Nepal government removes quarantine and resumes on-arrival visas

Nepal government has decided to remove quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers and has resumed visa-on-arrival service effective from Friday, Sept 24, 2021.  The council of ministers meeting held on Tuesday has announced new arrival protocols under which fully vaccinated tourists coming from abroad do not have to stay in quarantine and will be provided visas on arrival. 

Vaccinated Tourists:

If you have received both doses of COVID-19 Vaccines, you will be provided with a visa on arrival at the point of entry and will not have to stay in quarantine. But you will be required to submit the following documents in addition to the visa-related documents: 

1. Complete vaccination certificate against COVID-19 and must have completed both doses at least 14 days prior to entering Nepal. 
2. COVID Negative test report (RT-PCR, Gene Xpert or True NAAT), which should not be older than 72 hours from the departure from the first port of embarkation. 
3. Hotel Booking Confirmation in Kathmandu. (As per your itinerary provided by us) 
4. Trekking/Mountaineering/Tour activity related confirmation letter and permit. (Provided by us)
5. International online arrival form at www.ccmc.gov.np. All tourists are required to fill the form individually and submit the printed copy with the bar code visible at the immigration counter after arrival. 

Please note that all arriving tourists will need to do a Rapid/Antigen Test upon arrival at Kathmandu’s airport or at the Nepal entry point. Those tested negative will be allowed to continue with their travel plans. If tested positive, they will need to stay in quarantine at their own cost at the government designated hospital or isolation centre until their report comes negative. If an antigen test is not available at the entry point, then you will need to do the test at the hotel and wait until the report comes negative. 

You can also obtain Nepal’s visa at Nepali diplomatic missions if you are fully vaccinated. You will need to submit the documents (1,3,4) mentioned above to get the visa from Nepali diplomatic missions. After arrival, you will need to present the documents (2 & 5) at the immigration.  

Unvaccinated Tourists:

Those who are not vaccinated or partially vaccinated will need to quarantine themselves for 10 days at the hotel or isolation centre at their own expense. On the 11th day, if they test negative, they are allowed to continue with their travel plans. All expenses for the quarantine, test, medical expenses should be borne by themselves. Similarly, On-arrival visas will not be issued for unvaccinated tourists and you will need to get a Nepal visa from Nepali diplomatic missions. 

The above listed are the new guidelines for all arriving tourists to Nepal. All previous guidelines have been terminated by the government with these new guidelines being effective. 

Nepal Vaccination Status:

We are also proud to announce that we have achieved 100% vaccination status for all our guides who are on the active roster. Vaccination percentages as per the region are as below:

1. Kathmandu: 48% fully vaccinated
2. Everest Region: 98% fully vaccinated
3. Manang and Mustang: 98% fully vaccinated
4. Tourism Workers: 90% fully vaccinated 

These new guidelines have definitely made a visit to Nepal easier and we hope to see the rise in tourism slowly. Vaccination in Nepal has started too and the government plans to inoculate the majority of the population within this year. The visit has been made easier but the risk still looms around every corner of travel therefore, we would like to remind all our travellers to play their part as well in overcoming the fight against COVID. Together we can overcome this so that we get to travel like the good old days. 

How we are preparing:

• Briefing on COVID-19, prevention and guidelines will be given after your arrival in Kathmandu. 
• Clients should abide by the emergency protocols set by the government of Nepal to run the trip responsibly. 
• COVID Insurance for all our guides and staff. 
• Daily briefings to include hygiene, physical distancing and emergency protocols. 
• Aware client and guide for minimal touch and contact. 
• Work alongside other leaders in a destination to ensure minimal risk of contamination, and maintain a high level of hygiene.
• Updated first aid kit. 
• First Aid Kits with every Leader containing a thermometer, extra masks, disposable gloves, soap and/or sanitisers
• Daily communication when possible with the office to report and get updates on the overall situation, so the itinerary can be followed and adapted according to the situation.
• Cleaning and disinfecting tourist vehicles routinely.
• Maintain physical distance wherever possible such as in transport and eating places. 
• Cleaning and disinfecting of trekking/climbing equipment after every use.
• All clients will have single rooms, (wherever applicable) except for couples or people who have travelled to Nepal together. In the mountains due to limited rooms, we may not be able to provide a single room to every participant.

Our request to you:

We request all our travellers to abide by these rules when travelling to Nepal after Coronavirus:

• Do not travel if you have developed any symptoms of COVID-19. Instead, seek medical attention and resume travel only when you are certain of COVID-19 free. 
• Consult a travel medicine clinic or medical practitioner before the journey
• Bring your mask, gloves and sanitiser when travelling. 
• Do not shake hands. Instead, wave or Namaste.
• Maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between yourself and others.
• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
• Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Strictly follow health protocols in lodges (coughing into elbow or shirt, wearing a mask, not handing common condiment containers without clean hands, not touching door handles without clean hands, not using any common towel etc).
• Wear a mask or cloth to cover your face. 
• Carry your personal first aid kit when travelling understanding its use. 
• Inform the guide/ leader of any symptoms of any sort of illness. 
• Record itinerary and points of contact to facilitate contact tracing should the need arise. 
• We encourage all our clients to bring their own personal equipment required for the trek & climb for safety purposes. This also includes Down Jacket & Sleeping Bag for trekking trips and climbing gear for climbing trips. 
• You should have travel medical insurance that includes helicopter evacuation, and the travel medical company would ensure that clients would be medevac out to the nearest medical facility in case of any illness.
• Travellers shall agree to follow the company’s health and safety protocol in case of any suspected case of virus transmission or illness within the group or within the area.
• Clients shall be requested to carry their own sanitiser with them in their packs at all times (they would bring their own on activity with them).
• If you do physically interact with a customer, remember to wash hands with soap and water or use a hand sanitiser after every interaction.
• Keep a daily journey and contact record with other people to facilitate contact tracing should the need arise
• Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities.
• Travellers are advised to have a medical examination on their return if they develop any symptoms. 
• Be sure to check your country foreign travel advice and keep your embassy or consulate informed about your whereabouts when travelling. 
• Only shop from local shops where safety guidelines are being adhered

More on: Travel with confidence

Helpful Links:

1. CCMC Form Link: https://ccmc.gov.np/arms/person_add.php
2. Department of Immigration: https://www.immigration.gov.np/

We, at Highland Expeditions, look forward to welcoming you all to the Himalayas. 

Infographics: Nepal Tourism Board/Nepal Tourism Think Tank