Nepal

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: Ministry of Home Affairs — Department of National ID and Civil Registration

Embassy Finder: Nepal Embassies Abroad

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	15 years of continuous residence in Nepal
Language requirement	Fluency in the Nepali language
Civics test	No formal civics examination
Processing time	6 months to several years; significant bureaucratic delays are common
Naturalization fee	Nominal administrative fees
Dual citizenship	Not permitted under the 2015 Constitution
Citizenship by birth in Nepal	No jus soli; requires at least one parent with Nepali citizenship (with restrictions for foreign mothers)
Citizenship by descent	Yes, primarily through the father; mother’s transmission is subject to additional conditions
Governing law	Constitution of Nepal 2015 (Articles 10—13) and the Nepal Citizenship Act 2006 (amended 2023)

Dual Citizenship — Not Permitted

Article 11(4) of the 2015 Constitution of Nepal explicitly states: “No person who has acquired the citizenship of a foreign country shall be entitled to Nepali citizenship.” Nepal prohibits dual citizenship without exception.

A Nepali citizen who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country automatically loses Nepali citizenship. Conversely, any foreign national seeking Nepali citizenship must formally renounce their previous nationality.

Nepal has debated the question of dual citizenship in Parliament, particularly given the large diaspora in India, the Gulf states, and Western countries. As of 2026, no legislative change has been enacted, though a Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) card provides limited rights (property ownership, business investment) to persons of Nepali origin holding foreign passports.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Sanguinis)

Nepal does not apply jus soli. Birth within Nepal’s territory does not by itself confer citizenship. Citizenship is acquired through parentage:

A person born to a Nepali father acquires citizenship by descent automatically.
A person born to a Nepali mother and a father who is identified and is a Nepali citizen also acquires citizenship by descent.
A person born to a Nepali mother and a foreign father may only obtain naturalized citizenship (not citizenship by descent). This provision has been widely criticized as gender-discriminatory.

By Descent

Citizenship by descent passes primarily through the paternal line. Children of a Nepali father acquire citizenship by descent regardless of where they are born. Children of a Nepali mother and a foreign or unidentified father face a more complex process and may receive naturalized citizenship rather than descent-based citizenship, which carries fewer political rights.

The 2015 Constitution introduced these restrictions in Articles 11(3) and 11(5), which have been the subject of sustained criticism from human rights organizations and are currently challenged before the Supreme Court.

By Adoption

A foreign child adopted by a Nepali citizen may acquire Nepali citizenship, provided the child has not attained the citizenship of another country. The adopted child receives citizenship by descent if adopted by a Nepali father, or naturalized citizenship if adopted by a Nepali mother married to a foreign national.

By Marriage

A foreign woman married to a Nepali citizen may acquire naturalized citizenship upon application, provided she renounces her foreign nationality. A foreign man married to a Nepali citizen has no equivalent right — he may only apply for naturalized citizenship after 15 years of continuous residence.

This asymmetry was introduced in the 2015 Constitution and is considered one of the most gender-discriminatory provisions in South Asian nationality law.

By Naturalization

Requirement	Details
Residency	15 years of continuous residence in Nepal
Language	Fluency in the Nepali language
Character	Good moral character; no criminal record
Livelihood	Must have a means of earning a livelihood in Nepal
Renunciation	Must renounce all other citizenships
Restrictions	Naturalized citizens cannot hold the offices of President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Speaker, heads of security bodies, or be elected to the upper house. The restriction lasts until they acquire citizenship by descent through parentage.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A Nepali citizen may renounce citizenship by submitting a written application to the District Administration Office. The renunciation is effective upon acquisition of another country’s citizenship.

Involuntary Loss

Acquisition of foreign citizenship: Automatic loss upon voluntarily acquiring citizenship of another country.
Fraud: Citizenship obtained through false representation, concealment, or fraud may be revoked.
Act against the state: Naturalized citizens who commit acts of treason or espionage may have their citizenship revoked.

Restoration of Nationality

A person who was formerly a Nepali citizen by descent and who renounced or lost Nepali citizenship may apply for restoration. The applicant must:

Have renounced their foreign citizenship and provide documentary proof of renunciation.
Return to reside in Nepal and establish domicile.
Apply to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the District Administration Office.
Provide original Nepali citizenship certificate or equivalent documentation proving prior citizenship.

Restoration is discretionary and subject to approval by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Persons who acquired Nepali citizenship by naturalization and later lost it face a more difficult path and may need to re-apply through the standard 15-year naturalization process.

Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) status: While not a citizenship pathway, persons of Nepali origin holding foreign passports may obtain an NRN card from the Non-Resident Nepali Association. This card provides limited rights including property ownership, investment privileges, and visa-free entry to Nepal, but does not confer citizenship or voting rights.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

The 2015 Constitution (Article 11(6)) provides that a child found in Nepal whose parents are not identified shall be granted Nepali citizenship by descent until the parents are traced. If a foreign parent is subsequently identified, the child’s citizenship may be reclassified.

In practice, children born to Nepali mothers and stateless or undocumented fathers (particularly in the Terai/Madhesh region bordering India) face significant difficulties obtaining citizenship documentation, contributing to a substantial population of effectively stateless persons.

Nepal is not a party to the 1954 or 1961 statelessness conventions.

Document Checklist

Citizenship application form (obtained from District Administration Office)

Birth certificate or age verification document

Father’s or mother’s citizenship certificate (photocopy and original)

Marriage certificate (for spousal applications)

Recommendation letter from the local ward office (Gaun Palika or Nagar Palika)

Two passport-sized photographs

Proof of continuous residence (for naturalization applicants)

Renunciation certificate of foreign nationality (if applicable)

National identity card or voter ID (if available)

Land ownership or property documents (supporting evidence of residence)

Sources

Constitution of Nepal 2015 — Articles 10—13 on citizenship. English translation: https://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/981
Nepal Citizenship Act 2006 (2063 BS) — As amended. Available via Nepal Law Commission: https://www.lawcommission.gov.np/
Ministry of Home Affairs — Department of National ID and Civil Registration. https://donidcr.gov.np/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Nepal missions abroad. https://mofa.gov.np/
Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) — Analysis of gender discrimination in Nepal’s citizenship law. https://fwld.org/
UNHCR — Statelessness in Nepal. https://www.unhcr.org/nepal.html

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