The government has issued the Passport Regulations 2059 under Article 7 of the Passport Act 2024.

The regulations made public has made provisions for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or diplomatic missions abroad to issue diplomatic or special passports. The new regulation replaces the Passport Regulation 2024.

The existing provision on issuing general category passports from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, missions abroad or the District Administration Offices specified by HMG continues in force. Likewise, from Chitra (mid-March), the period of validity of passports will be 10 years. As per provisions of the regulations, the fee continues to be Rs 2,000 for passports valid up to five years, but it will be Rs. 5,000 for 10 year passports.

To make things more convenient for the public, the present provision of attesting application forms for general category passports has been done away with. Only the Foreign Ministry or diplomatic missions abroad can issue travel permits.

At present, there is a stock of only 9,000 passport books at the Foreign Ministry with five year validity and this is why only the Foreign Ministry has been issuing passports at present, it is learnt from the Protocol Division. But 100,000 passport books will be received from France by mid-April.

Passport books have been out of stock at District Administration Offices across the country for the last three months, and there are long queues at the Foreign Ministry. According to the ministry, 100 passports are issued by the Ministry daily. The government has placed an order in France for printing 500,000 passport books. The Foreign Ministry had printed 350,000 passport books last year.