Nepal is a country nestled in the laps of some of the Mightiest Himalayas on the planet. With the awe-inspiring beauty, virgin landscape, and unparalleled nature, Nepal is truly a piece of paradise on earth. One-Third of the people living in the country's main source of income was tourism. However, the country went through a rough patch because of the unexpected outbreak of the Corona Virus pandemic. Because of this thousands of people whose livelihood deepened upon tourism have been shattered to pieces. The decision of lifting the ban amidst coronavirus cases is a lucrative decision to help these people to sustain their day-to-day life.
On September 23rd, 2020 the Tourism Board, has released the notice stating that on-arrival-visa service is restarted and the protocol regarding the mandatory quarantine has also been uplifted
The tourism board including the government has assured that all the necessary precaution has been taken care to control, sustain and neutralize the COVID cases and requested all fellow international travelers to visit Nepal and explore its unparalleled beauty with ease of mind. However, certain guidelines must be followed to acquire a visa to travel to Nepal.
What are the criteria / Guidelines to get an On Arrival Visa in Nepal?
The government deciding to uplift the ban is truly a great initiative to revive the divested tourism industry. This order was issued by the government stepping on Infectious Disease Act 2020, to provide visas to those fellow travelers, belonging to those countries who are eligible to get an arrival visa, and who are fully vaccinated.
If you are willing to visit Nepal, the first thing you must keep on your checklist is the document verifying that 14 days have passed since the final COVID 19 vaccine dose along with the negative PCR test report not older than 72 hours of your departure. If these two conditions are met, then you can easily acquire the visa at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal, without any issue.
Similarly, if you are planning on a longer stay and go trekking, mountaineering, or similar activities then you must submit the legitimate permits for those activities. In addition to that, you must also carry proof of hotel booking. Similarly, the printed document of the International Traveler Online Arrival Form is also required. You can easily fill up the form through the website ccmc.gov.np.
On the contrary, if you haven't got any doses of the COVID vaccine then it will be quite a hassle for you to be eligible for a visa. In order to obtain the visa firstly, you need to provide the documentation prof the negative PCR test result. Similarly, in case of a positive PCR test, you must stay in quarantine in the government-approved hotels for at least ten days. More detail of the document checklist and visa criteria are discussed below.
Once all the above-mentioned documents are sorted closely by the authorities, the visas will be provided to you.
Document Checklist for On Arrival Visa
As per the latest notice released by the government, any one of two conditions should be met to be eligible to acquire an on-arrival visa. The government issued a protocol to obtain an arrival visa are listed below:
First Case: Documents required in case of foreign nationals wishing to enter Nepal after completing the amount of vaccination:
- Evidence of completion of 14 days of vaccination against Covid-19.
- Evidence that the Covid 19 test report was negative within 72 hours of being checked in for aviation
- Copy of mountaineering and trekking and other permits
- Proof of hotel booking in Nepal
- A print letter filled out the online form by logging on to www.ccmc.gov.np (international traveler online arrival form)
Second Case: Rules to be followed by foreign nationals who want to enter Nepal without completing the vaccination amount or after entering:
- In case of a positive test for antigen at the immigration entry point of Nepal, foreign nationals will have to stay in hotel quarantine for 10 days at their own expense. Only after testing the Covid 19 on the 11th day and the report is negative, such foreign nationals will be able to engage in the work as per the purpose of their visit to Nepal.
- Foreign nationals will have to bear the cost of testing Covid 19 or living in isolation and other expenses including insurance.
- All foreign nationals visiting Nepal should immediately test for Covid-19 if they see signs or symptoms of Covid-19 and stay in isolation if the report is positive.
- It will be the responsibility of the concerned agency to comply with the conditions as per this order for the tourists who come to Nepal through travel or trekking.
- It will be the responsibility of the hotel concerned to ensure that the foreign nationals staying in the hotel quarantine or isolation comply with the relevant standards.
- If any tourist does not comply with the conditions as per this order, the concerned agency or hotel shall immediately inform the Nepal Police or the concerned body.
If all the above-mentioned are met then the authorities will provide the visa at the entry point i.e. Tribhuvan International Airport.
Is On Arrival Visa Open in Nepal?
Tourist Visa 'On Arrival' is the main section visa to Nepal. In case you are visiting Nepal for reasons other than Tourism (touring, visiting, traveling, mountaineering, journeying, visiting loved ones), you should in any case get a ' Tourist Visa' to get into the country.
The government of Nepal has issued the notice regarding the criteria for the on-arrival visa and how to acquire it in the press release done on September 23rd, 2021. As per the notice released, the government has decided to provide the On-arrival visa for foreign travelers who wants to enter the country for various activities, if one matches the series of protocol issued by the CCMC of Nepal. The detailed protocol and document checklist required to obtain the on-arrival visa of Nepal is discussed above.
