The Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) has recommended a nine-point policy to the Election Commission, urging them to arrange voting for Nepali citizens living abroad. The government and the Election Commission have issued a policy paper entitled "External Voting Arrangements for Nepali Citizens Abroad in the upcoming 2026 Elections and Possible Measures thereafter".

NPI has also submitted the policy to Election Commission Commissioner Januka Tuladhar and other officials and Secretary Madhav Pant.

Noting that many countries of the world have implemented the right to vote for citizens living abroad using different methods, NPI has suggested a mixed type of external voting method for Nepalis living abroad. Mexico granted voting rights to citizens living abroad in the 2024 federal election and the Philippines in the 2025 election.

Learning from the experience of Mexico and the Philippines, NPI has proposed that a mixed external voting model (direct voting at embassies, postal voting and internet-based i-voting) can be adopted for Nepal. Dr. Khagendraraj Dhakal, president of NPI, said that millions of Nepalese citizens who are abroad for work, study or other purposes should be given the opportunity to vote so that they are not deprived of their fundamental right to vote in national elections. According to

experts, e-voting is a process that takes place through electronic machines at embassies or polling centers, while i-voting is a system where voters can vote on a secure server from their place of residence through the Internet. According to Dr. Dhakal, i-voting technology is a different and more inclusive solution than e-voting.

According to the NPI Secretariat in Kathmandu, the policy recommendation was submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Home Affairs and  It has also been submitted to major government agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the movement led by Genji last month, the issue of Nepalis abroad being able to vote has become a priority again.

Including Nepalis working or studying abroad in the voting process is also giving them a real stake in the future of the country. In this context, President Dhakal says that the government has got an unprecedented opportunity to transform foreign voting into a reality by demonstrating political will.

The Constitution of Nepal has ensured the right of every citizen to participate in the election, while the Supreme Court has also ordered to ensure the right of voting to citizens living abroad. Although political parties have repeatedly promised to extend voting rights to Nepali citizens living abroad, it has not yet been implemented.

He said that it would be appropriate to prepare a separate legal provision for external voting and give legal recognition to digital voter registration and voting through i-voting in proportional elections. He also said that maximum participation can be ensured through multi-day voting for effective participation. 

NPI has recommended that Nepal should institutionalize i-voting as the main system of elections, moving forward from the learning of external voting for the medium and long term. This will pave the way for the inclusion of not only the diaspora but also the internally displaced population (such as employees, students and vulnerable communities) in the election process. 

The constitutional rights of the immigrant citizens of Nepal, economic contribution, legitimacy of elections and other reasons have made voting necessary for Nepalis living abroad. NPI claims that i-voting can be the most appropriate method in Malaysia and Gulf countries, while in countries like Australia, South Korea, Japan, European countries and North America, voting by post can be a suitable option due to the effective postal system.