KATHMANDU, Sep 2: The Department of Immigration, issuing a notice today, said it will implement a mandatory digital registration and monitoring system for Nepali tourism service providers to keep records of the travel history and activities of foreign nationals within the country.
The department has developed the Foreign Nationals Registration and Monitoring System, to be used by hotels, airlines, money exchangers, and tour and travel companies. The system will come into effect starting September 17 in the Kathmandu Valley.
In the first phase, the system will be mandatory for all star-rated hotels in the Valley, which will be required to record the data of visiting foreign nationals. In the second phase, beginning November 17, all star hotels, airlines, tour and travel companies, and money exchangers will be required to update the system with details of foreign nationals. Gradually, the system will be expanded to cover all types of hotels, guest houses, and other public and private service providers.
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“All public institutions and private companies providing services to foreign nationals are required to integrate with this system,” said Ram Chandra Tiwari, Director General of the Department of Immigration. He added, “This system, however, will not inconvenience foreign nationals, as it will be the duty of the service providers. Tourists won’t need to be concerned about it.”
Tiwari further said that some five-star hotels will have systems capable of automatically gathering passport information from tourists and updating the Immigration Department’s database.
The department said the system is necessary for the safety and protection of tourists, as it will provide information on their basic whereabouts and movements. “The system is necessary for the sake of enhancing Nepal’s international reputation and national dignity, while also promoting tourism and foreign investment,” the notice reads.
The new system has been introduced under the Immigration Act 1992, which gives the government the primary responsibility to regulate the entry, stay, and departure of foreigners in Nepal.
The department further noted that several international conventions and agreements, to which Nepal is a party, obligate member states to maintain immigration-related records. “In full commitment to these international obligations, the department has developed the Foreign Nationals Registration and Monitoring System to ensure the safety of foreigners visiting Nepal, facilitate information access, help prevent possible crimes, and promote Nepal’s tourism,” the notice stated.
The Department of Immigration has already written to district-level monitoring committees in all 77 districts to enforce and oversee the system’s implementation.
