Chinese tourists will not have to pay visa fee to enter Nepal henceforth. In a bid to boost arrivals from the north, the Cabinet on Friday decided to waive the fee for Chinese visitors—a facility enjoyed only by visitors from Saarc countries so far. The Cabinet decision came immediately after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa announced the new visa policy during bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday. The Chinese government also lifted travel advisories to its citizens travelling to Nepal with immediate effect. The advisory was issued by the Chinese consular service network in the context of earthquakes in Nepal. “This marks the tour normalization for Chinese citizens in Nepal,” read a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Foreign visitors have to pay $25 for a 15-day visa and $40 and $100 for 30-day and 90-day visas, respectively. “It’s a welcome move,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, secretary at the Tourism Ministry. “It will help attract a greater number of Chinese tourists to Nepal.”
