Online Media Registration in Nepal (2026): DOIB Process & Fees

You have a domain, an editor, a small team and a clear story angle — but the moment you ask "where do I actually register this online news portal?", the answer keeps changing. The Press Council Nepal handled it for years. Then the Printing and Publication (Second Amendment) Rules, 2082 BS (2025) moved the whole process to the Department of Information and Broadcasting (DOIB), introduced fresh fees, and tightened staffing rules. Operators who registered three years ago are now unsure whether their certificate is even renewed in the right office.

This guide is the 2026 (2083 BS) practitioner's view of online media registration in Nepal — what the new framework requires, what the Online Media Operation Directive 2073 still controls, what changed after the Supreme Court's 2021 ruling on annual renewal, and how Alpine Law Associates handles the full file from company incorporation to DOIB certificate. If you intend to publish news, opinion, or current-affairs content from a Nepali domain in 2026, treat this as your compliance checklist.

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What does online media registration in Nepal mean in 2026?

Online media registration is the formal authorisation under the Press and Publication Act 2048 (1991) to operate a digital news portal — websites, mobile apps, video and audio platforms — that publish current affairs, news, opinion or editorial content from a Nepal-registered entity. It is distinct from a generic web business: a blog selling services does not need DOIB clearance, but a portal that calls itself "news" or covers politics, economy, sport, or social issues editorially does.

Registration converts your portal from informal content publishing to a recognised press entity. Recognised portals can apply for press cards through the Federation of Nepali Journalists, qualify for government advertising tenders, claim legal protection for journalists' work, and use the registration certificate as proof of legitimacy when banks, advertisers or grant bodies ask. Operating a current-affairs portal without registration is treated as an unregistered press operation and exposes the founders to closure orders and content removal directions.

The 2026 framework is hybrid: the substantive obligations (editor qualifications, ethical code, content responsibility) still flow from the Online Media Operation Directive 2073, while the procedural authority — who issues and renews certificates — was shifted by the Printing and Publication (Second Amendment) Rules, 2082 BS to the Department of Information and Broadcasting. If you read older guides that send you to Press Council Nepal for the certificate, that route is closed since 2 November 2025.

Who registers online media now — DOIB or Press Council Nepal?

This is the single most-asked question in 2026, and the answer is unambiguous: the Department of Information and Broadcasting registers online media. Press Council Nepal does not. The Council itself confirmed in November 2025 that, following "An Act to Make Amendment to Some Nepal Acts, 2082" and the new Second Amendment Rules, it would no longer handle the registration, listing, or orientation of online media. The Council retains its core constitutional role — promoting press freedom, monitoring journalistic ethics, and adjudicating complaints under the Journalist Code of Conduct — but the certificate that lets you legally operate a news portal now comes from DOIB.

Within DOIB, the Director-General is designated as the local registering officer. Applications are filed online through the Department's Information Management System. Physical attendance is required only when collecting the printed certificate or attending a clarification interview. The shift is significant for compliance because the documentation set, fee structure, and renewal cadence all changed in the same gazette notification on 30 October 2025; portals that were last renewed under the old PCN regime must transition into the DOIB system at their next renewal cycle.

Step-by-step process to register an online news portal in Nepal

The 2026 process moves through three layers — corporate, tax, and media — in a fixed order. Skipping forward (for example, applying to DOIB before securing PAN) leads to rejection on document completeness.

1. Reserve the company name and incorporate. Reserve a unique name with the Office of Company Registrar and incorporate the entity. Draft the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association so the principal object expressly includes "operation of online publication / online media." If you want to also run as a small or cottage industry, mirror the same object in the Department of Cottage and Small Industries registration. See our guide to company registration in Nepal for the OCR file.
2. Obtain PAN / VAT. Register with Inland Revenue Department for a Permanent Account Number; if your projected turnover crosses the VAT threshold or you bill VAT-registered advertisers, take VAT in the same step. The PAN/VAT certificate must list "publishing — internet / electronic" as a business activity. See our PAN registration guide.
3. Register the domain in the company's name. Whether .np or international, the WHOIS registrant must show the company name, registered address, the operator's name and a verifiable phone and e-mail. Domains held in personal name are a frequent rejection ground.
4. Pass a board resolution. The board must minute (a) the decision to operate online media specifying the exact domain, (b) appointment of one director as the online media operator if there are multiple directors, (c) appointment of the editor, and (d) registration under the Information and Broadcasting category.
5. Assemble the editor and staffing file. Editor's citizenship, all academic certificates from SLC/SEE through bachelor's, character certificate where applicable, and a journalism degree or 5-year experience letter. If the editor studied abroad, attach an equivalency certificate recognised by the Government of Nepal. Sign labour contracts with at least three staff including the editor, with salary commitment via bank.
6. Deposit capital and bank guarantee. Show paid-up capital — NPR 500,000 for a national portal or NPR 300,000 for a provincial one — in the company bank account, and lodge a NPR 100,000 bank guarantee in favour of DOIB.
7. File with DOIB online. Submit the application through DOIB's Information Management System with the application fee NPR 1,000 and registration fee NPR 5,000. Attend the verification interview if called.
8. Collect the certificate. Once approved, the printed certificate is collected from DOIB. Validity runs to the end of the fiscal year (mid-July, end of Asadh).
9. Begin operations and post-registration compliance. Display the registration number on the portal's "About" or footer, file annual tax returns, and renew before the certificate's fiscal year expires.

Documents required for online media registration in Nepal

DOIB will only open the file when the document set is complete. The 2026 list mirrors the Online Media Directive 2073 with two additions from the Second Amendment Rules — a bank salary commitment and a domain WHOIS print confirming registrant identity.

1. Application specifying the domain name.
2. Company registration certificate; latest renewal, audit report, and updated share register if the company is older than one year. Print operations registering an online wing additionally need their permanent registration certificate and a District Administration Office recommendation.
3. Memorandum and Articles of Association stating the online publication object.
4. Citizenship certificate of every director.
5. Board resolution covering domain decision, operator appointment, editor appointment, and Information and Broadcasting category registration.
6. Editor's citizenship, academic certificates from SLC/SEE through bachelor's, character certificate, and the editor appointment letter. Foreign-degree holders must add an equivalency certificate.
7. PAN / VAT certificate and tax clearance, listing internet / electronic publishing as activity.
8. Domain WHOIS print confirming the company as registrant and administrative contact.
9. Staffing plan, signed labour contracts, and a bank commitment to pay salaries — minimum three employees, minimum wage NPR 17,625.
10. Bank statement evidencing paid-up capital and the NPR 100,000 bank guarantee instrument.
11. Editorial policy and a written commitment to follow the Journalist Code of Conduct 2073.

Editor and staff qualifications under the 2026 framework

The Online Media Operation Directive 2073 sets the qualification floor and DOIB enforces it during file scrutiny. The editor carries the heaviest accountability — civil and criminal liability for content sits on the editor, not the operator, and disqualification of the editor disqualifies the portal.

• Editor-in-chief: Bachelor's degree in journalism or a related field plus five years of relevant experience. A senior journalist with five-plus years of demonstrable bylined work can substitute the degree, but DOIB has narrowed this exception in practice — keep both academic and experience proof on file.
• News editor: Bachelor's degree in journalism plus three years of experience.
• Reporters: Diploma or degree in journalism or a related field.
• Editorial education quota: At least 25% of editorial staff must hold formal journalism education.
• Federation registration: All journalistic staff should be registered with the Federation of Nepali Journalists.
• Single-editor rule (2026 amendment): One person cannot serve as editor of more than one registered online outlet. Group operators running multiple portals must appoint distinct editors for each.
• Salary discipline: All staff salary must move through bank; cash payment of journalistic wages is now disallowed for compliance evidence.

Capital and bank guarantee — what the law really expects

The capital and guarantee numbers look small on paper, but DOIB does verify them. The paid-up capital must sit in the company's bank account at the time of inspection, not be transferred in and out for the certificate. The NPR 100,000 bank guarantee is a separate instrument issued by a Class A commercial bank in favour of DOIB and is held throughout the validity of the registration. If the portal closes, breaches the directive, or is suspended for content offences, DOIB can call on the guarantee to satisfy regulatory penalties before releasing the balance.

For provincial-level portals — those that declare a single province as operational coverage — the capital floor drops to NPR 300,000. The trade-off is that provincial registration constrains your masthead claims; calling a provincial portal a "national news portal" can trigger a category mismatch finding at renewal.

How long does registration take and what does it cost in total?

For a clean file the realistic timeline is 45–60 days from OCR incorporation to the printed DOIB certificate. The breakdown: OCR incorporation 7–15 days, IRD PAN 1–3 days, domain registration 1–2 days, board minute and editor appointment 1 day, capital deposit and bank guarantee 3–7 days, and DOIB scrutiny and certificate issue 21–30 days. The most common stall point is the verification interview where DOIB asks the operator to demonstrate the editorial process — operators who are not personally involved with editorial often fail this.

The total out-of-pocket government cost is modest — NPR 6,000 in fees, plus the NPR 100,000 guarantee instrument cost (typically 1–1.5% of face value as bank issuance fee) and the working-capital lockup of NPR 300,000–500,000. Lawyer and consultancy fees vary by scope; a full file (incorporation + tax + DOIB) is the cost-effective bundle. Operators who try to register the company themselves and only retain counsel for the DOIB step often pay more in re-filing time.

Annual renewal — what the Supreme Court ruling actually means

The Online Media Operation Directive 2073 originally made annual renewal mandatory under Clause 6, with non-renewal triggering shutdown. The Supreme Court of Nepal in 2021, in a writ petition filed by advocates and journalists, struck down that Clause 6 provision as inconsistent with the Constitution of Nepal 2072 (2015) Article 19 freedom of expression and press freedom guarantees. The ruling was that an automatic shutdown for non-renewal was disproportionate.

That said, the 2025 Printing and Publication (Second Amendment) Rules reinstated a renewal cadence as a procedural compliance matter — the certificate is issued for one fiscal year and operators must renew it. Renewal fee is NPR 2,500. Late renewal attracts a compounding penalty (commonly cited at 25% per month). The legal nuance after the 2021 ruling is that DOIB cannot summarily shut a portal for missed renewal alone; due process and a hearing are required, and the operator can cure the default by paying renewal plus penalty. Operators should treat the renewal cycle as binding even though shutdown is not automatic.

Common reasons online media registration is rejected

From audit of recent rejection trends at DOIB, six issues appear repeatedly:

• MoA object mismatch — the company's Memorandum does not list online publication / online media as an object. DOIB will not open the file until OCR amendment is filed.
• Domain in personal name — WHOIS shows a director or third party as registrant rather than the company. Transfer takes a week and delays the file.
• Editor disqualification — editor's degree is not in journalism and the experience letter does not satisfy the five-year rule, or the editor is already serving another registered portal.
• Capital not visible at inspection — paid-up capital was deposited and immediately withdrawn. DOIB checks the bank statement on the date of file scrutiny.
• Tax certificate scope wrong — PAN was issued for general consultancy and does not include internet / electronic publishing.
• Staffing plan below floor — fewer than three employees, or salary not routed through bank, or no bank commitment letter attached.

How can Alpine Law Associates help with online media registration?

Alpine Law Associates handles online media registration as a single, sequenced file rather than a series of disconnected counters. Our service line covers OCR incorporation with a media-ready Memorandum, IRD PAN/VAT with the right activity scope, domain alignment in the company's name, board minutes and editor appointment papers, capital structuring and bank-guarantee facilitation, the DOIB e-filing through the Information Management System, and post-registration compliance — annual renewals, content takedown defence, defamation response, and FNJ accreditation support. We also handle the migration of portals registered under the old Press Council Nepal regime into the DOIB system at the next renewal cycle.

For media houses planning a print-plus-online structure, an FDI-restricted shareholder check, or a content-platform launch with foreign capital, the early advisory matters more than the filing. We advise on shareholding structure, editorial control safeguards, and the constitutional limits on press regulation as a law firm in Nepal serving family, corporate, civil and criminal mandates from one office. For tax and compliance after registration, see company compliance services.

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Last reviewed: April 2026