KATHMANDU, Jan 4: Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat launched a mobile phone application named 'Nepal Passport' that allows service seekers to file passport application Tuesday.
Speaking at the function organized to launch the application, Mahat said the introduction of mobile application to file passport application is an attempt by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to make its services easily accessible to the ordinary public.
While also informing that the MoFA is currently working to introduce e-passport system, Minister Mahat announced that the the ministry is working to bring reforms to the Consular Department as Passport and Consular Departments are the public faces of the MoFA.
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Director General at the DoP Sushil Kumar Lamsal said a person seeking to file an application for passport through the mobile application first needs to download Nepal Passport app on his/her Android-based smartphone from Google Play. Once the application is downloaded, application can be filled in through the smartphone itself.
The mobile application generates a barcode, which the applicant can either print or save on the phone as a photo, to show to the concerned DoP officials once necessary details are filled in and submitted.
“This new measure is an improvement in the existing system of filing online application only through computers and mandatorily printing it for submitting passport applications,” Lamsal further said.
The newly-introduced mobile application also enables applicants to fix appointments at online at DoP with the help of the barcode for further processing, and payment of the application fee.
Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi lauded the new measures introduced by the DoP. “The Department of Passport has introduced various reforms to ensure effective service delivery. This new initiative demonstrates our commitment to continue bringing reforms to better serve the service seekers,” he said.
Officials said they have a long-term vision to allow service seekers to pay even application fee online once the mobile payment system becomes easily available and accessible in Nepal.
