Nepal to Track All Foreign Visitors Starting January 1, 2026, Including Thousands of American Tourists

Starting January 1, every foreign national arriving in Nepal will be tracked through a new system. The Department of Immigration (DoI) under the Government of Nepal has developed the Foreign Nationals Registration and Tracking System (FNRTS), also referred to as the Foreign Citizen Management Information System, to register and monitor the entry, stay, and activities of foreign citizens for security and tourism purposes. The system, which has been developed over the last four to five years, will now be fully implemented from January 2026.

According to the DoI, the system has been designed in line with international laws and commitments to which Nepal is a party. It aims to regulate immigration, enhance the security of foreign visitors, promote tourism, and create a centralized information system for government records.

The system is expected to enhance tourist safety, facilitate information exchange, and help control potential crimes, thereby strengthening tourism promotion, national security, and good governance. Mr. Tikaram Dhakal, the DoI spokesperson, stated that the system is also a response to Nepal’s international obligations to manage records of foreign nationals entering the country.

Phased Implementation Plan

The Foreign Nationals Registration and Tracking System will be implemented in phases. The original rollout was planned to begin with star-rated hotels in the Kathmandu Valley from October 1, 2025.

However, following a movement on September 8–9 that affected the private sector, organizations such as the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) cited technical issues and financial losses and requested a delay until January 2026. After discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department agreed that, for now, adoption of the system will be effectively voluntary, even though it remains a government policy.

Under the revised plan, the first phase, beginning on January 1, 2026, will apply to star-rated hotels within the Kathmandu Valley. The second phase, starting on March 1, 2026, will expand nationwide to include all star-rated hotels, airline companies, tours and travel companies, and money exchangers.

The third phase will gradually extend the system to all other types of accommodation and service providers, such as guesthouses. To ensure broad compliance, the DoI has requested all public and private institutions providing services to foreign nationals to register with the system, with registration procedures and user manuals available on the DoI’s official website.

Purpose and Function of the System

The DoI stated that the system will maintain detailed records of foreign nationals, helping authorities track their location and visa status, which has been a challenge under the current system. This capability is particularly crucial for emergency rescues involving trekkers and mountaineers and for law enforcement, as many foreign nationals are deported each year for crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and foreign currency misappropriation.

The system is also expected to simplify deportation and investigations by generating alerts when a foreign national’s visa expires and by making it easier to identify overstayers who may attempt to re-enter via Nepal’s open border with India.

According to Mr. Dhakal, the system focuses on managing records of foreign nationals entering Nepal, regulating their movement, and supporting tourism. It is designed to facilitate search, rescue, and security operations in emergencies and to streamline information exchange among security agencies, tourism entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. Once fully operational, it will also help track a person’s last known location, which can be vital for search and rescue missions.

Policy, Enforcement, and Privacy

The Department has requested all public and private institutions providing services to foreign nationals to register with the system, but Mr. Dhakal explained that strict enforcement and penalties will not be introduced immediately before January 1.

He said that while institutions are being urged to adopt the system as a government policy, those that do not implement it right away will not face immediate punitive action. Some hotels and institutions have already begun using the system ahead of full enforcement.

Addressing privacy concerns raised by various foreign embassies, Mr. Dhakal clarified that the system is not intended to track every personal activity of tourists. Instead, it will systematize information that hotels and service providers already collect, such as check-in and check-out times and locations, in order to facilitate rescues and investigations. He emphasized that the confidentiality of personal data is a priority and noted that similar systems are already in place in many other countries, including India.

Applicability to Indian Citizens and Contact Points

Dhakal also clarified that the system will apply to Indian citizens as well. Indian nationals staying in hotels in Nepal will be required to present documents and have their details registered, similar to citizens of other countries. Those arriving from third countries via India are required to obtain a visa at the immigration office.

The DoI has already informed monitoring committees in all 77 districts about the new system, and regular monitoring will be conducted through the respective District Administration Offices. For further information, institutions and individuals can refer to the registration procedures and manuals on the DoI’s website or contact the DoI’s IT section or Computer Engineer Santosh Kumar Shah at mobile number +977-9761423637.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals in Nepal

In October 2025, Nepal recorded 128,443 foreign tourist arrivals, representing a 3.3 percent increase compared to 124,391 arrivals in October 2024. According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), India was the largest single source market, with 17,298 visitors in October alone, excluding those arriving via unrecorded land routes.

Other major source countries included the United States, with 13,286 visitors; the United Kingdom, with 8,718; China, with 6,755; and Germany, with 6,366. Overall, European countries accounted for the largest regional share at 31.6 percent, contributing 40,060 visitors, while South Asian nations represented 22.6 percent, with 29,060 arrivals from SAARC countries, including India.

In the first ten months of 2025, a total of 943,716 tourists visited Nepal, slightly up from 941,024 tourists during the same period in 2024.