Police say criminal background checks increasingly mandatory for visas, jobs and higher studies
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 6
Nepal Police has issued police clearance certificates to 526,355 individuals through online services so far in the current fiscal year, from mid-July to January 4, according to official data.
During the period, a total of 659,045 online applications were received. Of these, 130,429 applications were cancelled, while 2,261 applications are still under process. Police said 458 certificates were issued with offences mentioned, in line with prevailing regulations.
Nepal Police currently receives 5,500 to 6,000 online applications daily and issues around 4,500 police clearance certificates per day on average.
Police Spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abhi Narayan Kafle said police clearance certificates have become increasingly important as most foreign countries now require criminal background checks before issuing visas. In Nepal, too, government offices, private institutions and employers have made police clearance certificates mandatory for jobs and other purposes.
"Individuals involved in criminal activities do not receive a clean police clearance certificate, which may deprive them of employment and other opportunities abroad," DIG Kafle said, adding that some international universities also require the certificate for admission and scholarships. He urged citizens to comply with the law and maintain a clean record.
Nepal Police provides the police clearance certificate free of cost, in accordance with the National Criminal Record and Police Clearance Certificate Distribution Directive, 2080 BS. Under the directive, individuals convicted in criminal cases and yet to complete their sentences are not eligible for a police clearance certificate.
Police clarified that in cases involving serious crimes such as corruption, rape, human trafficking, drug offences, money laundering, passport misuse and other criminal acts, the offence will be clearly mentioned in the certificate. However, if a person has been acquitted by a court, is a minor, or has completed a sentence of one year or less in certain cases, the certificate may be issued without mentioning the offence, as per legal provisions.
Nepal Police uses the Criminal Record System (CRS) and the Online Police Clearance Registration (OPCR) system to process applications. CRS maintains updated records of criminal cases and individuals involved. Police said some applications remain on hold due to name matches and incomplete old records, requiring additional verification from concerned police offices.
DIG Kafle acknowledged delays in some cases, citing record-related issues following protests in late September and a sharp rise in applications after police clearance certificates were made mandatory across multiple sectors. He said Nepal Police is working to strengthen the use of modern technology to make the service faster and more efficient.
