Nepal asks India to recognise national identity card for cross-border travel
Kathmandu says biometric ID will strengthen security and simplify travel between the two neighbouring countries
Nepal has formally requested India to recognise its National Identity Card (NID) as a valid travel document for cross-border movement, a move Kathmandu says would improve identity verification while making travel between the two countries more secure and efficient.
The proposal was submitted to the Indian government in late June, according to Nepal's Department of Immigration, which is seeking the inclusion of the biometric identity card alongside the documents currently accepted for travel.
At present, India recognises Nepal's passport and citizenship certificate as valid proof of identity for Nepali citizens travelling across the open border. Citizens of India and Nepal are exempt from passport and visa requirements for most cross-border travel.
Ram Chandra Tiwari, director general of Nepal's Department of Immigration, said the government had formally asked India to accept the National Identity Card for both air travel and cross-border movement.
He said the card offers stronger security features than the traditional citizenship certificate as it contains biometric data, including fingerprints, facial images and iris scans, making it a more reliable means of verifying identity.
According to Tiwari, officials from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu recently sought technical information about the card from Nepal's immigration authorities. He described the interaction as an informal exchange rather than a formal bilateral meeting.
Nepal has been expanding the use of the National Identity Card as part of a broader effort to digitise public services. The card is already mandatory for several government services, including passport applications, land registration and opening bank accounts, and is intended to gradually replace the conventional citizenship certificate.
Official figures show that more than 4.5 million Nepali citizens have received the biometric card, while around 20 million people have enrolled for one.
The two countries share one of the world's longest open borders, allowing citizens to move freely without visas or passports. Indian citizens travelling to Nepal by air are currently permitted to use passports, voter identity cards or identity documents issued by the central or state governments.
With IANS inputs