Guidance

Nepal: Knowledge Base profile

Published 18 August 2025

Version 2.0

About: Nepal

This document contains useful information about Nepal which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 13 August 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

Nepal: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Nepal.

Names in Nepal consist of a:

• forename (or given name)
• surname

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Nepal.

Nepal: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Nepal.

Dual nationality is not recognised in Nepal.

Nepal: legitimacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in Nepal.

Legitimacy

Nepal does not recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

This means that all births are considered legitimate, whether a child’s parents are married or not.

Nepal: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Nepal.

Adoption is legal in Nepal.

From 3 May 2010, the UK has restricted adoptions from Nepal.

Nepal: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Nepal.

Surrogacy is illegal in Nepal.

Nepal: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Nepal.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Nepal.

Nepal: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Nepal.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are allowed in Nepal.

Civil marriages are legal in Nepal.

Customary and religious marriages are recognised in Nepal. These types of marriages must be registered at the local Ward Office to be made legal.

Polygamous marriages are illegal in Nepal.

Nepal: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from Nepal.

Most documents are in Nepalese with an English translation; some will have dates from the Nepal calendar, which is approximately 56 years and 8.5 months ahead of the English calendar.

Births, marriages and deaths in Nepal are reported by the local registrar to the Department of Civil Registration.

Birth certificates

All births in Nepal must be registered within 35 days at the local registrar office. This is usually a:

• village development committee (if the birth took place in a rural area)
• Municipality office (if the birth took place in an urban area)

Late registration is allowed. There are 2 penalty fees for late registration depending on if the late registration is more or less than 70 days after the date of birth.

A birth certificate is issued when the birth has been registered. If a mistake is identified on a birth certificate, it is reissued correctly.

Hospital birth certificates do not record the child’s name as this is given in a religious ceremony after birth. The hospital certificate will only show the parents’ names, the child’s gender and date of birth.

Parents who were not married at the time of the birth but who later marry must contact the Government of Ministry of Local Development Office of Local Registrar to obtain a Birth Registration Certificate. This certificate will state the name of the child, the date of birth, the parent’s names and the hospital where the child was born.

Parents who were married at the time of the birth can obtain a Birth Registration Certificate or a Certificate of Relationship (recording the child’s name and their relationship). These are registered and obtained:

• for those born in the city:
  • Government of Nepal
  • Kathmandu Metropolitan city office
• for those born in the villages:
  • Government of Nepal,
  • Ministry of Local Development,
  • Office of the Local Registrar,
  • Village Development committee

Marriage certificates

All marriages in Nepal must be registered within 35 days at the local registrar office. This is usually a:

• village development committee (if the marriage took place in a rural area)
• Municipality office (if the marriage took place in an urban area)

Late registration is allowed. There are 2 different penalty fees for late registration depending on if the late registration is more or less than 70 days after the date of marriage.

A marriage certificate is issued when the marriage has been registered.

Death certificates

All deaths in Nepal must be registered within 35 days at the local registrar office. This is usually a:

• village development committee (if the death happened in a rural area)
• Municipality office (if the death happened in an urban area)

Late registration is allowed. There are 2 different penalty fees for late registration depending on if the late registration is more or less than 70 days after the date of death.

A death certificate is issued when the death is registered.