Nepal urges India to recognise national ID card as valid travel document

Nepal has formally requested India to recognise its National Identity Card (NID) as a valid travel document for Nepali citizens visiting the country, a move that would allow it to be used alongside the existing citizenship certificate and passport, a senior official told PTI on Sunday.

The Department of Immigration has submitted the proposal to the Indian government through diplomatic channels. Spokesperson Tika Ram Dhakal said the proposal was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Home Ministry before being forwarded to the Indian authorities, the news agency report 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 India approves the proposal, the National Identity Card will become the third valid identification document for Nepali citizens travelling to India by air and land, in addition to the citizenship certificate and passport.

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

Currently, Nepali citizens travelling to India, particularly by air, must 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 introduced the nationwide National Identity Card in 2018 as part of efforts to modernise public administration. The biometric card has since been made mandatory for accessing government services and banking facilities.

The government also plans to eventually replace the traditional citizenship certificate with the National 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 remain mandatory for both air and road travel between the two countries.