Government introduces ‘Live Enrollment System’ for passport issuance

Kathmandu / November 23: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday introduced the Live Enrollment System in its bid at streamlining the passport distribution method by making its acquisition easier and quicker.

With the new system in place, passport seekers will not have to fill up forms by their hands while their photo, finger prints and signature are filled through the computer. After the new system comes into effect the details of an individual will be in the ‘biometric’ while all works will be digitalized, Foreign Ministry said.

In the first phase of the application of the new system starting Tuesday diplomats and important officials will be provided diplomatic passport, said Department of Passport. In about two weeks’ time the public will be issued passport through the system from the Passport Department in the country and through the country’s diplomatic missions abroad.

Inaugurating the commencement of the new system amidst a function held by the Ministry here, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa expressed belief the commoners will avail of easy and fast track method of acquiring passports.

DPM Thapa further added that the application of the system would allow Nepali citizens in foreign lands to gain easy access to Machine Readable Passport (MRP).

Nepal started issuing MRP from 2010 as per the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) directive. A total of 3.8 million MRPs have been distributed till date while around 50,000 to 60,000 handwritten passports need to be replaced by MRP.

“The Ministry has made arrangement making the process easy and smooth so that passport seekers will get passport in a fast track manner in five days,” DPM Thapa said adding, “those who have filled forms in the districts will get passport in 10 days while passports will be issued from diplomatic missions abroad in five days’ time.”

Department’s Director General Lok Bahadur Thapa said around 1.7 million handwritten passports were already replaced by the MRP and urged the passport holders to get MRP at the earliest by visiting the nearest centres or offices. RSS