Kathmandu, February 8

Foreign women marrying Nepali citizens are finding it easier to acquire naturalised Nepali citizenship with the promulgation of the new constitution.

District Administration Office Dhanusha has been issuing three to four citizenships on an average under this category every day since the promulgation of the new constitution.

The new constitution has simplified the process for providing citizenship to foreign spouses of Nepali citizens, Dhanusha DAO Administrative Officer Deepak Kumar Karna said.

Many women from other countries tying the knot with the Nepali citizens such as Kharida Khatun, 26, from Sitamadi, India were worried as it was rumoured that the new constitution has set a difficult and lengthy provision regarding distribution of the citizenship under this category.

But now she is crystal clear that the new constitution does not include any such provision, instead it has simplified the process, she said. She got the citizenship within an hour of starting the process after reaching Dhanusha DAO with her husband Jaibir Rain of Balaha Saghara-5.

Likewise, Ramdulari Devi of Sursandi, India who married Ramawatar Mahara of Shantipur-9, and Nurjahan Khatun from Sitamadi India married with Ahamad Ansari of Chhirswarnath Municipality-2 Dhanusha acquired the Nepali citizenship with no hassles at all.

Nepal’s new constitution has not discriminated any foreign women with Nepali marital status regarding citizenship issues, Chief District Officer Ram Prasad Thapaliya said.

Article 11 (6) of Constitution of Nepal has the provision of providing naturalised citizenship to a foreign woman married to a Nepali man.