KATHMANDU, Nov 22: The government has decided to purchase 700,000 electronic passports from the current supplier to address an immediate shortage during the ongoing transition to a new production system.
A Cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar on Friday authorised the Department of Passports (DoP) to procure the passports through a variation order until regular issuance resumes through the new supplier, according to Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel, who also serves as the government spokesperson.
The move comes amid a critical shortage of passport booklets after the government terminated its contract with the French company IDEMIA. The DoP has been operating in a transitional phase as a new supplier prepares to take over electronic passport services.
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Earlier, the DoP urged the public to apply for passports only in urgent cases, citing infrastructural work and system upgrades underway following the signing of a new procurement agreement in July 2025. Officials said high demand, limited booklet availability, and the handover between outgoing and incoming suppliers have created temporary disruptions in service delivery.
To manage the pressure, the DoP reduced daily online appointment slots to 1,000 and advised applicants to seek services only when absolutely essential.
In July, the government awarded the new e-passport contract to two German firms—Veridos GmbH and Muehlbauer ID Service GmbH—ending IDEMIA’s 15-year engagement. The contract covers implementation of the eMRTDS system, including pre-enrolment, enrolment, data management, and delivery, with the first consignment expected within 240 days of signing.
According to the DoP, infrastructure and system development for the new arrangement is currently underway. Full passport services are expected to resume from February 23, 2026.
Similarly, the Cabinet approved a delegation led by Energy Secretary Chiranjivi Chataut to participate in the seventh meeting of the Joint Working Group and Joint Steering Committee on Nepal–Bangladesh energy cooperation, scheduled to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 26 to 28. Spokesperson Kharel also said the Cabinet decided to appoint Deepak Shrestha as the Member Secretary of the Lumbini Development Trust and the Lumbini Development Council.
The meeting also decided to promote one Major General of the Nepal Army to the rank of Lieutenant General and a special promotion of one Lieutenant General to the rank of General.
Likewise, the government approved the organisational structure and positions of the Consumer Court and Juvenile Court, and granted approval for Rina Rana, a member of the Indigenous Nationalities Commission, to participate in a women’s seminar being held in Lhasa, China, from November 24 to 28.
