Nepal to Procure 700,000 Additional e-Passports from French Supplier to Ease Shortage

The government has authorized the Department of Passports to procure an additional 700,000 e-passports from its current supplier, IN Smart Identity France SAS — formerly known as IDEMIA Identity and Security France SAS — to address rapidly depleting stocks until deliveries from the newly contracted providers begin.

The decision was endorsed during a Cabinet meeting held on Friday, November 21, according to Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Jagdish Kharel.

The French supplier is expected to deliver the first batch of passports within three weeks, the department said in a notice.

In light of the new procurement, the department has lifted the restriction on daily appointment slots for passport issuance. Earlier this month, the quota had been reduced to 1,000 per day due to a sharp decline in available stock amid rising demand. Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal previously attributed the shortage to a transitional period between the outgoing supplier and the newly contracted one.

“Appointment slots will be increased in line with demand and the department’s capacity,” the notice stated. “Passports for Nepalis applying through missions abroad will be dispatched within the usual one- to two-week timeframe. Applications submitted via district and area administration offices up to November 1 will be printed and delivered within two weeks, while applications submitted afterward will be processed as per the regular schedule.”

In July 2025, the government signed a procurement agreement with a new supplier to deliver approximately 6.4 million passports. The selected firms are scheduled to begin delivery by February-end, 2026.

On November 28, 2024, the Department of Passports had invited bids under two separate procurement packages. Mühlbauer ID Services GmbH won the first package valued at Rs 1.55 billion, while Veridos GmbH secured the second, worth Rs 6.11 billion.