Kathmandu, November 10
More people in Nepal are applying for duplicate copies of citizenship certificates than for new citizenship certificates, according to data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The ministry’s figures show that 169,973 people obtained new citizenship certificates during the first three months of the current fiscal year, from mid-July to mid-October. During the same period, 226,529 people received copies of their citizenship certificates, which had reportedly been lost, damaged by fire or destroyed for other reasons.
A further 304,828 people had their personal details on citizenship certificates corrected during the three-month period.
The figures cover the entire country. During the same period, 245 people cancelled their citizenship certificates, while 23 certificates were annulled. Another 512 people renounced their Nepali citizenship. Four people from different districts had their citizenship reinstated after previously renouncing it.
According to the ministry, it has introduced an online system for citizenship recommendations in 6,659 ward offices across the country to make the process more organised and technology-based.
The system was introduced through local governments in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026/27. Between mid-July and mid-October, 150,546 citizenship recommendations were submitted through the online system. Of these, 150,385 citizenship certificates were issued.
The Ministry of Home Affairs recently published its quarterly progress report, which includes these figures.
Under Section 5(3) of the Right to Information Act, 2007, and Rule 3 of the Right to Information Regulations, 2009, public bodies are required to proactively publish updated information about their activities at least every three months.
The ministry said the publication of its quarterly report is part of efforts to make government activities more transparent, accountable and open to the public.
