Kathmandu, July 22: The number of passports issued in Nepal dropped significantly in the fiscal year 2081/82 (2024/25), reversing the upward trend seen in recent years. According to the Department of Passports under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a total of 1,356,887 passports were issued in the past fiscal year—down by 116,438 compared to the previous year. This marks a 7.9 percent decline from fiscal year 2080/81, when the department recorded an all-time high of 1,473,325 passports issued.
Officials say the decline in passport applications could be a reflection of a slowdown in foreign employment departures or a shift in mobility patterns, though the exact causes remain to be studied in depth. Among the total passports issued last year, 266,308 were processed directly by the Department of Passports, 573,774 were issued through District Administration Offices across the country, and 278,802 were issued through Nepali diplomatic missions abroad. On average, more than 3,700 passports were issued daily.
Monthly data shows fluctuations throughout the year. The highest number of passports was issued in the month of Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August), totaling 144,441. The volume dropped significantly in Kartik (mid-October to mid-November), which saw only 94,522 issuances. Numbers steadily rose toward the end of the fiscal year, with 128,228 passports issued in Ashad (mid-June to mid-July).
Over the past 15 years, since Nepal transitioned from handwritten to machine-readable passports (MRPs) in late 2010, the Department has issued a total of 11,855,113 passports. This figure accounts for nearly 40.64 percent of Nepal’s current total population. The data also shows a breakdown of passport types—more than 7.18 million MRPs and 4.67 million electronic passports (e-passports) have been distributed so far. Director General of the Department, Tirtha Raj Aryal, confirmed that the Department currently has a remaining stock of 430,544 blank e-passports.
Nepal officially began issuing machine-readable passports on December 25, 2010 (2067 Mangsir 10), replacing the old handwritten format. Further modernizing its passport system, the government started issuing e-passports from November 17, 2021 (2078 Mangsir 1), a move aimed at enhancing security and meeting international standards for travel documents.
A historical review of annual data reveals that passport issuance has closely mirrored the country’s socio-economic and political dynamics. For instance, in fiscal year 2070/71 (2013/14), Nepal crossed the one-million mark in annual passport issuance for the first time, followed by a surge in 2071/72 (2014/15) with 1.33 million passports distributed. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a drastic fall in 2077/78 (2020/21), with only 349,175 passports issued. The number then bounced back sharply over the next two years, peaking in 2080/81 (2023/24), before declining again last fiscal year.
The passport issuance trend remains a key indicator of Nepali citizens’ mobility and global engagement. With labor migration, foreign education, and overseas travel continuing to shape the country’s socio-economic fabric, shifts in passport demand provide a window into larger national and international development
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment