How to Apply for an e-Passport in Nepal: Fees, Documents, Processing Time and Online Pre-Enrolment

The Nepali e-passport (electronic passport) is a biometric travel document that embeds a contactless microchip in the booklet's data page. The chip stores the holder's photograph, personal details and biometric data in a format compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard for machine-readable travel documents, alongside physical security features such as holograms and ultraviolet elements that make the booklet harder to forge.

Nepal began issuing e-passports on 17 November 2021, with the writer Satya Mohan Joshi receiving the first booklet. The e-passport replaced the earlier machine-readable passport (MRP), which Nepal had adopted to meet its ICAO obligations after it stopped issuing hand-written passports on 31 March 2010. The booklets are produced in partnership with the security technology company IDEMIA.

Passports are issued by the Department of Passports, an agency established in 2012 under Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ordinary e-passport comes in a chocolate-brown cover, while diplomatic, official and peacekeeper passports use distinct colours.

Every e-passport application begins with online pre-enrolment through the Department of Passports portal. From nepalpassport.gov.np you open the e-passport application (hosted on the emrtds.nepalpassport.gov.np system) and complete the digital form before visiting an enrolment counter in person.

The form collects demographic information, citizenship certificate details, your contact details and an emergency contact. For applicants applying from within Nepal, the National Identity Number (NIN) issued by the Department of National ID and Civil Registration is required and must be entered on the form. After completing the form you generate and print the application with its unique reference, which you carry to your appointment.

Pre-enrolment fills in your data accurately in advance, which shortens the time spent at the biometric counter, where your live photograph, fingerprints and signature are captured.

Government fees depend on the number of pages and whether you choose regular or fast-track service. The figures below reflect the official ordinary-passport schedule published since the e-passport launch; always confirm the current amount on the official site before paying, as government fee schedules are revised periodically.

Applicants abroad pay an equivalent fee in US dollars at the nearest Nepali embassy or consulate, and reduced rates apply to minors. Replacement fees for a lost passport are higher than a normal application.

Fees can be paid through the bank or revenue counters designated for passport collection, or online for expedited service. The Department's online payment flow requires you to generate a Request Code through the Revenue Management Information System (RMIS) via the ePayment portal after the pre-enrolment form is filled; payment is then completed digitally.

ConnectIPS is the payment system named in the Department's online-payment guidance, and digital wallets such as eSewa and Khalti are widely cited as accepted channels. Whichever method you use, print the paid voucher (typically two copies) and bring it to your enrolment appointment as proof of payment. Payments are non-refundable once processed.

At your appointment you submit your documents in person and have your biometrics captured. Bring originals plus photocopies, your printed pre-enrolment form and your paid voucher. Because fingerprints, a live photo and a signature are taken on site, the applicant must attend personally.

Minors require additional paperwork, including a birth certificate and the parents' citizenship certificates, and parents typically must be present for the child's enrolment.

After biometric capture, regular processing generally takes around two to three weeks of working days, while fast-track service is markedly quicker, often a few working days. Reported windows vary between sources and offices, so treat them as estimates rather than guarantees.

Personalisation (printing the chip booklet) is centralised, so applicants who enrol at a District Administration Office outside Kathmandu should allow extra days for the finished passport to be couriered back to the collection point. Applicants who apply through an embassy or consulate abroad usually wait longer — several weeks — because data is sent to Kathmandu and the booklet is returned by post. Collect your e-passport on or after the acknowledgement date, bringing your receipt.