Lisbon, February 23
Nepal has established its first-ever embassy in Portugal, marking a significant milestone in diplomatic relations between the two nations. A team of officials from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commenced operations from the newly set-up embassy in Lisbon.
The embassy has started providing services from a temporary office in Alcântara, Lisbon. In collaboration with the Nepali Embassy in France, the Lisbon-based mission has launched mobile consular services, including passport issuance and document authentication.
Since Friday, the mobile service has been processing nearly 200 document verifications, including police clearance certificates. During the service period, the embassy will also offer consular services such as birth and marriage registrations, kinship verification, and other necessary document authentications, except for power of attorney verification.
Additionally, passports that were applied for in the previous mobile service will now be distributed. For applicants whose passports are still pending due to various reasons, biometric data collection will be conducted again.
Charge d’Affaires Ram Babu Nepal stated that the mobile service aims to ease documentation challenges faced by Nepalese residents in Portugal. He assured that full-fledged services from the Lisbon embassy will commence soon and urged the Nepalese community in Portugal to remain patient as necessary arrangements are being made.
“We have initiated embassy operations in Lisbon with a temporary office while searching for a permanent location for both the embassy and staff residence. Since this is a newly established embassy, we are also engaged in internal preparations and management,” Nepal said.
Newly appointed Nepali Ambassador to Portugal, Prakash Mani Poudel, is expected to arrive in the country in the coming days, after which the embassy will begin offering its complete range of services. According to Charge d’Affaires Nepal, the launch of consular services has already led to a significant influx of Nepali applicants at the embassy for document verification.
The embassy will authenticate various documents, including police clearance certificates, birth and marriage registrations, and kinship verification, as certified by the Consular Service Department in Kathmandu.
The mobile consular service team includes Sita Basnet, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Nepalese Embassy in France, and Anil Rana, Third Secretary of the Lisbon embassy. The mobile service will operate until February 26 (Falgun 14), after which the embassy will continue providing regular services.
