Over the past year, Nepal’s immigration authorities have dealt with a growing number of cases where foreign nationals entered the country for one declared purpose but engaged in entirely different—and often illegal—activities. These cases have ranged from religious teaching and business operations under the wrong visa category to organised online fraud and unregistered commercial ventures.

In one instance, four Indonesian nationals arrived in Nepal on student visas and enrolled at Bishwa Bhasa Campus (language school) in Kathmandu. Investigations later found that they were not pursuing academic studies but were instead teaching the Quran at a private institution. They were detained and deported.

In another case, a French national running a hotel and a bakery was found to be staying on a tourist visa and later tried to get a student visa to prolong her stay. She too was deported.

Likewise, a retired US Army officer living in Lalitpur was found printing and teaching the Bible from a rented house while staying in Nepal for three years on a business visa. Authorities said the activity did not match the visa purpose, leading to his deportation.

Similarly, in July, Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau arrested 52 people, including six Chinese nationals, for allegedly operating a cryptocurrency and dating-app scam under the cover of a registered technology company.

Officials say these cases are not isolated. Combined with reports of missing tourists, undocumented movements and weak coordination among service providers, they expose major gaps in how Nepal monitors foreign nationals once they enter the country.

Against this backdrop, the government is all set to implement the first phase of the Foreign Nationals Management Information System, or FNMIS, from January 1 at the star hotels in the Kathmandu Valley. The system, first envisioned eight years ago, is being introduced as a central digital platform to record, verify and track the stay, movement and activities of foreign nationals across Nepal.

Here’s how the system works, who it applies to, and why authorities say it is necessary.

What is the Foreign Nationals Management Information System?

The FNMIS is a nationwide digital database designed to collect real-time information on foreign nationals from the moment they apply for a visa to the time they leave Nepal. It links immigration authorities with hotels, airlines, travel and trekking agencies, money exchange counters and other service providers that routinely interact with foreign visitors.

According to the Department of Immigration, the system will ensure that foreigners are engaging only in activities permitted under their visa category, while also improving visitor safety, emergency response and tourism data management.

Why is Nepal introducing it now?

Officials cite three reasons. First is the rising misuse of visas, where individuals enter Nepal as tourists or students but engage in religious teaching, business operations or other restricted activities. Second is security and law enforcement concerns, particularly after the exposure of cross-border online scams and organised fraud operating from within Nepal. Third is the lack of reliable data, especially on overland visitors, which has long undermined tourism planning and emergency response.

In the previous fiscal year alone, Tourist Police recorded nine cases of missing tourists. Authorities argue that a real-time, integrated tracking system could significantly improve search and rescue operations in such cases.

How will the rollout happen?

The system will be rolled out in phases. From January 1, implementation begins in the Kathmandu Valley, where all star-rated hotels are required to integrate with the platform. From March 1, the system will expand nationwide and become mandatory for all hotels, airlines, trekking and travel agencies, guest houses and licensed money exchange counters.

“This is not optional,” said Tikaram Dhakal, spokesperson for the Department of Immigration. “All service providers dealing with foreign nationals must comply.”

How does the system work for foreign nationals?

Foreign visitors can register themselves in the system while applying for a Nepali visa. Through the immigration portal or mobile application, they are required to upload personal details, visa information and travel plans. Once submitted, a six-digit token is sent to the registered mobile number, allowing the applicant to generate login credentials.

The Department of Immigration then verifies the documents and approves the account. After approval, the system generates a QR code linked to the individual’s visa and identity. This QR code becomes the key reference point for all future interactions in Nepal.

Upon arrival, foreign nationals present the QR code at their hotel, which scans it and automatically updates the central database. The same process applies when booking domestic flights, trekking packages, exchanging currency or checking into hotels in other destinations.

If a foreign national has not registered in advance, hotels are required to manually enter their details into the system during check-in.

What happens after registration?

The system tracks movements across locations and services. If a visitor checks out of a Kathmandu hotel and flies to another city, the airline records the travel. If the visitor later stays in Chitwan, joins a trek or exchanges money, each service provider updates the system.

Automated alerts are sent to foreign nationals via SMS and mobile notifications seven days and two days, respectively, before visa expiry, along with instructions for extension or departure. Immigration officials say this feature will help reduce overstays and unintentional violations.

Service providers, meanwhile, can access compliance reports, check-in histories and alerts related to visa irregularities or overstays.

Does it apply to Indian visitors?

Yes. This marks a significant shift in how Nepal records Indian nationals entering the country. Until now, only Indians arriving by air were counted as tourists, while overland arrivals were largely undocumented.

Studies before the 2015 earthquake estimated around 1.2 million Indians entered Nepal by land each year. Officials now believe the number could be closer to two million annually. By contrast, 317,773 Indian tourists arrived by air last year.

From March 1, Indian visitors staying overnight in Nepal will be recorded under the new system, even if they enter by land. Passport, voter ID or Aadhaar cards will be accepted as identification. Authorities say only same-day returnees will be excluded.

What does this mean for tourism and enforcement?

Officials frame the system as a tool not just for control but also for better tourism management. Nepal currently has around 1,600 registered hotels and more than 8,000 trekking and travel agencies, most of them concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley. In 2024, the country received 1.14 million foreign tourists, excluding overland Indian visitors.

Despite its mandatory status, uptake of the system remains slow. So far, only about 20 hotels have fully integrated with it. Immigration officials insist enforcement will tighten as the rollout expands.

Beyond tourism, authorities argue, Nepal has an obligation under international agreements to maintain accurate immigration records. The FNMIS, they say, is long overdue.

Whether it succeeds will depend on compliance by thousands of service providers—and on whether the system is used not just to collect data, but to meaningfully enforce visa rules in a country that has long struggled to do so.