Passengers wear face masks as they arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, in Kathmandu, on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. Photo: Skanda Gautam/THT

KATHMANDU: The government of Nepal has decided to temporarily suspend visa-on-arrival for cituzens of China, including Special Administrative Regions Iran, Italy, Korea, Japan, France, Germany and Spain that have been widely affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

However, nationals from these countries willing to visit Nepal can obtain a visa beforehand from Nepali missions abroad.

The government has made it mandatory for the nationals of these eight countries to submit a recently issued health document certifying that they are not infected by COVID-19, along with their visa applications.

The health certificate must be recently produced, maximum seven days earlier before the time of arrival in Nepal.

Travelers transiting from these countries are also required to submit the health certificate along with their visa documents upon arrival at the land Point of Entry and Exit (PoE) in Nepal, according to a statement issued by the government today.

Meanwhile, Nepal has also temporarily suspended all the land PoE (Point of Entry and Exit) to monitor the spread of the deadly virus. Travelers are recommended to use the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, as POE, until the further notice.

The decision would be effective from March 10 as a precaution against the rapidly spreading coronavirus, the government announced Monday.