Born in 1950, Andrew Hall studied at the University of Keele (Staffordshire) and the University of London's School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS). He spent a year from 1977-78 undertaking research in the Langtang region for his doctoral thesis on the social anthropology of Nepal. Andrew joined the Diplomatic Service in 1980 as a specialist on South Asian affairs and has served as follows:

1980-1984 Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London: Senior Research Officer, Research Department

1984-1987 British High Commission, New Delhi: First Secretary, Political Department

1987-1991 FCO, London: Principal Research Officer, Research & Analysis Department

1991-1994 British Embassy, Kathmandu: Deputy Head of Mission, First Secretary and Consul

1995-2003 FCO, London: Senior Principal Research Officer, then Research Counsellor, South & South East Asia Research Group

2003-2006 British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata: Deputy High Commissioner in Eastern India

July 2006 Kathmandu: British Ambassador to Nepal

He is married to Kathie. They have two daughters.