New Protocols issued by Nepal Government for Mountaineering and Trekking

KATHMANDU, Sept. 30 Nepal will resume providing tourist visas to foreigners after a gap of nearly seven months as the Nepali government decided to welcome foreign tourists starting from Oct. 17 for mountaineering and trekking purpose, Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said.

The Nepali government had suspended issuing tourist visas in early March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "Now, foreigners willing to come to Nepal for mountaineering and trekking, can get tourist visas from our embassies abroad," Kamal Prasad Bhattarai, spokesperson at the tourism ministry told. "Tourists from countries where there is no presence of Nepali diplomatic mission can get an on-arrival visa."

"We will coordinate with the tourism ministry and other relevant agencies on providing tourist visas to foreign tourists," Ramesh Kumar KC, director general at the Department of Immigration told on Tuesday. "It will be the first time foreigners will get tourist visas regularly after the gap of nearly seven months."

The immigration department has been providing tourist visas to limited foreigners on case to case basis as per the recommendation of the concerned Nepali government agencies.

As per the standards issued on Tuesday, the foreign tourists need to submit the report of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test conducted within at least 72 hours before arriving in Nepal, confirming that they have not contracted with coronavirus.

They should also present the documents confirming that they have booked the hotel in Nepal to stay for seven days in quarantine. On the fifth day of the quarantine, the tourists should undergo another test. After they are tested negative for COVID-19 during the quarantine period, they can go for mountaineering or trekking.

They will have to follow the health protocols strictly while going for trekking and mountaineering, according to the standards.

Bhattarai said that the Nepali government has reopened certain sectors of tourism as the country's tourism sector has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are also discussing to reopen the entire tourism sector by making provision that health protocols are followed strictly," he said. -Source - (Xinhua)

Translated Version of Guidelines:

Amid growing fears of coronavirus infection, The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has issued some rules for mountaineering and trekking:

1)      You must attain your visa before coming to Nepal. Provided that if tourists belong to the foreign nation where visa facilities are not available or in case of group mountaineering or trekking, they can arrive in Nepal with prior approval of the Travel or Trekking agency of Nepal. For prior approval, the agency can submit the documents to the Tourism Department for Mountaineering and NTB for trekking.

2)      Tourists arriving as per given in section 1 shall be given a visa at arrival.

3)      Tourist entering Nepal shall present the following documents:

          a)      Negative PCR report (maximum 72 hours)

          b)      visa documents

          c)       Hotel booking documents for 7-day quarantine

          d)      COVID 19 Insurance policy document of value $5000 per person

4)      Tourists shall stay in quarantine for 7 days.

5)      On the 5th day of hotel quarantine, the tourist shall perform a PCR test in his/her own expenses. Permission for Mountaineering/Trekking shall be given only if the PCR is negative.

6)      If the PCR report, as mentioned in Section 3, is positive, the tourist shall quarantine themselves until the PCR is negative.

7)      Mountaineering or Trekking team shall obtain Insurance Policy worth 1 Lakh NRS regarding the Nepalese team members who will join them in Nepal.

8)      During Mountaineering and Trekking, tourists shall follow the rules and regulations, and guidelines issued by the Ministry and Heath Population of Nepal.

9)      Any other guidelines, rules, and regulations that must be followed during mountaineering and trekking shall be prescribed from time to time. Travel agencies shall inform tourists of the same.

The guideline: