Kathmandu, Nov 1: The government has revised the travel guidelines for Nepalis going abroad on visit visas after reports emerged that middlemen were charging money under the table to arrange such trips. The Home Ministry amended the controversial six-point criteria that had been in force since January 24, 2024 (Magh 10, 2080).

According to Immigration Department Director General Ram Chandra Tiwari, the changes were approved on Thursday at the ministerial level. Under the revised rule, travelers can now go abroad on a visit visa if they have a valid passport, visa, and air ticket to their destination. They must also fill out a self-declaration form confirming they have the required travel documents and will take personal responsibility for any outcome of the trip.

“Anyone wishing to travel to any country will now be required to submit this self-declaration form,” said Tiwari.

Previously, the self-declaration requirement applied only to travelers visiting six Gulf countries: the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The declaration details will now be linked to the Nagarik App, Tiwari added. “We will no longer stop travelers based on assumptions, suspicions, or perceived financial status,” he said.

The Immigration Department concluded that the earlier six-point rule had allowed brokers to exploit travelers through manipulation and “setting” practices.

Old Six-Point Criteria:

  • Passport valid for at least six months
  • Visa or eligibility for on-arrival visa in destination country
  • Round-trip air ticket
  • Proof of hotel booking or, if staying with relatives, citizenship or documents proving relationship within three generations
  • Proof of currency exchange equivalent to 500 US dollars
  • Mandatory self-declaration for visits to UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia

A high-level committee led by former Chief Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, formed to investigate irregularities in visit visas, had recommended revising these rules. The committee, which submitted its report to the interim government formed after the GenZ protests, advised simplifying the process for genuine travelers.

New Criteria:

  • Passport valid for at least six months
  • Visa or eligibility for on-arrival entry
  • Air ticket to the destination country
  • Self-declaration stating the traveler’s purpose, possession of necessary documents, and full personal responsibility for the trip’s outcome

Tiwari said the new rule aims to make foreign travel on visit visas smoother and less prone to exploitation.

People’s News Monitoring Service