E-Visa in Nepal

E-Visa in Nepal.

The Immigration Bureau has implemented its e-Visa and web-based payment service officiated by Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha. Asserting a complete transition to automated services for immigration management, the bureau unveils its online operational infrastructure. Mr. Rudrasing Tamang, Director General of the department, indicated that the service will begin on February 13th, 2023. The bureau's director general conveyed the implementation of a fully digitized and autonomous system across all immigration offices, ensuring expedited and effortless service provision to users.

Furthermore, the bureau declared its readiness to substitute handwritten signatures with digital counterparts. The inaugural recipient of the bureau's online payment service is Nilhari Bastola, president of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), while the e-visa was granted to a foreign national. With the e-visa launch, the cumbersome process of physical presence at the immigration office, queuing for applications, and payment transactions has been obviated for visa issuance, extensions, and travel permits. Except for applicants seeking non-tourist visas based on familial or marital ties, personal visits to the service department are no longer mandatory.

All procedures are to be conducted online, necessitating in-person visits solely for visa sticker affixation at the bureau or any Nepali immigration office. Stakeholders in the tourism sector, including businessmen, commended the initiative during the bureau's organized event, anticipating favorable ramifications for the tourism industry.

Notably, all service charges, visa fees, and penalties imposed by the Immigration Bureau are now payable through Nepali banks' mobile banking apps' QR code scanning and wallet services via Connect IPS.

Home Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai outlined plans for extending automated and online services to all sectors under the Ministry of Home Affairs, including immigration. Emphasizing the need for inter-agency coordination beyond the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bhattarai emphasized the ongoing efforts to facilitate e-visa applications and payments from any global location. While current online payment options are restricted to domestic transactions, international payment gateways are under development. Bhattarai also underscored forthcoming revisions to streamline visit visa regulations, aiming for increased accessibility and simplicity.

Source: Nepal Mountaineering