KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 20
Nepali nationals visiting India for various purposes will now have access to Indian SIM cards, according to the Nepali Ambassador to India, Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma.
Previously, Nepalis traveling to India faced inconvenience as they were unable to obtain Indian SIM cards, leading to communication challenges within India or with their home country. Previously, mobile connections were only accessible to Nepalis after providing a passport with visa stamps. However, Nepali citizens do not require a visa to travel to India. They had to rely on assistance from Indian citizens or Nepali nationals possessing Indian Aadhar Cards for telecommunication services.
In his post on the X, Ambassador Sharma mentioned that Nepali citizens encountered obstacles in obtaining Indian SIM cards due to technical issues. However, he added that requests for this service were swiftly processed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Communication (MoC), as stated by Sharma.
Addressing this issue, the Indian Ministry of Communications has issued a notice confirming amendments to the previous requirements.
Under the new guidelines, Nepali citizens visiting India can acquire mobile connections using their passport, citizenship certificate, voter ID card, or a limited validity photo ID certificate issued by the Nepali mission in India.
This provision also extends to citizens of Bhutan.
Additionally, Nepalis and Bhutanese entering India via third countries other than their respective origins must provide a copy of their passport along with valid visa stamps.
However, these mobile connections will be subject to limitations, as stated in the Indian Communication Ministry's notice. The SIM card's validity will not surpass the permitted duration of stay in India or the visa validity.
Additionally, the connection's validity cannot exceed three months at a time, even if the permitted stay duration exceeds this.
Moreover, these connections won't support international roaming, restricting Nepali citizens from making calls back home.
