Finally, the travel protocol in Nepal for tourists is updated, making it easy for international travelers. The Nepal government removed the seven-day quarantine necessity. Similarly, on-arrival visa-issuing continued to all fully vaccinated tourists to resurrect the country's wrecked tourism industry.
COVID-19 Travel Protocol Update in Nepal
As per the meeting concluded between the Nepal Tourism Board, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Civil Aviation, COVID-19 Crisis Management Committee, and the Nepal Government on Tuesday, this is excellent news for both international travelers and tour operators in Nepal.
The new protocol states that tourists who have received all the doses of COVID-19 vaccines exceeding 14 days on arrival dates are free to enter Nepal. Travelers can now enter Nepal with a negative RT-PCR or equivalent test report not exceeding 72 hours at arrival, along with a vaccination certificate and visa approval letter as per new travel protocols effective from 23rd September, Thursday.
After the COVID-19 Crisis Management Ordinance failed to get the parliamentary endorsement, all legal systems involving travel likewise became invalid.
On Monday, the Cabinet ratified the new travel protocols under the old Infectious Disease Act.
Before getting onto a trip to Nepal, all immunized explorers should present a negative Covid-19 test report taken within 72 hours before the flight. As directed by the newly updated protocols, they should bring a copy of the international travelers' online form filled within www.ccmc.gov.np for an on-arrival visa at immigration points.
Besides, travelers who are not immunized or somewhat immunized won't get on-arrival visas. They need to get their entrance grants from embassies in their countries. Further, they should go through 10 days of isolation in hotels listed by the Nepal Government at their own expense. If their PCR test comes negative, they can continue their travel plan on the eleventh day.
Travelers, except for Indians, coming to Nepal via land should have visas from Nepali diplomatic missions and should get negative antigen tests at Indian and Chinese borders.
Moreover, at immigration points, all tourists need to go through obligatory antigen or quick antigen tests. If the test result is positive, the tourists must be isolated in hospitals the Health Ministry recommends. Travelers should take PCR tests at the hotel if there are no antigen testing facilities at immigration points. They will be free to leave the hotel if the test result is negative.
Hereafter, the tourism industry in Nepal is likely to get back into business as these more accessible protocols prevail. Likewise, the tour operators and adventure enthusiasts were on a long break for this protocol to pass. As everything is slowly returning to normal, an official declaration came with new travel protocols in Nepal for tourists. It has made Nepal more accessible than ever since the first hit of the pandemic. The complex quarantine rules are what trekkers face from traveling to the Himalayas. Now that it is no more on protocol, it is a prime time for those wandering souls.
