Historical record: none of the COVID-19 rules on this page apply any more. Nepal dropped its COVID entry requirements on 7 June 2023. For today’s entry rules, read our guide on how to get a visa for Nepal, and for staying healthy on the road, see avoiding common travel illnesses.
Between 2021 and 2023, Nepal went from closed borders and lockdowns to fully reopening for trekkers, climbers and tourists. We tracked each change as it happened. This page brings those updates together into one timeline, so you can see how the country’s tourism restarted step by step.
At a glance
| When | What changed |
|---|---|
| Early July 2021 | Second-wave lockdown eases. Domestic travel and domestic flights resume; no international passenger flights yet. |
| 11 July 2021 | International flights resume to and from Kathmandu, with testing and quarantine rules. |
| Second half of 2021 | Nepal reopens to trekkers and mountaineers under a tourism-sector health protocol. |
| 2022 | Global travel slowly recovers; rules keep changing and travellers are urged to check before booking. |
| February 2023 | Entry needs either proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test. Quarantine is no longer required. |
| 7 June 2023 | Vaccination proof and PCR tests are no longer required to enter Nepal. |
July 2021: the second wave and domestic reopening
The second wave of COVID-19 hit Nepal hard in 2021, and the government imposed a lockdown as the death toll rose. By early July 2021, deaths had fallen and restrictions were easing.
- International travellers: no international passenger flights were operating, so visiting Nepal was not yet possible. Only a limited number of flights carrying medical equipment and essentials were running.
- Travel inside Nepal: restrictions were lifted. Public buses and private vehicles could run again, subject to travel conditions.
- Nepalis travelling abroad: not yet possible, because international flights had not resumed.
- Domestic flights: resumed to all destinations with airports. Passengers had to wear masks, sanitise, use face shields and keep a distance of 6 feet from others.
11 July 2021: international flights resume
The Government of Nepal resumed international flights from 11 July 2021, with flights to and from Kathmandu running under safety measures. Arriving travellers needed:
- A negative COVID-19 swab test taken within 72 hours before arrival
- A passport or valid photo ID
- A CCMC form, filled in online, with its barcode saved
- A booking at a government-listed quarantine hotel for at least 7 days. Vaccinated travellers could instead do 10 days of home quarantine.
Quarantine was monitored by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), the Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Police.
Visas: visa on arrival was still available, but travellers had to pre-fill the online on-arrival visa recommendation form. The alternative was applying in advance at a Nepalese diplomatic mission. The Department of Immigration also issued notices on visa services for tourists already in Nepal.
Late 2021: trekking and mountaineering reopen
Later in 2021, Nepal reopened to trekkers and mountaineers. MoCTCA set out a health protocol for the tourism sector that every visitor had to follow:
- Visa before travel: from a Nepalese embassy or diplomatic mission, or a pre-approved visa arranged through a registered travel agency in Nepal.
- Insurance: comprehensive travel insurance of at least USD 5,000 per person, covering COVID-19.
- Testing: a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before travel.
- Quarantine: at least 7 days on arrival, with a second PCR test on day 5. Travellers could move on only after a negative result, and paid for quarantine and tests themselves.
- Positive results: quarantine continued until two negative PCR tests.
- Staff cover: agencies had to deposit NPR 100,000 of COVID-19 insurance for guides and field staff, and were responsible for keeping their travellers informed of the rules.
Documents needed for the pre-approved visa were a colour passport copy, a flight itinerary, travel insurance details showing at least USD 5,000 of cover, and a hotel booking for the 7-day quarantine.
2022: a slow, uncertain recovery
Through 2022, travel worldwide was recovering but rules changed often. Vaccination was the main driver of new freedoms, and pent-up demand for travel was strong. Our advice at the time was to check Nepal’s current COVID-19 policy before booking, keep watching it as departure approached, and have a backup plan.
February 2023: vaccination or a negative test
By early 2023, the Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Tourism Think Tank published a standard entry procedure for visitors arriving by air or land. Quarantine was gone. On arrival you needed one of:
- Official proof of COVID-19 vaccination with a QR code, or
- A negative PCR report taken within 72 hours before boarding.
| Children’s age | Proof of vaccination | PCR report |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | Not needed | Not needed |
| 5 to 18 | Needed | Needed if not vaccinated |
You counted as fully vaccinated if you had completed the prescribed doses at least 14 days before arriving. People vaccinated in Nepal had to carry the official certificate with photo and QR code.
In the country, visitors were asked to wear masks in public, keep their distance, wash and sanitise their hands and follow local guidelines. Anyone with symptoms was to get tested, self-isolate or seek treatment. Travel insurance had to cover COVID-19 rescue and treatment, since visitors paid for these themselves. Some local destinations had their own entry protocols. On departure, travellers had to meet the testing rules of the country they were flying to.
7 June 2023: COVID entry rules end
From 7 June 2023, the updated entry protocol dropped both requirements: visitors no longer needed proof of vaccination or a negative PCR report to enter Nepal. The in-country advice stayed as general good practice (masks in public, distancing, hand hygiene, respecting local rules), along with checking that travel insurance covered COVID-19 treatment and the rules of your next destination before departure.
That marked the end of Nepal’s COVID-era travel restrictions, two years after international flights restarted in July 2021.
Travelling to Nepal today
Everything above is history. For the current process, see how to get a visa for Nepal, and always confirm the latest rules with the Nepal Tourism Board or your nearest Nepalese embassy before you travel.
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