Nepal’s Government has started issuing e-passports to their citizens effectively from 17th November. The first e-passport has already been issued to 102 years old writer and scholar – “सताब्दी पुरुष” Satyamohan Joshi. The e-passport will replace the current machine-readable passports (MRP) which will remain valid only till 2031. Here, we will learn more about e-passports in Nepal.
What is E-Passport and What does it look like?
E-passports are chip-installed passports with biometric data. It is also widely known as a biometric passport and holds passport information like the owner’s name, date of birth, and so on. The chip integrates PKI – Public Key Infrastructure that holds the integrity and authenticity of the data. You can see your chip either on the front or rear cover of the passport. And if not, it will be on the center page. Worldwide, there are more than 120 nations that provide e-passports. E-passports are a great deal to reduce passport fraud. Moreover, the French Company IDEMIA produces the new passports.
There will be 7 different types of passports in new colors. The now Green standard passports will be Chocolate Brown and the diplomatic ones will be in Crimson Red color while the official passports will be Navy Blue. Likewise, the peacekeeping documents will be in Tiger Orange Shed. The remaining kinds – travel, temporary, and seaman’s record book will have Black, Chocolate Brown, and Slate Brown color respectively. Lastly, there will be a hot foil stamp of the national coat of arms with Nepal’s new map in the front.
E-passport distribution and issuance in Nepal
Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka launched the first e-passport to Satyamohan Joshi. Minister handed the passport to him at a ceremony that was held at a new headquarters of the Department of Passport in Tripureshwor. A department office from Narayanhiti handles the e-passport distribution.
As many of us might have acknowledged once or more, Nepal is currently in the 110th position on Henley Passport Index for having the world’s weakest passports. But with this new issuance, it will move towards a good rank position. According to Dornath Aryal, Director General of the Department of Passports, it will be one of the best passports in Asia in terms of design, security, and other relevant features.
Conclusion
The e-passports will be great for the security of passports in Nepal. It will help to prevent passport fraud in the country. Further, it will also accept standards for international cooperation. However, it is yet to see if it works in a long term and the government will be able to meet growing demands.
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