Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Act, 2082 BS

What does it do?

• This Act amends the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063. A person born in Nepal to a Nepali citizen mother and living in Nepal, whose father cannot be identified, can get citizenship by descent if the person and the mother make a self-declaration to that effect. This applies even where a father's name appears on a birth or school certificate but he cannot be identified. If the mother has died or is not of sound mind (as certified by a doctor), her declaration is not required.यो ऐनले नेपाल नागरिकता ऐन, २०६३ संशोधन गरेको छ। नेपाली नागरिक आमाबाट नेपालमा जन्मी नेपालमै बसोबास गरेको व्यक्तिको बाबुको पहिचान हुन नसकेमा, जन्मदर्ता वा शैक्षिक प्रमाणपत्रमा बाबुको नाम भए पनि पहिचान खुलाउन नसकेको भनी निज र निजको आमाले स्वघोषणा गरेमा निजले वंशजको आधारमा नागरिकता पाउँछ। आमाको मृत्यु भइसकेको वा चिकित्सकले प्रमाणित गरेअनुसार होस ठेगानमा नरहेको अवस्थामा आमाको स्वघोषणा आवश्यक पर्दैन। Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (moljpa.gov.np), consolidated text Section 2(2), new Section 3(5क), PDF p. 2; Section 3(1), amending Section 5(3)(ग), PDF pp. 2–3
• Where one parent holds citizenship by birth and the other died or lost contact before obtaining citizenship, the child can obtain naturalised citizenship by self-declaration. A person born abroad to a Nepali citizen mother, living permanently in Nepal, holding no foreign citizenship or passport and whose father is not identified, can also obtain naturalised citizenship if the person and the mother make the prescribed self-declaration.बाबु वा आमामध्ये एकले जन्मको आधारमा नागरिकता पाएको र अर्कोको नागरिकता लिनुअघि नै मृत्यु भएको वा सम्पर्कविहीन रहेको अवस्थामा सन्तानले स्वघोषणा गरी अङ्गीकृत नागरिकता पाउन सक्छ। नेपाली नागरिक आमाबाट विदेशमा जन्मी नेपालमा स्थायी बसोबास गरेको, विदेशी नागरिकता वा राहदानी नलिएको र बाबुको पहिचान नभएको व्यक्ति र निजको आमाले तोकिएबमोजिम स्वघोषणा गरेमा पनि अङ्गीकृत नागरिकता पाइन्छ। Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (moljpa.gov.np), consolidated text Section 2(1), new Section 3(4क), PDF pp. 1–2; Section 3(2), new Section 5(5क)–(5ख), PDF p. 3
• A person may ask that the name, surname and address of either the mother or the father be left off their citizenship certificate, and the certificate must then be issued without them. Anyone aggrieved by a citizenship decision may apply within 35 days to the Home Secretary, who must decide within 30 days of receiving the officer's report; that decision is final, and decisions of the Government of Nepal itself cannot be challenged this way. A new Section 22क lets officials issue a minor's identity card to a child with at least one Nepali citizen parent.कसैले नागरिकताको प्रमाणपत्रमा आमा वा बाबुमध्ये एकको नाम, थर र ठेगाना उल्लेख गर्न नचाहेको भनी निवेदन दिएमा त्यस्तो विवरण उल्लेख नगरी प्रमाणपत्र दिनुपर्छ। नागरिकतासम्बन्धी निर्णयबाट मर्का पर्ने व्यक्तिले पैँतीस दिनभित्र गृह सचिवसमक्ष निवेदन दिन सक्छ; सचिवले अधिकारीको प्रतिवेदन प्राप्त भएको तीस दिनभित्र गरेको निर्णय अन्तिम हुन्छ, तर नेपाल सरकारको निर्णयउपर यसरी निवेदन लाग्दैन। नयाँ दफा २२क अनुसार बाबु वा आमामध्ये एक नेपाली नागरिक भएका नाबालकलाई नाबालक परिचयपत्र दिइन्छ। Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (moljpa.gov.np), consolidated text Section 4, new Section 8क(1क), PDF p. 4; Section 5, new Section 18, PDF pp. 4–5; Section 8, new Section 22क, PDF p. 6

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.