Nepal removes legal hurdles to obtain citizenship in mother’s name

Nepal removes legal hurdles to obtain the citizenship certificate for children without a father’s identity in the mother’s name. With the new move, anyone whose father’s identity is not revealed would get the citizenship certificate in the mother’s name following the approval of the Nepal Citizenship (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2082. On the publication of Nepal Citizenship (Fourth Amendment) Regulations in the Nepal Gazette, this provision in the Citizenship Act, 2063, may be implemented now. President Ramchandra Paudel, in September 2025, had authenticated the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill, 2082, made to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063 BS. The amendment ensures provisions allowing anyone to acquire citizenship in the mother’s name if the identity of their father remains unknown.

In regard to the naturalised citizenship, it states that a child born to a Nepali female citizen in a foreign country, residing permanently in Nepal, may be granted naturalised citizenship as prescribed, provided the child has not acquired foreign citizenship through the father. The Regulations also mentioned that a child is eligible for obtaining citizenship in the mother’s name if the father is dead, not supporting the child in acquiring citizenship, or is married to another person.

The new provision authorizes Chief District Officers (CDOs) to issue naturalized Nepali citizenship after necessary verification to: Children whose one parent obtained citizenship by descent while the other parent died or is missing before acquiring citizenship. The amendment recognizes self-declaration as a key basis for issuing citizenship, in addition to documents specified in the rules, and introduces a standardized format for such declarations.

Previously, except for marital naturalized citizenship, other forms of naturalized citizenship required a decision by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The new rules allow this authority to be delegated to CDOs. The amendment also includes provisions related to the distribution of minor identity cards and stipulates that foreign women married to Nepali men must have a valid visa before being granted marital naturalized citizenship.