NID Registration Nepal: Online Form & Enrollment Steps

You can start your NID (Rastriya Parichaya Patra) registration online at the official DoNIDCR portal, enrollment.donidcr.gov.np. Log in with your own mobile number, fill the online form and book a biometric appointment. Then visit your District Administration Office (or the enrollment station you booked) with your original citizenship certificate to give your photo, fingerprints and iris scan. Any Nepali citizen aged 16 or older with a citizenship certificate can apply.

NID registration in 5 steps

1. Open the official NID online form at enrollment.donidcr.gov.np/PreEnrollment and click Login For Individuals.
2. Enter your mobile number and the OTP, then fill the form with your details exactly as they appear on your citizenship.
3. Pick an enrollment office and appointment date, save, and print the confirmation.
4. Visit the office on that date with your original documents for biometric capture.
5. Get your 10-digit National Identity Number (NIN) by SMS, and collect the card from the same office when you get the "card printed" SMS.

Official NID links

• NID online application (pre-enrollment): enrollment.donidcr.gov.np/PreEnrollment
• Citizen Portal (status, NIN search, eNID download): citizenportal.donidcr.gov.np
• Department of National ID and Civil Registration: donidcr.gov.np
• Helplines: toll-free 1147; call centre 01-5970449; Viber/WhatsApp 9851316034 / 9851316035; email [email protected]

Already enrolled? See how to check your NID number.

What is the National Identity Card (Rastriya Parichaya Patra)?

The National Identity Card, or Rastriya Parichaya Patra, is Nepal's biometric identity card. It is issued by the Department of National ID and Civil Registration (DoNIDCR) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Each holder gets a unique 10-digit National Identity Number (NIN), and the card stores your photo, fingerprints and iris scan.

The goal is one secure digital identity for every citizen, so government services are faster and identity fraud is harder.

Why you need an NID

DoNIDCR's FAQ says the NIN is mandatory for a passport. The government has also made the NID mandatory for government-assigned jobs. Once its enforcement is notified in the Nepal Gazette, you'll need the ID for state services such as social security allowance, relief and grants, voting, buying and selling property, personal event registration, opening and operating a bank account, and getting a mobile SIM.

For businesses, the Office of the Company Registrar's online system asks every Nepali promoter for their NIN (more below).

Who can apply for NID in Nepal?

Any Nepali citizen who has turned 16 and holds a Nepali citizenship certificate can get a national ID card. In the current phase, cards are issued only on the basis of a citizenship certificate. DoNIDCR says minors, non-resident Nepalis (NRN) and foreigners living in Nepal for a set period will be covered in a second phase, which it will announce by public notice.

What documents are required for NID in Nepal?

Bring originals. DoNIDCR won't enroll you from photocopies or from documents that are unclear, torn, damaged or self-corrected.

Good to know (official FAQ):

• If your citizenship has no date of birth, DoNIDCR sets one from your academic certificate, pension card or passport issue date, or from the citizenship issue date.
• You can't add your husband's surname to the NID unless it's on your citizenship. You'd need to amend the citizenship first.
• If your permanent address changed only because local levels were restructured, you can record the new address without a migration certificate.

Can I make NID online? (Rastriya Parichaya Patra online form)

Partly. You fill the NID online application form and book your appointment online. Biometrics (photo, all ten fingerprints, iris and digital signature) must be captured in person, so your enrollment isn't complete until you visit the office.

1. Open the official NID website

Go to the DoNIDCR enrollment portal and click National ID Online Application.

2. Log in with your mobile number

• Click Login For Individuals.
• Enter your mobile number.
• Enter the one-time password (OTP) you receive by SMS.

Use a mobile number registered in your own name. The OTP, your NIN SMS and later eNID downloads all go to it.

3. Fill in the registration form

After you log in, you'll see the NID enrollment page. Click New Enrollment to open the online application form.

You'll be asked for your full name, date of birth, gender, permanent and temporary address, education, occupation, and family details (parents, spouse and grandparents). While filling it in:

• Nepali fields take Nepali Unicode (Romanized layout); English fields must be typed in English.
• If you enter your date of birth in Bikram Sambat (BS), it converts to AD automatically.
• Fields marked * are mandatory.
• Type every detail exactly as it appears on your citizenship. Mismatches are the most common reason enrollment is rejected at the counter.

When the mandatory fields are done, click Save Draft and note the application number shown.

4. Choose your enrollment office and date

Next, pick an enrollment centre (usually your District Administration Office) and a date for your biometric appointment. If your office shows no free slot online, choose Others/अन्य and contact your District Administration Office (DAO) or Area Administration Office (AAO) to book a date and time.

5. Print the confirmation

Download and print the application confirmation. Bring it to your biometric appointment.

Where can I make Rastriya Parichaya Patra? (NID enrollment centres)

According to DoNIDCR, you can enroll at:

• your District Administration Office (DAO),
• an Area Administration Office (Ilaka Prashasan Karyalaya) that has an NID enrollment station, or
• your ward, when an NID enrollment campaign is running there.

Before booking, ask your ward or municipality office whether a campaign is coming up nearby. It can save a trip to the district office.

NID enrollment day: what happens at biometrics

1. Arrive on time with the printed confirmation and all your original documents.
2. Document check. Staff check your documents against the form, so make sure every spelling matches.
3. Biometric capture. A digital photo, fingerprints of all ten fingers, an iris scan and your digital signature.
4. Review. You'll see the final record. Check it carefully before you sign.

The photo is taken to international standards, so don't wear cosmetic make-up, a cap, a burqa or similar items. If a person has missing fingers or is visually impaired, enrollment still goes ahead with a remark.

Check your NID number (NIN) after enrollment

Your NIN is a unique 10-digit number (shown as xxx-xxx-xxx-x). If you enrolled at a DAO or Ilaka office station, you get it right away. If you enrolled through a ward campaign, it comes later by SMS. To ask for it, send N <space> your application number by SMS to 30001.

Lost the SMS or don't know your number? On the official Citizen Portal you can search by your 16-digit request number, or find your NIN and download your eNID with your citizenship details. Full steps: How to Check Your NID Number in Nepal (SMS, Online & by Citizenship Number).

Collecting your NID card

DoNIDCR sends an SMS once your card is printed. Processing can take weeks or months depending on your district. Collect the card from the same place where you enrolled, and bring:

• your citizenship certificate,
• the original documents you used at enrollment, and
• your application receipt or number.

NID card fee

• Enrollment: the DoNIDCR FAQ lists no fee for enrolling or for your first card.
• Copy or replacement card (lost or damaged): NPR 500, paid online on the Citizen Portal's "NID Card Replacement Payment" page. The portal issues an EBP number, which you show at verification (Rule 13(3), National Identity Card and Registration Regulation 2077).

Planning to register a company? You'll need your NID first

The Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) now registers companies online through CAMIS, and every Nepali promoter or shareholder must enter their NIN. If you're registering with partners, make sure everyone has their NID before you start, or the application will stall.

Step-by-step guide: Company Registration in Digital Nepal Becomes Fully Online and Paperless.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Details that don't match your citizenship: double-check every spelling and date before saving.
2. Bringing photocopies: only originals are accepted.
3. Using someone else's mobile number: your OTP and NIN SMS will go to them.
4. Ignoring the photo rules: make-up, caps and similar items mean a retake.

FAQ

What is NID in Nepal?

NID is Nepal's biometric national identity card (Rastriya Parichaya Patra), issued by the Department of National ID and Civil Registration (DoNIDCR) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Each holder gets a unique 10-digit National Identity Number (NIN).

Can I make NID online?

You can fill the Rastriya Parichaya Patra online form and book an appointment at enrollment.donidcr.gov.np. You still have to visit the DAO, Ilaka office or ward campaign in person for your photo, fingerprints and iris scan.

What documents are required for NID in Nepal?

Your original citizenship certificate. Add a migration certificate if your address changed, a marriage or relationship certificate if your spouse isn't named on your citizenship, and proof of date of birth if your citizenship doesn't show it.

Where can I make Rastriya Parichaya Patra?

At your District Administration Office, at an Area Administration Office with an NID enrollment station, or at your ward during an NID enrollment campaign.

Who is eligible for NID registration?

Nepali citizens aged 16 or older who hold a citizenship certificate. Minors and NRNs are planned for a later phase.

How do I get my NID number after enrollment?

Send N <space> your application number by SMS to 30001, or use the Citizen Portal. See how to check your NID number.

Does NID registration cost anything?

DoNIDCR lists no fee for enrolling. A copy or replacement card costs NPR 500, paid online on the Citizen Portal.

Sources

• DoNIDCR, FAQ: National Identity Card
• DoNIDCR, NID Pre-Enrollment System
• DoNIDCR, Citizen Portal: NID card reprint
• Nepal Law Commission, National Identity Card and Registration Regulation 2077

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