KATHMANDU: A total of 2,948 individuals have obtained Nepali citizenship through their mother’s name since the enforcement of the Nepal Citizenship (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2025.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the beneficiaries received citizenship under the new provisions following the issuance of the amended regulation. The fourth amendment to the Nepal Citizenship Regulations was published in the Nepal Gazette after being approved by a Cabinet meeting on December 26, 2025.
The amendment revises Rule 3 of the Nepal Citizenship Regulations, 2006, along with changes to Rules 5, 7, 8, and 14. A new provision, Rule 16 (a), has also been added, and the schedule of the original regulation has been amended.
Under the new provision, individuals can obtain naturalized citizenship if one parent had acquired Nepali citizenship by birth and the other parent died without obtaining citizenship or if the father’s identity is unknown. The provision also applies to children born abroad to a Nepali mother whose father is unidentified but who are residing permanently in Nepal, subject to verification by the Chief District Officer.
The regulation also recognizes self-declaration as an important basis for issuing citizenship, in addition to the required documents, and provides a standard format for such declarations. Previously, citizenship other than matrimonial naturalization could only be granted through a decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The new legal provision delegates this authority to Chief District Officers, increasing the role and responsibility of local administration in the citizenship distribution process.
The amendment also incorporates provisions related to the issuance of minor identity cards, which were not clearly addressed earlier. Additionally, it clarifies that foreign women married to Nepali men must have a valid visa before being granted matrimonial naturalized citizenship.
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