Nepal targets digital passport validation in Sept. 17 draft proposal

Nepal's Department of Immigration submitted a draft proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs to let foreign travelers navigate domestic flights, hotel bookings and police checkpoints using a mobile app instead of a physical passport.

Department of Immigration pitches domestic app verification

The Department of Immigration announced a proposal Sept. 16 to grant legal validity to digital passport and visa records stored in an official mobile app. Under the proposed plan, foreign tourists, expats and remote workers would register their travel documents on the platform upon entering the country, Director General Ram Chandra Tiwari said at a Kathmandu briefing.

The plan was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sept. 17 for formal evaluation, per department officials. The proposal aims to replace paper documents with authenticated app profiles for routine domestic identity checks.

If approved, the platform will generate QR codes linked to the central immigration database. Registered travelers would present the app for identity verification at airport security gates, hotel front desks, money changers and registered trekking agencies across the country.

Current passport rules stay binding across domestic checkpoints

The digital verification system remains a draft proposal and isn't yet legally enforceable. Foreign nationals traveling through Nepal must continue carrying their physical passports for all domestic transit, lodging check-ins and legal verifications.

Current regulations require travelers to show an original passport and valid visa sticker for:

• Domestic airline check-in and security screening

• Commercial hotel and guesthouse registrations

• Foreign currency exchange transactions at licensed counters

• Trekking agency bookings and regional permit clearances

• Law enforcement inquiries and field security checkpoints

Travelers planning an extended stay can review baseline entry requirements in the Nepal guide. Physical travel documents remain mandatory at all international land borders and international airport terminals, as the digital proposal covers domestic movement only.

Planned app features and emergency tracing integrations

The proposed arrangement builds on Nepal's existing digital infrastructure, which includes the Foreign Nationals Management Information System (FNMIS) launched Jan. 1 and the Nepal Port registration system established in Sept. 2025. Those systems require domestic hospitality and transport businesses to log foreign visitor movements into a state tracking database.

The new app would allow foreign visitors to complete online visa extensions directly on their mobile devices, immigration spokesperson Tikaram Dhakal confirmed. Integrating personal user accounts with the central network would also help emergency personnel locate missing tourists during natural disasters, Tiwari noted.

Authorities cited tracking difficulties during the Aug. 26 floods as a major reason for accelerating digital check-in tools for foreigners.

Outstanding regulatory approvals and practical nomad precautions

The Ministry of Home Affairs hasn't issued a formal directive, implementation timetable or legal commencement date for the passport-free scheme. Official immigration platforms updated their mobile software listings as recently as Jan. 27, but binding regulations governing the program remain unpublished.

Several critical administrative details remain unconfirmed in the draft plan:

• Official launch dates and transitional rollout windows across regional airports

• Application fees or user service charges for mobile profile verification

• Specific visa categories eligible for digital domestic transit

• Standard operational guidelines for private airlines, money changers and hotels

Foreign visitors and digital nomads in Nepal must keep their original physical passports accessible until the government publishes formal enforcement orders. Travelers shouldn't rely on app screenshots, scans or digital registrations for domestic flights or hotel reservations until regional authorities receive official clearance to accept them.