Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: A new electronic platform aimed at improving the management, safety, and monitoring of foreign citizens visiting Nepal has gone live.
Minister for Home Affairs Om Prakash Aryal formally launched the Foreign Nationals Registration and Tracking System in Kathmandu on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, Aryal said the system would make the documentation of foreign nationals’ movement more effective, assist disaster response efforts, and help monitor undesirable activities involving foreign citizens. He expressed confidence that the new system would also contribute to developing Nepal as a safe and reliable tourist destination at the global level.
According to the Department of Immigration (DoI), the system has been developed to enhance the security of foreign nationals, streamline information management, help control potential crimes, and support Nepal’s tourism promotion efforts. It is also expected to strengthen record-keeping of foreign nationals’ entry, movement, and stay in line with immigration laws, and to facilitate search, rescue, and relief operations during emergencies.
Similarly, the director general of the DoI, Ram Chandra Tiwari, said the system would be implemented in phases. In the first phase, it has been made mandatory at five-star hotels within the Kathmandu Valley. It will be rolled out throughout the country within two months, he added.
How the system works
Under the system, each service provider will be issued a unique QR code that they have to display at their lobby or front office.
Foreign nationals will be required to install the DoI mobile application and register using their passport and visa details. Following their registration, they will have to scan QR codes of the service providers they use using the app.
For those unable to use the mobile application, service providers are required to manually enter their details into the system.
The system also sends SMS and push notification alerts to foreign nationals seven days and two days before their visa expiry, along with guidance on visa extension or departure procedures.
The DoI has made the registration process and user manual available on its website and has also written to district monitoring committees in all 77 districts to ensure effective implementation.
