Nepal seeks India's nod for its National Identity Card in cross-border travel
Kathmandu, Aug 3
Nepal has formally requested India to recognise its National Identity Card as a valid travel document for cross-border travel, aiming to strengthen identity verification and security while facilitating the movement of people between the two countries, a senior immigration official said.
The NID is similar to India's Aadhaar card and contains biometric information, including fingerprints, facial images and iris scans. The Nepali government has made the NID mandatory for accessing several public services, including passport applications, land registration, opening bank accounts and other government services, as it seeks to gradually replace the traditional citizenship certificate with digitally readable identity cards.
Nepal also wants India to recognise the NID as a valid document for the cross-border movement of Nepali citizens, as India currently recognises Nepal's passport and citizenship certificate as official identity documents. Citizens of Nepal and India are not required to carry passports or visas to travel between the two countries.
Ram Chandra Tiwari, director general of the Department of Immigration, told IANS that his office sent a proposal to the Government of India in late June seeking recognition of the NID as a valid travel document for Nepali citizens.
"At present, India recognises mainly Nepal's passport and citizenship certificate as official identity documents. We have formally proposed that the National Identity Card also be accepted as a valid identification document for air travel and cross-border movement," Tiwari said.
Following Nepal's request, officials from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu recently sought information from Nepal's immigration authorities about the NID.
"The embassy officials made informal inquiries regarding the card's technical and security aspects. It was not a formal bilateral meeting but an exchange of information," Tiwari said.
He said the NID offers stronger security than the traditional citizenship certificate.
"A citizenship certificate is merely a paper document without biometric information, whereas the NID provides a secure and reliable means of identification. Its recognition would enhance security arrangements for both Nepal and India," he added.
Nepal and India share an open border, allowing citizens of both countries to travel without passports or visas for most forms of cross-border movement. Indian citizens travelling to Nepal by air are currently allowed to use passports, voter identity cards or identity cards issued by India's federal or state governments.
More than 4.5 million Nepali citizens have already received the National Identity Card, while around 20 million people have enrolled for one, according to the Department of National ID and Civil Registration.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Makes sense from a security perspective. But I hope this doesn't create unnecessary hurdles for people living near the border who cross frequently for daily needs. The open border is a lifeline for many families on both sides.
Nepal's NID is actually more advanced than our Aadhaar in some ways. If they want to use it for travel, why not? As long as India's security concerns are addressed, this could streamline everything. Tech-savvy move by Nepal 👏
This is good for both countries. The citizenship certificate is so easy to forge - I've seen cases in border areas. Having biometric verification will help track who's actually crossing and reduce illegal activities. Security first!
Concerned about the 20 million enrolled but only 4.5 million issued so far. Many people in remote areas might not have access to this yet. If India accepts NID as the only valid document, it could inconvenience many Nepali citizens who don't have it yet. Need a transition period.
Finally, some practical cooperation between neighbors! With the open border, having digital ID recognition will help both countries track movement better. Also good that Nepal is adopting technology like India did with Aadhaar. Progress 🚀
S Siddharth J