Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Department of Immigration (DoI) has announced that the registration and tracking of foreign tourists in Nepal will now be conducted through an electronic system.
According to Ramchandra Tiwari, the director general of DoI, the ‘Foreign Nationals Registration and Tracking System’ has been developed to ensure the safety of foreign nationals, facilitate information management, prevent potential crimes and promote tourism in the country. The DoI believes that this system will help maintain organized records of foreign nationals on a visit visa and will also make it easier to ensure their safety and facilitate search and rescue operations in case of emergencies.
Under the system, DoI will provide a unique QR code to each service provider. Foreign nationals are required to install the Department of Immigration (DoI) mobile application and register using their passport and visa information. They must then scan the QR codes of the service providers through the app.
The system also sends reminders to foreign nationals via SMS and push notifications 7 days and 2 days before visa expiry and also provides instructions for visa extension or departure.
For foreign nationals who do not have the mobile application, service providers are required to enter their details manually into the system.
The DoI has made the registration process and a user manual available on its website. According to the DoI, correspondence has also been sent to the district monitoring committees in all 77 districts to ensure proper implementation of the system.
The system will become mandatory in five-star hotels within the Kathmandu Valley starting September 17. In the second phase, from November 17, it will be implemented across all star hotels, airlines, tour and travel companies and money exchange service providers. The DoI has urged all public institutions and private companies serving foreign nationals to join the system without exception.
The DoI recently held discussions with stakeholders, including the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), to finalize the implementation process. According to HAN, discussions about the system have been ongoing for some time but have yet to be fully implemented. The Association has stated that it will release an official statement on the new system shortly.
