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Nepal Visa and Safety Updates

Updated: 28 January 2022

We appreciate that you are thinking of traveling to Nepal in these strange times. We also understand that you have a lot of questions before buying those flight tickets. In this post, we have aggregated information from multiple sources to help you get the complete picture, faster.

SUMMARY

Travel RestrictionsIndia: No Travel Restriction Source
United States: Level 2-Exercise Increased Caution Source
United Kingdom: Advises to travel with travel insurance. Not Red listed. Source
CDC: Travel but need to be up to date with your vaccines. Source
Tourist Visa AvailableYes Source
Visa On ArrivalAvailable only for Fully Vaccinated Travelers Source
And Countries without Nepali Embassies with a letter from a travel company
RT-PCR ReportRequired: Report has to be within 72 hours. Must have photo and bar-code.
Another Antigen Test is required upon arrival. Source
Vaccination RequirementNone
Entry RequirementsFor fully vaccinated travelers (at least 14 days prior to arrival)
1. 72 hours or less negative RT-PCR Test report ideally with a photo.
2. Vaccination certificate.
3. Hotel booking: As per the itinerary
3. CCMC form. Link

For not-vaccinated or not-fully vaccinated travelers
1. 72 hours or less negative RT-PCR Test report ideally with a photo.
2. Hotel booking: Ten days quarantine
3. CCMC form. Link
4. Recommendation letter and visa from Nepali travel agent
Quarantine RequirementFor fully vaccinated travelers (at least 14 days prior to arrival )
Have to do Antigen Test on arrival. If tested negative then are permitted to enter. If tested positive then are isolated or hospitalized as per health condition.

For not-vaccinated or not-fully vaccinated travelers
Five days of hotel quarantine at Kathmandu on Government selected hotels. RT-PCR Test is done on Day 6. List of hotels
Restrictions on Internal Movement– Private vehicles are allowed with some restrictions.
– Domestic Flights open from 1 July 2021. Source
– Local public vehicles are allowed
Everest Region Entry Requirement– Entry with 72 hour RT-PCR Report or Proof of Vaccination (for those coming via flight)
– Antigen Test at Kharikhola and Nachipang (for those coming via road)
Current Situation Of Everest Region– 98 percent of the population above 18 years has received the second dose of vaccination. Source in Nepali

Here is an infographic created by the excellent Nepal Tourism Think Tank Group.

For International Travelers

For Indian Visitor

GETTING A VISA TO NEPAL

If you are coming to Nepal, you can get a visa in different ways, depending on your nationality. Due to the pandemic, the Government of Nepal decided to make certain changes in the process of obtaining a visa for Nepal as per the current update on 29 June 2021. Source

For Indian Nationals

Indian nationals do not need a visa to enter Nepalese territory. However, they need to submit the following documents to enter Nepal.

  • Passport or other forms of government ID.
  • A negative PCR report within 72 hours of boarding is mandatory.
  • Document showing the reservation for hotels for seven days hotel quarantine (ten days if arriving via land)
  • Printout of the filled CCMC Form. Link

If you are coming via air/land, you will have to present these documents at boarding or border points

Passengers with complete vaccination certificates are allowed home quarantine for 10 days.

List of hotels for hotel quarantine for Indians traveling via Indian air bubbles: Hotels

Residents of Countries with Nepali Diplomatic Missions

List of countries with Nepali diplomatic missions: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Bangladesh, Bahrain, China, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, European Union, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, or the United States of America. Contact Information.

If you currently reside in one of the countries above, here is what you need to do.

  1. PCR negative report of a swab taken within 72 hours of boarding or report of complete vaccination. 
  2. Copy of Nepalese Visa or recommendation letter from Department of Tourism/ Nepal Tourism Board. You can contact your concerned local agency in Nepal for the recommendation letter(NTB will issue the visa recommendation form only after submitting all the required documents by the concerned local agency in Nepal).
  3. Need hotel booking confirmation or guarantee of accommodation.
  4. Copy of travel insurance covering health, immediate crisis, or rescue for the duration of their travel.
  5. Barcode generated after the online application of International travel Arrival Form from Crisis Management Centre. FORM

Passengers with complete vaccination certificates are allowed home quarantine for 10 days.

Necessary documents for Nepalese Visa Recommendation Letter.

  1. An application written to NTB by the concerned agency in Nepal for Visa Recommendation Letter.
  2. Copy of tourist passport
  3. Nepal travel itinerary
  4. Copy of document showing hotel booked in Nepal for at least five days for quarantine.
  5. Itinerary of the international air tickets
  6. Travel insurance
  7. Copy of certificate of registration of the company
  8. Proof of tax payment up to 075/076, if not the letter of approval for the extension till 076/077.
  9. Proof of Pan No.

Residents of Countries without Nepali Diplomatic Missions

If you are a resident of the country without Nepali Diplomatic Missions then you can apply for on-arrival visas at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airpot. According to the new rule, the tourist seeking an on-arrival visa should present at least four documents at the airline’s check-in counter.

  • PCR negative report that is taken 72 hours before their departure
  • Documents proving that they are vaccinated with a full dose.
  • A copy of a recommendation letter issued by the Nepal Tourism Board and Department of Tourism. Recommendation form link
  • Proof of hotel booking in Nepal.
  • Travel insurance covering emergency search and rescue and treatment throughout their travel in Nepal. 

Or else you can contact your Nepali Travel Partner to get your Visa On-Arrival recommendation letter done in Nepal.

QUARANTINE REGULATION

Passengers with a complete vaccination certificate are allowed home or self-quarantine for ten days upon arrival. But there have been cases where the vaccinated are asked to show their proof of hotel booking at boarding. So it will be best if you contact your local agency in Nepal and get the hotel bookings done, which can be canceled upon your arrival in Nepal.

Although it says home quarantine for the vaccinated travelers, if you show your vaccinated card and negative RT-PCR report at the immigration department at TIA airport, they will give the arrival stamp; after that, you are free to leave. Source

For others, they must go through the quarantine regulation as mentioned below,

  1. Must have a medical certificate with negative RT-PCR issued within 72 hours from the swab collection time to the flight’s departure time.
  2. Tourists coming to Nepal must show hotel bookings of 10 days for hotel quarantine at their own cost at a hotel listed by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism& Civil Aviation or NTB.
  3. Those spending their quarantine at hotels/homes have to do an RT-PCR test on the 4th and the 11th day of arrival. If the report is still positive, they should stay for another ten days hotel quarantine.
  4. If anyone is found flouting the provision of hotel/home quarantine, he/she will be punished under the Crisis Management Ordinance-2021.
  5. The CCMC will transfer airline passengers from the airport to hotels, monitor hotel quarantine of 10 days, treat passengers during the hotel quarantine period, and facilitate passengers to their destination upon completion of 10 days hotel quarantine.
  6. The vaccinated tourist must undergo another test on arrival at their own cost and stay isolated at the hotel until the report comes.

Name of hotels listed for quarantine: Hotels 

Hotel rates for quarantine: Hotel Rates

You can go to this link for more information: CAAN / DoT.

For more information about the current internal situation of Nepal, you can visit the links given below,

Nepal Tourism Board / Civil Aviation Authority Of Nepal / Department of Immigration / Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation

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