Nepal Opens Its Doors to Foreigners Afresh

September 19, 2026

Nepal’s Department of Immigration is preparing to introduce a new system that will allow foreign nationals to travel across the Himalayan country without carrying their physical passports.

The department has termed the initiative a “Passport-Free Travel” arrangement, aimed at making travel and immigration-related services more convenient for foreign visitors.

Under the proposed system, foreign nationals arriving in Nepal will be required to install the official Department of Immigration app on their mobile devices. They will then have to provide the necessary information, including a scanned copy of their passport and visa details.

Once their details are registered on the app, foreign nationals will be able to travel within Nepal without carrying their physical passports. The department has said that the application will be available on both Android and Apple iOS platforms.

The digital facility is expected to simplify several aspects of travel. Foreign nationals will not need to produce their physical passports while boarding domestic flights, exchanging currencies at money exchange counters, checking into hotels or making travel arrangements through trekking agencies.

The initiative is also intended to address situations in which tourists accidentally leave their passports behind at hotels or other locations. According to the immigration authorities, even genuine foreign nationals have occasionally faced difficulties because they were unable to produce their physical passports when required.

Some foreign nationals have also reportedly been arrested for failing to show their passports. The proposed system is expected to reduce such difficulties by allowing authorities and service providers to verify relevant information digitally.

Foreign nationals will also be able to apply for visa extensions through the same application, making the process more accessible.

According to the Department of Immigration, the initiative has two main objectives: allowing tourists to travel more freely and comfortably across Nepal while also enabling Nepali authorities to maintain better records and track foreign nationals staying in the country.

The new arrangement is being prepared alongside Nepal’s existing Foreign Nationals Management Information System (FNMIS). The nationwide digital database was introduced to collect real-time information about foreign nationals from the time they apply for a visa until they leave Nepal.

The FNMIS has been operational since January 1 this year. Various entities, including hotels, airlines, travel and trekking agencies, money exchange counters and other service providers dealing with foreign nationals, are required to register with the system.

The department has said that the digital system is aimed at improving the safety of foreign nationals visiting Nepal while also helping authorities monitor and control potential crimes involving foreign nationals.

With the proposed Passport-Free Travel arrangement, Nepal is seeking to make its immigration services more technology-driven while providing greater convenience to international visitors travelling across the country.