E-Passport in Nepal: Application Process at Home and Abroad (2026)

The Nepal e-passport rolled out in late 2021 replaced the machine-readable booklet with a chip-embedded biometric document that meets ICAO 9303 standards — and quietly reset the cost, the timeline, and the documentation requirements for every applicant.

For resident Nepalis the official fee is now NPR 12,000 for the 34-page adult booklet, paid through the Department of Passports' own portal at nepalpassport.gov.np with biometric capture at the Department headquarters in Tripureshwar or at the District Administration Office covering your permanent address.

For Non-Resident Nepalis abroad, the embassy route is parallel — same biometric, same booklet, different fee in local currency, and a longer 6 to 8 week wait while the personalisation centre in Kathmandu prints and ships the booklet back to the mission.

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Our team has handled passport-linked filings — name corrections that surface only at the biometric counter, citizenship-NID-passport reconciliations for NRN clients, lost-passport replacements with police reports, and minor passport applications where one parent is abroad — for individuals, families, and corporate directors across all seven provinces. The most frequent friction point is a date-of-birth or name spelling difference between citizenship and the existing passport that the e-passport database flags during enrollment. As a full-service law firm in Nepal, we resolve those upstream so the e-passport issues clean on the first appointment.

What Is the E-Passport in Nepal?

The Nepal e-passport — Rastriya Rajdhani Patra in Nepali — is a chip-embedded biometric travel document issued by the Department of Passports under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The booklet looks similar to the older machine-readable passport but carries an embedded contactless chip that stores the holder's facial image, fingerprints, signature, and biographic data signed digitally by the issuing state.

Nepal began issuing e-passports in late 2021 to comply with ICAO Document 9303 — the international standard for machine-readable travel documents — and to phase out the older MRP series. The MRP booklets remain valid until their printed expiry date; renewals automatically issue an e-passport. Frequent travellers, NRNs, and applicants whose MRP is nearing expiry are converting to the e-passport at the next renewal cycle.

The chip itself is read at international airports through ICAO-compliant inspection systems. The biometric match between the chip and the bearer accelerates immigration clearance at e-gates worldwide and reduces fraud risk at manual desks. As of April 2026, every Nepali passport issued is an e-passport — no new MRP is being printed by the Department of Passports.

Legal Basis Under the Passport Act 2076

The governing statute is the Passport Act 2076 (2019 AD), enacted to consolidate passport issuance, suspension, revocation, and biometric standards under one federal law. It is read together with the Passport Regulation 2077, which sets out operational procedures, document checklists, and fee categories.

The Act and Regulation are published on the Nepal Law Commission portal at lawcommission.gov.np. Operational forms, fee notices, and the online pre-enrollment portal live at nepalpassport.gov.np.

Key takeaway: Section 5 of the Passport Act 2076 ties eligibility to Nepali citizenship — the citizenship certificate is the upstream document that anchors every passport application, including the e-passport. Errors in citizenship propagate into the passport database; reconcile them first.

E-Passport Fees in Nepal — Current Schedule

The Department of Passports publishes the standard fee schedule on its own website. The figures below reflect the published list as of FY 2082/83 — note that the official fee page shows a single national fee per category, with no separate fast-track fee or distinct District Administration Office rate.

For applications submitted at a Nepali Embassy or Consulate abroad, fees are denominated in the local currency or US dollars and vary by mission. As examples confirmed from official mission pages: the Embassy in Washington DC charges USD 150 for a 34-page adult, USD 200 for 66-page, with USD 75 and USD 100 for minors and USD 225 to USD 300 for replacements; the Consulate General in Hong Kong publishes parallel schedules in HKD. Always check the specific mission's website before paying.

Fees are paid through the linked bank channel during the online pre-enrollment, not at the counter. The bank voucher is then submitted at biometric capture as proof of payment. Counter-paid cash is not the published payment method for the e-passport.

Key takeaway: The current Department of Passports schedule is NPR 12,000 for the standard adult 34-page e-passport — competitor blogs still showing NPR 5,000 are referencing an older fee structure that has been superseded. Always confirm with the Department's own fee page before paying.

Documents Required for E-Passport Application

The document set is short but precise — the system cross-checks each enrollment against the applicant's citizenship certificate and (since 2025) the National Identity Number. A spelling or date-of-birth mismatch between citizenship, NID, and the existing passport record is the leading cause of biometric-stage rejection.

Photographs must be recent (within six months), passport-size, against a plain white background, with no head-coverings unless religious and clearly identifiable. Embassy and Department counters are strict on photo specifications — non-compliant photographs are the second most common rejection reason after document-mismatch.

Documents in languages other than Nepali or English need a notarised translation. NRN applicants whose citizenship was renounced and re-acquired need to attach the citizenship reissue records; the new e-passport will reflect the reissued citizenship details.

How to Apply for E-Passport in Nepal — Step by Step

The application is two-step: online pre-enrollment, followed by in-person biometric capture. There is no fully online issuance — the chip and the printed booklet require physical attendance at one of three counter types.

1. Visit nepalpassport.gov.np and click on "Apply for Passport" or open the linked pre-enrollment portal. Create an account using your Nepali mobile number (or international number for NRNs) and verify the OTP.
2. Choose application type — first issuance, renewal, replacement (lost or stolen), or replacement (damaged) — and select the booklet size (34-page or 66-page).
3. Fill the application form — full name as on citizenship, citizenship number and issue district, parents' details, permanent and current address, occupation, contact information, and NIN reference. Upload a recent photograph and the citizenship scan as required.
4. Book the biometric appointment slot — at the Department of Passports headquarters in Tripureshwar, Kathmandu, at the District Administration Office covering your permanent address, or at a Nepali Embassy or Consulate abroad. Available slots vary by load.
5. Pay the fee through the linked bank channel and download the application slip and the bank voucher. Print both — they are required at the counter on the appointment day.
6. Visit the counter on the appointment date with originals — citizenship, existing passport for renewals, photograph, application slip, bank voucher, and any supporting documents (police report for lost-passport, parental citizenship for minors).
7. Complete the biometric capture — the operator photographs you, captures fingerprints (ten finger), and records your signature on the digital pad. The biometric data is encrypted and signed before being uploaded to the central system.
8. Collect the e-passport after the printing and personalisation cycle — typically one to four weeks at Department HQ for resident Nepalis, longer at District Administration Offices due to courier transit, and 6 to 8 weeks at most embassies abroad. Some missions take up to 45 to 60 days.

Key takeaway: The biometric step is non-negotiable — it cannot be done by power of attorney, by mail-in scan, or remotely. Whichever counter you choose (Department, DAO, or Embassy), both the application slip and the original citizenship must be carried in person on the appointment day.

E-Passport for Foreign Nepalese — The Embassy Route

Non-Resident Nepalis abroad apply through the Nepali Embassy or Consulate accredited to their country of residence. The legal authority is the same Passport Act 2076; the operational difference is the counter location, the local-currency fee schedule, and the longer end-to-end timeline because the booklet itself is printed at the personalisation centre in Kathmandu and shipped back to the mission.

• Pre-enrollment happens through the same Department of Passports portal at nepalpassport.gov.np — NRNs use their Nepali citizenship and an international mobile number for the OTP.
• Embassy fee varies by country and is published on each mission's website. As examples: Washington DC charges USD 150 for adult 34-page, USD 200 for 66-page; Hong Kong charges HKD 1,200 for adult 34-page; the Permanent Mission in Geneva and the consulates in Australia and the UK publish parallel local-currency schedules.
• Biometric capture is mandatory in person at the embassy or consulate — the same fingerprint, photograph, and signature step as the domestic counters. Mail-in submissions are not accepted.
• Processing time ranges from 6 to 8 weeks at most missions, extending to 45 to 60 days at consulates that ship the booklet through diplomatic post — Hong Kong publishes a 45 to 60 day window.
• Document differences for the abroad route — the local residency proof (visa, work permit, residency card, or PR status) replaces the Nepal address verification. The existing Nepali passport must be surrendered for renewal.

NRNs whose citizenship is held jointly with the foreign country (where dual citizenship is recognised) — and Nepalis who renounced citizenship and re-acquired it under the Citizenship Act 2063 — should reconcile the citizenship records before pre-enrollment. The e-passport database keys on the citizenship number, and a renounced-then-re-issued certificate carries a new number that supersedes the original.

For the underlying NRN identity framework that often interacts with passport renewal, see our guide on NRN citizenship in Nepal; for property and inheritance issues that turn on a current Nepali passport, see NRN rights and law in Nepal.

Key takeaway: The embassy route gives NRNs a clean path to e-passport renewal without flying back to Nepal — but the timeline is twice the domestic cycle. Plan renewal at least three months before any travel that needs the new passport.

E-Passport Validity and Renewal

Validity under Section 9 of the Passport Act 2076 is fixed by category — there is no early-renewal premium and no late penalty so long as the booklet is still within its expiry. Expired passports cannot be used for travel and must be renewed under the same fee schedule as a new application.

The renewal application uses the same online portal and the same fee schedule as a first-time application. The existing booklet is surrendered at the biometric appointment; the Department keeps the old booklet and issues a new one with a fresh number, fresh chip, and fresh validity period. There is no carry-forward of the old expiry.

Key takeaway: A six-month buffer before expiry is the safest renewal window. Many countries refuse entry on a passport with under six months' remaining validity even when the visa is valid.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

From over a decade of identity-document filings handled by our Kathmandu office, these are the recurring e-passport errors that send applicants back for a second visit. Avoiding them saves a return trip and prevents downstream travel disruption.

• Citizenship-passport name mismatch — the e-passport database keys on the citizenship certificate. If the existing passport spells your name differently from the citizenship, the renewal will be flagged. Fix the citizenship spelling first under the Citizenship Act 2063 procedure, then renew the passport.
• NIN not yet issued — since 2025 the National Identity Number is required at pre-enrollment. Applicants who have not yet registered for NID under the National Identity Card and Registration Act 2076 hit a portal error at the citizenship step. Register for NID first; see our guide on National ID registration in Nepal.
• Wrong DAO jurisdiction — the appointment slot maps to the District Administration Office covering your citizenship's permanent address. Picking the DAO closest to a rented flat in Kathmandu when citizenship lists Kavre will fail at biometric verification.
• Photo specification breach — the embassy and Department counters are strict on background, head-covering, expression, and resolution. A non-compliant photo is rejected at the counter and the appointment slot is consumed; rebooking adds days or weeks.
• Lost passport without police report — the lost-passport replacement requires a registered jaherikhana from the local police station. Walking into the Department with only a personal declaration is insufficient.
• Minor without both parents present — minor passport applications need both parents' citizenship copies and, in most cases, both parents' physical attendance for the consent record. Sole-parent applications need a court order under the Civil Code.
• Treating the application slip as the passport — the printed slip is a queue ticket. The actual passport issues only after biometric capture and the printing-personalisation cycle.
• Booking abroad without local residency proof — embassy applications require a current visa, residency card, or PR status. Tourists transiting through a country cannot apply at that mission.

For applicants whose citizenship needs correction before passport renewal, our team handles the citizenship-correction route as part of legal-document drafting in Nepal. For underlying citizenship issues that carry into passport eligibility, see our pillar guide on citizenship in Nepal.

Key takeaway: The single most expensive e-passport mistake is renewing on a citizenship that already has an error — every onward record (passport, NID, banking, visa filings) inherits the error. Always reconcile citizenship before pre-enrollment.

Related Questions About E-Passport in Nepal

These are the questions our team is asked most often during passport consultations — short answers below, with links to deeper guides where relevant.

Is the E-Passport Replacing the Old Machine-Readable Passport?

Yes, for new issues and renewals. Since late 2021 the Department of Passports issues only e-passports; existing machine-readable passports remain valid until their printed expiry date but cannot be renewed as MRPs — every renewal automatically issues an e-passport. International airports phase MRP acceptance over time, so frequent travellers with MRPs nearing expiry should plan an early conversion.

Can I Apply for an E-Passport Without National ID in Nepal?

Generally no. Since 2025 the pre-enrollment portal requires the National Identity Number. Applicants who have not yet registered for the NID need to do so first under the National Identity Card and Registration Act 2076 — see our guide on National ID registration in Nepal. The two systems are now linked, and the NID is the operational identifier the passport database keys on.

How Long Does an E-Passport Take to Arrive in Nepal?

Domestic applications at the Department headquarters typically issue within one to four weeks of biometric capture; District Administration Offices add courier transit time. Embassy applications abroad take 6 to 8 weeks at most missions, with some consulates publishing windows up to 45 to 60 days. Plan renewals at least three months before any travel that needs the new passport, and longer for embassy routes.

Conclusion

The Nepal e-passport is no longer a future-state document — as of April 2026 it is the only passport the Department of Passports issues, and every renewal cycle pulls another cohort of MRP holders into the new chip-embedded biometric system. The application path is consistent: online pre-enrollment at nepalpassport.gov.np, biometric capture at the Department headquarters, the District Administration Office, or the Nepali Embassy abroad, and booklet collection one to eight weeks later depending on location.

The most common cause of renewal friction we see is not the e-passport process itself — it is the upstream citizenship and NID record. A typo on the citizenship certificate, a NID not yet linked, or a date-of-birth difference between citizenship and the existing passport becomes a multi-week round of corrections at the worst possible time, often when international travel is already booked. The clean path is to reconcile citizenship and NID first, then enrol with confidence that the chip-embedded e-passport carries identical details to every downstream KYC record.

For end-to-end help with e-passport renewal, citizenship corrections, NRN passport matters at the Embassy or Consulate, lost-passport recovery, and minor passport applications, speak with our lawyers today → — Alpine Law Associates is a full-service law firm in Kathmandu with a dedicated identity and corporate compliance team handling individual, family, and NRN cases across all seven provinces.

Last reviewed: April 2026