Is Nepal Safe for Travelers?

Is Nepal safe for travelers?

Yes. Honestly and precisely, Nepal is safe to travel and the reasons are many to prove this fact. After suffering the twin blow of the earthquake in April and the economic blockade in September; this young republic nation has bounced back very well. Moreover, the damage as reported in many international media has been an exaggerated projection. Except for substantial damage to the Langtang region, all other major trekking destinations suffered from limited damage, and these destinations, including the Langtang region, are already back to business: Hotels are up and running, touristic areas have food and water to supply to travelers, trails have already been repaired and readied and climbers have completed a season of Everest summit in 2016.

Only 14 out of the 75 districts were affected severely by the earthquake and the western as well as eastern regions of Nepal were unaffected by this disaster. This means the whole of AnnapurnaManaslu, and Everest region remained safe and the earthquake-related risks in these areas are out of the question. Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Namche Bazaar, and other popular destinations just ‘paused’ their business for some weeks following the disaster and are earnestly waiting for the guests now. Talking about Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan, the medieval cities of Kathmandu Valley, few of the ancient heritages suffered the blow out of which Kathmandu Durbar Square lost some of its ancient heritages and Bhaktapur Durbar Square also suffered some damage along with Patan Durbar Square. Boudhanath, a popular and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage suffered some damage and is undergoing repair. All of these sites are already open for tourists and are lively again. The historical tower of Dharahara is the only other prominent heritage, apart from damage in the Durbar Squares, which was lost due to the earthquake. Well, both of them have been rebuilt and re-inaugurated in the year 2020. Travel advisories and caution against visiting Nepal are things of the past now.

Trekking by the then US Ambassador to Nepal, Aliana B Teplitz, to Lo-Manthang of Upper Mustang in July 2016 with her family members and some embassy officials, is one of many trekking expeditions in this enticing nation since the earthquake and blockade last year.

Economic blockade and the subsequent austerity-like situation along with the unrest in some parts of the southern plains were settled comfortably. Fuels and other necessary commodities are available easily these days. Except for the usual ups and downs of politics as in any other nation, there are no such disturbances currently.

Travelers like you are exploring the wilderness of Nepal, one of the top trekking destinations of the world and one of the most favorite destinations of travelers, globally. Nepal continues to spread its magic like before: the Himalayas are still proud and hills are lush as ever. And the ever-smiling and resilient Nepalese will be available to greet you and present to you the natural, historical and cultural heritages and diversities which they are always proud to have. Nepal is already back in business!

Moreover, due to the heavy impact of the global pandemic of COVID-19 on the entire travel and tourism industry of the world; the Nepalese travel industry was also highly affected. However, with the discovery of vaccination and safety measures to protect against the spread of this virus, tourism in Nepal is gradually recovering. And by the end of 2021, the entire population of Nepal, as well as the whole world, will be vaccinated. Though it is uncertain proximity till now, we can assume that the travel restrictions will get relaxed by the end of this year. So, Is Nepal Safe for Travels? Yes, Nepal is, was, and will be safe for traveling. Welcome to Nepal!

Is Nepal Safe for Travelers?

Is Nepal safe for travelers?

Yes. Honestly and precisely, Nepal is safe to travel and the reasons are many to prove this fact. After suffering the twin blow of the earthquake in April and the economic blockade in September, this young republic nation has bounced back very well. Moreover, the damage as reported in many international media has been an exaggerated projection. Except for substantial damage to the Langtang region, all other major trekking destinations suffered from limited damage, and these destinations, including the Langtang region, are already back to business: Hotels are up and running, touristic areas have food and water to supply to travelers, trails have already been repaired and readied and climbers have completed a season of Everest summit in 2016.

Only 14 out of the 75 districts were affected severely by the earthquake and the western as well as eastern regions of Nepal were unaffected by this disaster. This means the whole of Annapurna, Manaslu, and Everest region remained safe and the earthquake-related risks in these areas are out of the question. Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Namche Bazaar, and other popular destinations just ‘paused’ their business for some weeks following the disaster and are earnestly waiting for the guests now. Talking about Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan, the medieval cities of Kathmandu Valley, a few of the ancient heritages suffered the blow out of which Kathmandu Durbar Square lost some of its ancient heritages and Bhaktapur Durbar Square also suffered some damage along with Patan Durbar Square. Boudhanath, a popular and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage suffered some damage and is undergoing repair. All of these sites are already open for tourists and are lively again. The historical tower of Dharahara is the only other prominent heritage, apart from damage in the Durbar Squares, which was lost due to the earthquake. Travel advisories and caution against visiting Nepal are things of the past now.

Trekking by US Ambassador to Nepal, Aliana B Teplitz, to Lo-Manthang of Upper Mustang in July 2016 with her family members and some embassy officials, is one of many trekking expeditions in this enticing nation since the earthquake and blockade last year.

Economic blockade and the subsequent austerity-like situation along with the unrest in some parts of the southern plains were settled comfortably. Fuels and other necessary commodities are available easily these days. Except for the usual ups and downs of politics as in any other nation, there are no such disturbances currently.

Travelers like you are exploring the wilderness of Nepal, one of the top trekking destinations of the world and one of the most favorite destinations of travelers, globally. Nepal continues to spread its magic like before: the Himalayas are still proud and hills are lush as ever, and the ever-smiling and resilient Nepalese will be available to greet you and present to you the natural, historical and cultural heritages and diversities which they are always proud to have. Nepal is already back in business!

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance will ensure that you can travel freely with peace of mind. Like any other type of insurance, you can claim from the insurance company if your travel insurance covers rescue and evacuation bills, medical bills, in case of the loss of your baggage, and other contingencies. We would like to inform you that travel insurance is mandatory before joining any of our trips.

We do not offer travel insurance policies but we recommend that you choose your travel insurance company very carefully. Your travel insurance must provide adequate coverage for your trip and the insurance company must state clearly in writing the terms and conditions. You must provide us with a copy of your travel insurance along with other details when confirming your trip.

Nepal Visa Information

Immigration Offices, under the Department of Immigration, have been facilitating tourists flying to Nepal by providing Visas on Arrival. The ‘On Arrival’ visa procedure is very quick and straightforward. You can expect some queues during peak Tourist season. If you wish to skip those queues, you can also consider getting Visa from Nepalese Diplomatic Missions stationed abroad prior to your arrival. The choice is yours.

If you have obtained a visa from Nepalese Diplomatic Missions, then you must enter Nepal within six months from the visa-issued date. Your total stay is counted starting from the day you enter Nepal.

Visas obtained on Arrival at the Entry and Exit points are ‘Tourist Visas’. They bear multiple Re entry facilities. A tourist Visa ‘On Arrival’ is the only entry visa to Nepal. Suppose you are visiting Nepal for purposes other than Tourism (sightseeing, tour, travel, mountaineering, trekking, visiting friends and families). In that case, you should still get a ‘ Tourist Visa’ to get into the country. However, you must change the visa category per your purpose and length of stay in Nepal from the Department of Immigration by producing the required documents.

Nationals of the following countries are requested to acquire visas prior to their arrival from their nearby Diplomatic missions (Embassies/consulates) of the Nepal Government.

  1. Nigeria
  2. Ghana
  3. Zimbabwe
  4. Swaziland
  5. Cameroon
  6. Somalia
  7. Liberia
  8. Ethiopia
  9. Iraq
  10. Palestine
  11. Afghanistan
  12. Syria
  13. Refugees with a travel document


Please follow these simple procedures for Tourist Visa on Arrival at the airport (TIA) if you have not acquired Visa prior to boarding the plane.

  • 1st Step
    • Fill in ‘ Arrival Card ‘
    • Fill in the Online ‘Tourist Visa ‘form ( you can fill it up prior to your arrival by visiting the official website of the Department of Immigration / fill it up using Kiosk machines upon arrival at the airport). If you fill it out from the website, you will get a submission Receipt with a barcode, please print it out and bring it along to acquire a visa. It works for fifteen days and becomes invalid then after. If so, you will have to fill it up again.
  • 2nd Step
    • Make payment at the bank according to your visa requirement ( 15/30/90 Days)
    • Get the receipt

While you can use different modes of payment (at the visa fees collection counter), we advise you to carry some cash to be on the safe side.

On-Arrival Visa Fee at Entry Points

15 Days – 30 USD

30 Days – 50 USD

90 Days – 125 USD

  • 3rd Step
    • Proceed to the Immigration Desk with your online form, payment receipts, and your passport
    • Hand in your documents to the immigration officer for visa processing. He/she issues a visa to you upon his/her satisfaction.

Visa Extension Fee

  • Tourist visa extension is done for a minimum of 15 days with USD 45 and USD 3 per day for additional days.
  • In the case of a delay of less than 150 days, an additional USD 5 per day as a late fine.

Gratis Visa (Visa for Free)

Gratis Visa is issued free of cost in the case of the following categories of Visa applicants:

  • Children below 10 years except for US citizens
  • Up to 30 days for SAARC Citizens (except Afghanistan) visiting Nepal for the first time in a given visa Year. Afghan citizens are eligible for Gratis Visa on Arrival only upon the recommendation of the Department of Immigration. If you are an Afghan citizen, you can request the concerned institution to invite you to Nepal for the necessary paperwork with the Department of Immigration to get you Gratis Visa ‘On Arrival’.
  • Non-Residential Nepalese(NRN) card holder ( issued by MoFA /Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad)
  • Chinese Nationals for 150 days

Officials from

  1. Thailand – Exemption up to 90 Days
  2. Russian Federation – Exemption up to 90 Days
  3. People’s Republic of China – Exemption up to 30 Days
  4. The Federal Republic of Brazil – Exemption up to 90 Days
  5. Myanmar – Exemption up to 90 Days
  6. Vietnam – Exemption up to 90 Days
  7. Cambodia – Exemption up to 30 Days
  8. Mongolia – Exemption up to 90 Days
  9. Jordan – Exemption up to 90 Days
  10. State of Israel – Exemption up to 90 Days
  11. Georgia – Exemption up to 90 Days
  12. State of Qatar – Exemption up to 90 Days

do not need Entry Visa based on a reciprocal visa waiver Agreement

Visas of all kinds including ‘Gratis’ issued at the Airport are Tourist Visas. Contact the Department of Immigration for extending your visa or changing the category of your visa. Tourist Visa extension can be done from Immigration Office, Pokhara too. Non-tourist visa extension can be done only at the Department of Immigration (if eligible) for a period of a maximum of one year (except for a business visa).

Source: Department of Immigration

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