Immigration Hands Over Suspicious Visit Visa Travelers to Police for Investigation

Travelers attempting to leave Nepal on a visit visa with suspicious documents will now face police investigation instead of being turned back without inquiry, the Department of Immigration has announced.

The decision comes after reports that certain groups have been exploiting the visit visa system. According to officials, some passengers, after clearing immigration checks at Tribhuvan International Airport, were found canceling their return tickets arranged under a dual-ticket scheme, raising red flags of organized fraud.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Immigration Director General Ram Chandra Tiwari said reforms are underway to make visit visa processing more transparent and lawful. He stressed that entry and exit permission will now be granted based strictly on valid documents, not on personal appearance or perceived status.

Police to Investigate, Not Just Offload

Until now, passengers with incomplete or suspicious paperwork were simply offloaded and sent back from the airport. Going forward, such cases will be formally handed over to the police for further investigation.

The department has also instructed airlines to issue boarding passes at least one hour before security checks to prevent collusion that allows tickets to be canceled after clearance. Airlines and travel agencies found involved in such “settings” will face investigation.

Airport Immigration Chief Narhari Ghimire added that some airlines had been overbooking seats, forcing passengers without confirmed boarding passes to return. Police have now been tasked with investigating such irregularities.

Stricter Monitoring of Documents

The Immigration Department has introduced new requirements to curb abuse of visit visas:

• Travelers must present a valid passport (minimum six months validity).
• A valid visa for the destination country (if not visa-on-arrival).
• Round-trip air tickets.
• Proof of hotel booking or accommodation arrangement by relatives/friends.
• Sponsor letter if traveling on invitation.
• Foreign currency exchange proof of at least USD 500.

Previously, officials sometimes offloaded travelers based on perceived financial status. This practice has been scrapped, with DG Tiwari clarifying that there will no longer be discrimination based on a traveler’s appearance or wealth.

The department has also requested the Nepal Rastra Bank to strictly monitor passport stamps from banks and money exchange counters after discovering cases where travelers had fewer foreign currencies than declared.

Crackdown on Organized Exploitation

Officials revealed that organized groups had been running illegal rackets under the cover of visit visas, often in collusion with immigration staff. To tackle this, the Department of Immigration has sought support from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Ministry of Education, tourism authorities, financial institutions, and related agencies.

DG Tiwari emphasized that immigration reforms are designed not only to strengthen security but also to ensure fairness and transparency:

“We have updated outdated provisions and introduced stricter measures where security concerns demand. Immigration processes will now be transparent, document-based, and subject to police scrutiny whenever suspicion arises.”