Kathmandu, September 4 (H.S.): The Government of India has clarified that its newly introduced immigration regulations, effective September 2, will not apply to citizens of Nepal and Bhutan. Under the updated rules, all foreign nationals entering India are required to mandatorily fill out Form C; however, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens have been exempted from this requirement.

Following some confusion in Nepal regarding the new regulations, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu issued a statement confirming that citizens of Nepal and Bhutan remain outside the scope of these changes.

The embassy emphasized that, as per the guidelines issued by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Nepalese and Bhutanese nationals do not require a passport or visa to enter India. They may travel by air or road simply by carrying one of the officially recognized identification documents such as a passport, citizenship certificate, or voter ID card.

For children under the age of 18, school-issued photo ID cards will be accepted. In special circumstances, certificates issued by the Nepalese or Bhutanese embassies in New Delhi—or by the Indian embassies in Kathmandu and Thimphu—will be considered valid for one-time travel.

The embassy further clarified that Nepalese and Bhutanese nationals are also exempt from filing Form C at airports or hotels, a requirement that applies to other foreign nationals under the new immigration framework.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar