IdentityCard – Nepal Seeks India’s Approval for National ID in Cross-Border Travel
IdentityCard –Nepal has formally approached India with a proposal to recognise its National Identity Card (NID) as an accepted travel document for Nepali citizens crossing the shared border, a move intended to improve identity verification while making travel more secure and efficient.
Nepal has officially requested the Government of India to include the National Identity Card among the documents accepted for cross-border travel. According to senior immigration officials, the proposal aims to strengthen identification procedures without affecting the long-standing arrangement that allows citizens of both countries to travel without passports or visas in most cases. At present, India recognises Nepal’s passport and citizenship certificate as the primary identity documents for such travel.
Proposal Sent to Indian Authorities
Ram Chandra Tiwari, Director General of Nepal’s Department of Immigration, said the proposal was forwarded to Indian authorities in late June. He explained that Nepal wants the National Identity Card to be accepted for both air travel and movement across the India-Nepal border.
The request comes as Nepal continues expanding the use of the biometric identity card across public services. Officials believe that recognising the card for travel purposes would simplify identity verification while maintaining strong security standards.
Biometric Features Expected to Improve Security
The National Identity Card is designed with biometric technology, storing details such as fingerprints, facial photographs and iris scans. The Nepali government has gradually introduced the card as an essential document for several official services, including passport applications, land registration, banking activities and access to various government facilities.
Authorities say the digital identity card offers a more reliable method of verification than the traditional citizenship certificate, which exists only in paper form and does not contain biometric information.
Indian Embassy Sought Technical Information
Following Nepal’s proposal, representatives from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu reportedly contacted Nepal’s immigration authorities to understand the technical and security features of the National Identity Card.
According to Tiwari, the interaction was informal and focused on gathering information about the document’s security standards rather than serving as an official bilateral negotiation. He noted that the discussions mainly covered how the biometric card functions and the safeguards built into the system.
Nepal Highlights Benefits of the New Identity System
Nepali officials believe that accepting the National Identity Card for travel would benefit both countries by improving the accuracy of identity checks. They argue that biometric authentication provides stronger protection against document misuse compared with conventional paper-based certificates.
The government has also been promoting the NID as part of its broader effort to modernise public administration and gradually replace older identification methods with digitally verifiable documents.
Open Border Continues to Support Free Movement
India and Nepal maintain a unique open-border arrangement that allows citizens of both nations to travel freely without requiring passports or visas for most cross-border journeys. This long-standing system supports family ties, trade, employment and cultural exchanges between the neighbouring countries.
Indian citizens travelling to Nepal by air are currently permitted to use a passport, voter identity card or identity documents issued by the central or state governments. Nepal now hopes its biometric National Identity Card will receive similar recognition from India for Nepali travellers.
Millions Already Enrolled in the National Identity Programme
Nepal has made significant progress in rolling out the National Identity Card across the country. According to the Department of National ID and Civil Registration, more than 4.5 million citizens have already received the biometric card, while nearly 20 million people have completed the enrolment process.
Officials view the programme as a key step in building a modern digital identity system and believe wider acceptance of the card, including for international border movement with India, would further strengthen its usefulness.