Kathmandu, November 22
The distribution of new passports has been halted indefinitely due to a technical issue in the Department of Passports’ electronic passport system. For the past two days, citizens seeking new passports have been unable to access services.
The disruption began on Thursday following the detection of malware in the system’s software. As a precaution, the department has suspended operations to protect data security, affecting individuals who need passports urgently for international travel.
Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal stated that efforts are underway to resolve the issue, with plans to resume services from the department’s headquarters in Tripureshwor by Sunday. “We shut down the system to prevent further risks after detecting malware. Services will resume once all security issues are addressed,” he said.
On Friday, the department issued a circular to all district administration offices, informing them that a technical team is working to fix the problem. Preliminary findings suggest the issue will not be resolved before November 24.
The department aims to fully restore services by November 25, but officials remain uncertain about meeting this target.
