In order to address issues of increasing misuse of visas and the lack of accurate tourism data, Nepal has developed a new Digital Tracking system called FNMIS, which was first proposed eight years ago, for tracking foreign visitors throughout their stay in Nepal from the time they enter until they leave.
The need for the system has become much more apparent due to several recent events. For example, there have been cases involving Indonesian students who were coming to Nepal to study, but were instead teaching religious classes, a case of a French national who used a Tourist Visa to open and run his own boutique Hotel in Nepal, and many other cases involving Cross-Border Scams from Nepal.
Beginning January 1, 2020, all Star Rated Hotels in the Kathmandu Valley will be able to connect to the FNMIS. Visitors will be able to register on the FNMIS database through an online registration system or using a Mobile App, and once registered, they will receive a QR Code linked to their Visa, which can be presented at Hotels, Airlines, or Trekking Agencies.
In addition to tracking visitor mobility, the Platform will provide Alerts regarding when Visitor’s Visas expire, and assist Enforcement Agencies to monitor Compliance with visa regulations.
By March 1, the system expands nationwide to include hotels, travel agencies, guest houses, airlines, and money exchange counters. Indian visitors staying overnight will also be registered, whether arriving by air or land.
Authorities emphasize that FNMIS improves both security and tourism management. “This is not optional. All service providers dealing with foreign nationals must comply,” said Tikaram Dhakal of the Department of Immigration.
With over a million foreign tourists visiting Nepal annually, FNMIS seeks to close long-standing gaps in visa compliance while providing accurate data for tourism planning and emergency response.