Nepal asks India to accept national ID card for cross-border travel

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Jul 26, 2026 13:58 IST

Nepal has asked India to recognise its Identity Card as a valid travel document for Nepali citizens visiting the country, a move that would allow it to be used alongside the citizenship certificate and passport, a senior official said on Sunday.

The proposal has been sent to the Indian government through diplomatic channels. If India agrees, the Identity Card will become the third valid identification document for Nepali citizens travelling to India by both air and land routes.

Department of Immigration spokesperson Tika Ram Dhakal 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 added, "We are in touch with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu regarding the matter and are awaiting a formal response from the Indian side."

Dhakal said that, if approved, the Identity Card would be accepted along with the existing citizenship certificate and passport. He also expressed hope that India would respond positively to Nepal's request at the earliest.

At present, Nepali citizens travelling to India, especially by air, must carry either a citizenship certificate or a passport. Indian nationals travelling to Nepal by air must carry either a passport or a voter identity card issued by the Election Commission of India.

Nepal launched the nationwide Identity Card in 2018 as part of efforts to modernise public administration. It has been made mandatory for services at government offices and in the banking sector. The government also plans to eventually replace the traditional citizenship certificate with the biometric 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 are still required for air and road travel between the two countries, and Nepal is now seeking to add the Identity Card to that list for travel to India.

With PTI Inputs

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