Nepal seeks India’s nod to use National ID card as travel document
Kathmandu: Nepal has asked India to recognise its National Identity Card (NID) as a valid travel document for Nepali citizens travelling to India. If approved, the move would allow Nepali citizens to use the NID alongside their existing citizenship certificate and passport.
The Department of Immigration has sent the proposal to the Indian government through diplomatic channels, its spokesperson Tika Ram Dhakal said on Sunday.
"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," Dhakal said.
The department is also in contact with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and is awaiting a formal response from New Delhi, he added.
If India approves the proposal, the National Identity Card would become the third valid identification document for Nepali citizens travelling to India by air or land.
Dhakal expressed hope that India would respond positively to the request soon.
Current travel rules between India and Nepal
At present, Nepali citizens travelling to India, particularly by air, are required to carry either a citizenship certificate or a passport. Similarly, Indian citizens travelling to Nepal by air must carry either a passport or a voter identity card issued by the Election Commission of India.
Nepal introduced its nationwide National Identity Card programme in 2018 as part of efforts to modernise public administration. The biometric identity card has also been made mandatory for accessing certain government services and banking facilities.
The Nepalese government plans to eventually replace the traditional citizenship certificate with the biometric National Identity Card.
India-Nepal open border
India and Nepal share an open border under the 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship. The agreement allows citizens of both countries to travel and work across the border without visas.
However, travellers are still required to carry specified identity documents when crossing the border by air or road.
(With PTI inputs)