Passport distribution quota lifted

KATHMANDU: The Department of Passport (DoP) has lifted the daily quota on issuance of passports following a cabinet decision to procure 700,000 passports from the current supplier IN Smart Identity France SAS (formerly IDEMIA).

Issuing a statement on Friday, the Department said the first batch of passports from the French company will arrive within the next three weeks.

After its contract with the French firm expired, the Department in June awarded a contract to two German firms, Veridos and Muehlbauer, to supply 6.4 million passports over the next five years. However, with its passport stock rapidly depleting and the German firms scheduled to begin supplies only from March, the Department had imposed a daily quota of 1,000 passports.

With the supply of passports now guaranteed, the Department said that the number of daily appointment slots, previously capped at 1,000, will now be increased in line with demand and its operational capacity. “Staff will be mobilized for extended working hours to ensure faster and smoother service delivery.

“Passports for applicants who applied through Nepali diplomatic missions abroad will once again be printed and dispatched within one to two weeks, as earlier, the Department said in the statement. “For applicants who submitted their forms through district or area administration offices on or before November 1, passports will be printed and dispatched within two weeks. Applications filed after that date will be processed and delivered in the regular sequence.”

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