Can I travel to Nepal right now?
Yes, you can and onwards from September 2021, Nepal is open for tourism. The new Covid protocol for Nepal now is no more quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers. Also on arrival visas will be granted to travelers. Since the pandemic started, the tourism industry of Nepal is the worst affected sector with almost zero tourist arrival for the last two years. Covid pandemic has swept the entire world which affected almost all the sectors globally up until now its impact is becoming a little bit less. Thus, the Nepal government decided to revise the immigration entry protocol for Nepal which is to provide on arrival visas for travelers flying directly to Kathmandu and no quarantine for fully vaccinated individuals. The new protocol says you need to be fully vaccinated against covid with the second dose 14 days before your travel to Nepal. Earlier anyone who wishes to visit Nepal has to get a visa from Nepal’s missions abroad and also stay for 7 days quarantine in Kathmandu upon arrival at their own expense. However, those who are particularly vaccinated or unvaccinated still have to get a visa from the Nepalese embassy abroad then stay for 10 days quarantine in Kathmandu at government-approved hotels. They have to get PCR negative test before they go out and about.
Is Nepal open for tourism now?
Yes, and since the covid cases rate in Kathmandu has dropped down and the vaccination rate going up, all the organizations concerned with Nepal tourism including TAAN (Trekking Agencies Association Nepal) held a talk with Nepal government to ease the entry restriction. They briefed all the bitter reality to the government those who are involved in tourism have lost their jobs, investors are high on loans on hotels, airlines and restaurants and the government was losing $800 million it used to earn a year from tourism before the pandemic. They also opposed the government’s earlier entry regulations which were inconvenient and confusing, detracting potential visitors, and complained of arbitrary visa requirements. The newly revised protocol has sparked an overwhelmingly positive response. Most tourists were discouraged by the previous convoluted regulations. This push was much needed for the Nepalese tourism industry hardest hit by the pandemic.
Nearly 1.2 million tourists arrived in the year 2019 but that figure dramatically dropped down to 220,000 in 2020. Only 70,000 arrivals were recorded this year where were either mountaineer or repeat trekkers, or those familiar with Nepal and have some connections in Nepal. Currently, the Nepal tourism industry is all well prepared to welcome tourists again. The next step is the new uncomplicated entry requirements restoring the ‘new normal’ for tourism. All those who are working in the travel frontlines like trek guides, tour guides are already been vaccinated including the popular destinations like Langtang where workers including the locals are jabbed too. There’s a positive hope that mountaineering and trekking will soon continue as normal. There was a flow of tourists wanting to visit Nepal under the old stricter rules too. Several expeditions were successfully completed at the base camps of many mountains like Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Kangchenjunga. But climbing permits for Mt. Everest aren’t issued as yet.
New rules and paperwork to be submitted by visitors entering Nepal as per now are:
– Certificate of full vaccination within 14 days.
– Proof of covid negative report prior to 72 hours before the flight to Nepal
– Copy of permits for trekking or mountaineering whichever is applied as per visitors’ travel plan.
– Proof of hotel booking in Nepal.
– Printed copy of the online form submitted at www.ccmc.gov.np
Rules for partially vaccinated visitors or those already entered Nepal.
–Visitors have to stay for 10 days quarantine in hots at their own expense If tested positive on antigen test at the entry points in Nepal, When tested negative on the 11th day then only visitors will be allowed to travel, trek or whatever travel propose they have come to Nepal.
– Visitors have to take care of all the expenses of covid test, isolation stay or insurance on their own.
– Visitors who are already travelling Nepal show symptoms of covid need to take covid test immediately and if tested positive need to stay in isolation.
– Travel agencies have to take the responsibility of their clients to strictly follow all the rules and regulations imposed by the government.
– Hotels should be responsible for all their guests under isolation or quarantine to follow all the government’s rules and regulations.
– Travel agents or hotels are required to inform the police department if their guests or travelers didn’t follow the government covid rules and regulations.