Overview
Nepal’s passport continues to be one of the weakest in the world, ranking 98th globally and third lowest in South Asia after Pakistan and Afghanistan. The ranking is based on the Henley Passport Index, which is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries’ ordinary passports for their citizens. The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association and research by the Henley and Partners Research Department.
Reasons for Weakness
According to a senior foreign ministry official, the weakness of Nepal’s passport can be attributed to several reasons, including misuse of passport, visa overstay, asylum-seeking, illegal migration, and growing use of forged documents by Nepali nationals.
Implications
The poor standing of Nepal’s passport is a cause for concern, especially as Nepal is no longer in the midst of a conflict, is not involved in any large-scale criminal fraud or terrorist incident, is a democracy, and is politically stable. The weak passport is becoming one of the reasons why young Nepalis are leaving Nepal and getting permanent residency in other countries.