Mar 26, Kathmandu - The Passport Division under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that preparations for printing passports with a new company are in the final stages. The department aims to begin issuing passports printed by the new contractor as early as the first week of Jestha, or at the latest, within the month.

The department has informed that during this transition period, there may be some disruptions in passport distribution systems. To facilitate this, a new procurement agreement has been signed with the German companies Veridos and Mulbhahar, who will now be responsible for printing passports.

The department has already completed the necessary preparations, including the new passport system and booklet arrangements. However, until the system stabilizes over the next one to two months, services may be temporarily affected, especially at district administrative offices and Nepali missions abroad.

Suresh Thapa, Director and spokesperson of the Passport Department, acknowledged potential initial issues but assured they would last only a few days. "Some problems might occur, but they will be brief," he stated.

During the transition, passport services provided by district offices and Nepali missions abroad could be suspended for one to three weeks. Additionally, passport issuance from the department may also face delays of up to a week.

The department expects that it will take one to three months for the new system to stabilize fully. During this interim period, applications at district offices and abroad might take longer to process and issue.

The responsibility for printing passports has been transferred to the German companies Veridos and Mulbhahar, who have completed their preparations. Previously, Nepal relied on Ideamiy, a company that has been printing passports for the past 15 years, but due to delays by the German firms, the department temporarily entrusted Ideamiy with printing again in November last year.

However, since the second week of Fagun (mid-February), the German companies have resumed passport printing, and Ideamiy has ceased its operations in this regard.