English title translated by Policy Nepal for navigation. The Nepali legal text is authoritative.
- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०७९ BS
- Status
- Status not yet confirmed
- Official text
- Official page
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What does it do?
- This Act amends the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063. Children of people who obtained citizenship by birth before 3 Asoj 2072 (when the Constitution took effect) get citizenship by descent at 16 if both parents are Nepali citizens. A person born in Nepal to a Nepali citizen mother, living in Nepal, whose father cannot be identified, gets citizenship by descent; if the father later proves to be a foreigner, that citizenship ends and the person may instead get naturalised citizenship on a self-declaration. A child found in Nepal whose parents are unknown is treated as a citizen by descent until a parent is found.यो ऐनले नेपाल नागरिकता ऐन, २०६३ संशोधन गरेको छ। संवत् २०७२ असोज ३ अघि जन्मको आधारमा नागरिकता पाएका नागरिकका सन्तानले बाबु र आमा दुवै नेपाली नागरिक भए सोह्र वर्ष पूरा भएपछि वंशजको आधारमा नागरिकता पाउँछन्। नेपाली नागरिक आमाबाट नेपालमा जन्मी नेपालमै बसोबास गरेको र बाबुको पहिचान नभएको व्यक्तिले वंशजको आधारमा नागरिकता पाउँछ; पछि बाबु विदेशी ठहरिए सो नागरिकता कायम रहँदैन र स्वघोषणा गरी अङ्गीकृत नागरिकता लिन सक्छ। नेपालभित्र फेला परेको पितृत्व र मातृत्वको ठेगान नभएको नाबालक बाबु वा आमाको पत्ता नलागेसम्म वंशजको नाताले नागरिक मानिन्छ। Nepal Gazette (Nepal Rajpatra), Department of Printing, Government of Nepal — scanned gazette issue Section 2, replacing Section 3(3) and adding Section 3(4)–(8), PDF pp. 2–3
- A new Section 7क creates non-resident Nepali citizenship, giving economic, social and cultural rights to former Nepali citizens (or those whose parents or grandparents were citizens by descent or birth) who acquired foreign citizenship and live outside South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries. Applicants must submit proof of past citizenship, renunciation, foreign citizenship and residence, and a commitment to the Constitution, and must take an oath. The government revokes it if obtained with false information or if the holder acts against Nepal's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity or national interest.नयाँ दफा ७क ले गैरआवासीय नेपाली नागरिकताको व्यवस्था गरेको छ: विदेशी मुलुकको नागरिकता लिई दक्षिण एसियाली क्षेत्रीय सहयोग सङ्गठनका सदस्य राष्ट्रबाहेकका देशमा बसोबास गरेका साबिकका नेपाली नागरिक वा जसका बाबु, आमा, बाजे वा बज्यै वंशज वा जन्मको आधारमा नेपाली नागरिक थिए, उनीहरूले आर्थिक, सामाजिक र सांस्कृतिक अधिकार उपभोग गर्ने गरी यो नागरिकता पाउन सक्छन्। निवेदकले साबिकको नागरिकता, त्याग, विदेशी नागरिकता र बसोबासको प्रमाण तथा संविधान र कानून पालनाको प्रतिबद्धतापत्र पेस गरी शपथ लिनुपर्छ। झुटो विवरणबाट लिएको वा नेपालको स्वतन्त्रता, सार्वभौमसत्ता, भौगोलिक अखण्डता वा राष्ट्रहितविपरीत काम गरेको ठहरे नेपाल सरकारले यो नागरिकता रद्द गर्छ। Nepal Gazette (Nepal Rajpatra), Department of Printing, Government of Nepal — scanned gazette issue Section 4, new Section 7क, PDF pp. 4–6
- Applicants with an unidentified father apply with a self-declaration by themselves and their mother (the mother's declaration is not needed if she has died or is not of sound mind). Where documents are lacking, officials may issue citizenship on the basis of on-site verification by at least two citizenship holders from the same ward and a local representative, with the ward committee's recommendation. A person may choose the surname and address of either the mother or the father on the certificate. A false self-declaration is punishable by one to three years in prison or a fine of Rs 1–3 lakh, or both, and the citizenship is cancelled automatically. The Act also repeals Section 4 of the parent Act.बाबुको पहिचान नभएका निवेदकले आफू र आमाको स्वघोषणासहित निवेदन दिन्छन् (आमाको मृत्यु भएको वा होस ठेगानमा नरहेको अवस्थामा प्रमाणसहित निवेदकको स्वघोषणा पर्याप्त हुन्छ)। प्रमाण नपुगेमा तोकिएको अधिकारीले स्थलगत सर्जमिन गरी सोही वडाका कम्तीमा दुई जना नागरिकता प्रमाणपत्र लिएका व्यक्ति र स्थानीय तहका कम्तीमा एक पदाधिकारीको सनाखत तथा वडा समितिको सिफारिसमा नागरिकता दिन सक्छ। वंशजको नागरिकतामा आमा वा बाबुमध्ये रोजेको थर र ठेगाना उल्लेख गर्न सकिन्छ। झुटो स्वघोषणा गरेमा एकदेखि तीन वर्षसम्म कैद वा एकदेखि तीन लाख रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना वा दुवै सजाय हुन्छ र नागरिकता स्वतः रद्द हुन्छ। यस ऐनले मूल ऐनको दफा ४ खारेज गरेको छ। Nepal Gazette (Nepal Rajpatra), Department of Printing, Government of Nepal — scanned gazette issue Section 5, amending Section 8, PDF pp. 6–8; Section 6, new Section 8क, PDF p. 8; new Section 21(3ग)–(3घ), PDF p. 10; Section 9, PDF p. 10
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
None documented in the official reports we have reviewed so far.
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.