Stating that the MRP visa is a must for the security of the country, the DoI said the new form of digital visa will have security features which can help avoid Nepali visa forgery and the entry of foreigners with criminal backgrounds. The current Nepali visa is a handwritten document with manual signature of an immigration officer.
Director General of the DoI Kedar Neupane said that the signature of immigration officers at the airport and entry point is the only security feature in the current Nepali visa.
"The current visa cannot tell if tourists visiting the country have criminal background and it also increases the chances of visa forgery," he said. "With the MRP visa, however, it is easy to retrieve background information on any visitor."
Neupane said that once an MRP visa is swiped through the machine, it will show the travel history of that person, helping the immigration to figure out the background of that person.
The DoI has already sent a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to bring this system into effect at the earliest. DG Neupane informed that they will require more than 100 machines to place at the entry points of Nepal and Nepali embassies to commence the MRP visa system.
"We are making studying the costs required to bring the system into effect. We might need technical assistance from other countries that have already introduced such a system," informed Neupane.
The DoI issues 700,000 tourist visas yearly on an average and renews around 117,000 visas. The DoI issues tourist visas of three categories--15, 30 and 90 days.
The officials at the DoI informed that the MRP visa system will also make it possible to issue e-visa.
Tourist visa service to be open during Dashain
