Nepal Travel Requirements
What is required to travel to Nepal?
There are specific documents required to travel to Nepal. One of the key requirements is pre-registering for a visa for Nepal if your nationality is eligible and your travel purpose is tourism.
By pre-registering for your visa, your comfort level will be greatly increased because you will already have the approval you need before reaching the border. Upon arrival in Nepal, this approved document will be exchanged for the official visa by the authorities. Get all the information about the Nepal visa application process before you start to complete the form.
Other Nepal travel requirements
Together with the tourist visa, you will need to fulfill additional entry requirements. These include:
- A valid passport. All travelers must possess a valid passport with an expiry date at least 6 months after the date of entry into Nepal. It must also have at least one blank visa page available for visa issuance.
- Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required if you are coming from an endemic country.
You might be asked to show travel insurance (one that covers repatriation and other emergencies) and confirmation of where you will spend your first night. Taking out travel insurance is recommended if you are going to Nepal, as local healthcare can be insufficient and it can be very expensive if you have to use it.
There are no required vaccines for Nepal. The only exception is the yellow fever vaccine: proof of vaccination against this disease is mandatory for travelers aged 9 months or older who are arriving from countries with a risk of transmission, as well as for travelers who have transited for more than 12 hours through an airport in one of the endemic countries.
Nevertheless, the CDC recommends being up-to-date with the following vaccines for Nepal:
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
- Flu (influenza)
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
- COVID-19
- Polio
- Shingles
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid
- Japanese Encephalitis. This vaccine is especially necessary if you are traveling to Nepal from June to October and if you doing activities in areas with Japanese Encephalitis that increase risk of infection, such as visiting rural areas and hiking or camping.
- Rabies. You should consider getting vaccinated against rabies if your activities mean you will be around dogs or wildlife.
We recommend verifying this information with your country’s International Vaccination Centre or consulting with your doctor. Inquire about any recommended vaccines based on your specific health situation.
Although malaria has been endemic in Nepal, it isn’t significant at this time. Nevertheless, you can take some precautionary measures like protecting yourself from mosquito bites and taking antimalarial tablets.
Antimalarial tablets are more recommended for certain travelers who may be at higher risk because they are staying in rural areas or visiting friends with delicate medical conditions. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking it multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication is suits your needs the best.
To protect yourself from mosquito bites, you should take insect repellent with you and wear long-sleeved clothing.