Passport Department is issuing e-passports from Wednesday, November 17. The Department is going to issue passports by organizing a program on the day.
While, Nepal had been issuing ‘Machine Readable Passport’ (MRP) till now, the new passport will be more systematic and safe. The new passports are said to be printed by French firm 'IDEMIA', the global leader in augmented identity.
After decades of using MRP, second generation of digital passports is going to come into work. The department has also stated that electronic passports are of better quality and more reliable than MRP.
Adding to that, this passport would minimize the problem of misuse, as it uses electronic chips like mobile SIMs, in which biometric data including passport holder's personal details are stored.
In the recent Henley Passport Index Nepal was ranked at the 109th spot which meant Nepali passport holders are allowed visa-free travel to just 38 nations.