KATHMANDU: Around five million Nepali citizens have acquired the Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) since the government switched to this technology some six and half years back.

The government had for the first time issued MRPs on December 26, 2010.

According to the Department of Passport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it has issued 4,847,499 general passports, 3,497 diplomatic and 13,423 official passports and travel permits to 1,308 as of May 31, 2017.

The Department has collected revenue of Rs 19.26 billion through the issuance of passports in this period. However, this amount does not include income received by the Nepali Missions abroad and the District Administration Offices.