Officials from the Department of Immigration have held discussions with representatives of the Indian Embassy. The Indian side has given a positive response to Nepal's proposal to recognize the national identity card.
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The government has formally proposed to the Government of India to recognize the National Identity Card (NID) as an official document for travel to India. If India grants approval, Nepali citizens will be able to travel to India by land or air using a citizenship certificate, passport, or national identity card.
According to Ram Chandra Tiwari, Director General of the Department of Immigration, the proposal has been sent to the Government of India through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Director General Tiwari stated that they are awaiting an official response from India.
Currently, Nepali citizens traveling to India by air are required to carry either a passport or a citizenship certificate. Similarly, Indian citizens coming to Nepal are required to present either a passport or a voter identity card with a photograph.
The government has already made the national identity card mandatory for various government services, including banking services, passports, and land registration. “We have already sent the proposal to India through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Tiwari said. “Once India grants approval, the national identity card can be used for travel to India by both land and air.”
This week, officials from the Department of Immigration also held discussions with a team from the Indian Embassy on this matter. According to an official from the department, the Indian side responded positively to the proposal and informed that it has been forwarded to Delhi for further decision.
“In the long term, the national identity card will replace the citizenship certificate. This is a certified, secure, and technology-friendly identity card,” Tiwari said. “That is why we have requested that it be recognized for travel to India as well.”
According to an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs, discussions have also been ongoing regarding the development of a mechanism to record the movement of travelers crossing the Nepal-India border and to manage cross-border movement.
The national identity card includes biometric (biological) details. So far, more than 4.5 million Nepalis have obtained the national identity card, and around 20 million citizens have applied for it.
