Monday, March 2, 2020

Government temporarily suspends on-arrival visa for five countries

 Taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus from travelers, the government has decided to halt issuing on-arrival visas to foreign nationals from five countries that have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, the Department of Immigration informed.

A Cabinet meeting yesterday decided that visas for citizens of China – including its Special Administrative Regions – Japan, South Korea, Italy and Iran will not be issued on arrival effective from March 10, the department confirmed. “If they wish to travel to Nepal, they will need to obtain a visa at the Nepali embassy in the respective countries,” the department said, adding that the government is monitoring the spread of Covid-19 and has temporarily stopped the on-arrival visa for only five countries. “Taking into account the global recommendations and measure of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the government has decided to temporarily suspend visa-on-arrival for the nationals of these countries effective from 10 March 2020 until further notice.

The applicants in these countries are required to submit a recently issued health certificate with the visa application to get the visa, a press note from the department reads. The government has also issued travel advisory for Nepalis in which it requests them to  avoid traveling to these countries until and unless it is really necessary.

Currently, only citizens from 12 countries – including Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq and Palestine – are required to acquire a visa prior to their arrival in Nepal, rest of the countries in the world get on-arrival visa in Nepal. 

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