and no Option shortcut produces रू. Open the Character Viewer with Ctrl+Cmd+Space, search devanagari letter ra for र and devanagari vowel sign uu for ू, then double-click each.
For regular use, add the input source: System Settings, Keyboard, Input Sources, the plus button, then Nepali or Devanagari. Switch to it from the menu-bar flag and type as you would on a Nepali keyboard.
Microsoft Word (and Outlook, OneNote)
Word can build रू from hex Unicode. Type 0930 and press Alt+X to get र, then type 0942 and press Alt+X to stack the ू vowel sign on top.
Insert, Symbol, More Symbols with the subset set to Devanagari does the same through a menu. Note that Alt+X uses hexadecimal and works only in Word, Outlook and OneNote, not in Excel, PowerPoint or Google Docs.
Excel and PowerPoint
Neither app supports Alt+X. In Excel, a formula assembles the sequence: =UNICHAR(2352)&UNICHAR(2370) returns रू, where 2352 and 2370 are the decimal values of U+0930 and U+0942.
In PowerPoint, paste the glyph or use Insert, Symbol and pick the two Devanagari characters. If a slide font lacks Devanagari, type NPR so the text does not fall back to empty boxes.
Google Docs and Sheets
In Google Docs, open Insert, Special characters and search devanagari, then click र and ू. Pasting रू is quicker for a one-off.
Google Sheets has no symbol menu at all. Use =UNICHAR(2352)&UNICHAR(2370), or paste the glyph. Press F2 to enter edit mode first if you are using a system input method inside a cell.
iPhone and Android
Both need a Nepali keyboard rather than a shortcut. On iPhone: Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards, Add New Keyboard, नेपाली. On Android with Gboard: Settings, Languages, Add keyboard, Nepali.
Switch to it with the globe key and type ru. For a single use, paste रू or type NPR, which every keyboard already has.
Chromebook
ChromeOS has no Alt codes. Use Unicode entry: hold Ctrl+Shift+U, type 0930, press Enter or Space for र, then repeat with 0942 for ू. Type the hex only, with no U+ prefix; an underlined u confirms the mode.
To type Nepali properly, add it under Settings, Advanced, Languages and inputs, Inputs, Add input methods, Nepali. If a web field swallows the shortcut, paste instead.
Notion, Slack, Discord and Canva
None of these has a currency shortcut for रू, so paste it or type NPR. To make रू reusable, set an OS text replacement and it will expand inside every one of these apps.
On Mac, add it under System Settings, Keyboard, Text Replacements. On iPhone, use Settings, General, Keyboard, Text Replacement.
On Windows, PowerToys has a similar text-expansion feature. Map something like npru to रू.
Where the Nepalese rupee sign is used
In Nepal, prices appear as रू 500, Rs 500 or Rs. 500, while banks, forex apps and cross-border invoices use NPR. The Devanagari रू shows up on receipts, price tags and Nepali-language websites.
For spreadsheets, accounting and anything that needs to sort or convert cleanly, NPR is the safer choice, because it is plain Latin text and never renders as boxes.
Why there is no single Nepalese rupee symbol
The Nepalese rupee (रुपैयाँ) divides into 100 paisa. Unlike the Indian rupee, which received its own dedicated character ₹ (U+20B9) in 2010, the Nepalese rupee never got a separate Unicode symbol.
So writers reuse the abbreviation रू, the Latin Rs, or the ISO 4217 code NPR. All three are correct, and NPR is the least ambiguous in international contexts.
Symbols people confuse with रू
The closest lookalike is the Pakistani rupee (₨), which, unlike the Nepalese rupee, does have a single ligature character. Nepal’s larger neighbour uses the Indian rupee ₹, and the two rupees get mixed up constantly even though only ₹ has a dedicated glyph.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Nepalese rupee have its own symbol like the Indian rupee?
No. There is no dedicated Unicode character for it. It is written as रू, Rs, or the ISO code NPR. The Indian rupee’s ₹ (U+20B9) is a purpose-made character; the Nepalese rupee never received one.
Why does रू show up as boxes or split into pieces?
The device lacks a Devanagari font, or it cannot combine र with the ू vowel sign. Switch to a font that supports Devanagari, such as Nirmala UI, Mangal or Noto Sans Devanagari, or use NPR where the font is uncertain.
Is रू the same as ₹ or ₨?
No. ₹ is the Indian rupee and ₨ is the older rupee ligature used for Pakistan; both are single characters. रू is a two-letter Devanagari abbreviation for Nepal and carries no dedicated code point of its own.
Can I just type NPR instead of रू?
Yes. NPR is the ISO 4217 code and is unambiguous in banking, invoices, forex and spreadsheets. It types on any keyboard with no special setup, which is why it is the safest choice for cross-border documents.
Will रू work in a username or bio?
Usually, since it is standard Unicode text. Some platforms block non-Latin scripts or strip combining marks, though, so if रू breaks or shows as boxes, fall back to Rs or NPR.
Related guides
See where the Nepalese rupee sits in the full world currency symbols list, or browse every currency symbol guide. To grab any glyph fast, use the copy-and-paste symbols tool.