Nepal urges India to accept National ID for travel

Nepal has requested India to recognise the National Identity Card as a valid travel document for Nepali citizens visiting the country, a move that will allow the NID to be used alongside the existing citizenship certificate and passport, a senior official said on Sunday.

The Department of Immigration has forwarded the proposal to the Indian Government through diplomatic channels, seeking recognition of the NID for travel to India, spokesperson Tika Ram Dhakal said.

“We have already sent the proposal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Home Ministry, and the Foreign Ministry has forwarded it to the concerned authorities of India,” he said.

“We are in touch with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu regarding the matter and are awaiting a formal response from the Indian side,” Dhakal added.

If the proposal is approved, the National Identity Card will become the third valid identification document for Nepali citizens travelling to India by both air and land routes, alongside the citizenship certificate and passport, he said.

Dhakal expressed hope that India would respond positively to Nepal’s request at the earliest.

At present, Nepali citizens travelling to India, particularly by air, are required to carry either a citizenship certificate or a passport. Indian nationals travelling to Nepal by air are required to carry either a passport or a voter identity card issued by the Election Commission of India.

Nepal formally rolled out the nationwide National Identity Card in 2018 as part of its efforts to modernise public administration and has made it mandatory for availing services at Government offices and in the banking sector.

The Government also plans to eventually replace the traditional citizenship certificate with the biometric identity card.

India and Nepal share an open border under the 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which allows citizens of both countries to travel and work across the border without visas.

However, specified identity documents are required for both air and road travel between the two countries.