The visa waiver applies to Chinese and citizens of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Nepal will also grant visitors free entry for 72 hours in a bid to boost its tourism industry, the finance minister said Friday.

Previously visa fees ranged from $30 for a one-time visit to $80 for multiple trips within the year to the land of Mount Everest.

"The visa fee for visitors from the SAARC region and China has been waived to develop Nepal as a regional tourist hub," Finance Minister Prakash Chandra Lohani told reporters.