Nepal is a small kingdom sandwiched between its mighty neighbours India and China. However, little Nepal has something to show the world. This is one of the most beautiful mountainous countries due to the nature of the Himalayas where the spirit of peace and tranquillity of Buddhist monasteries hovers. A journey to Nepal is a journey to the origins of the Earth, to its original timeless essence.

Only a few people wish to acquire Nepalese citizenship but for those who aspire to it there are 3 ways to obtain citizenship:

• Citizenship by descent

Most Nepalese citizenship certificates are issued under this category. This means that any person born to a parent who has Nepalese citizenship can apply for this type of citizenship if they wish. In the past, this type of citizenship could be obtained after proving that the applicant's father was a Nepalese citizen.

Nepalese citizenship by descent can be obtained by:

• Any person whose father or mother is a citizen of Nepal;

• Any person whose father or mother was a citizen of Nepal at birth and both father and mother are citizens of Nepal while claiming citizenship.

Nepal does not recognize dual citizenship

• Citizenship by birth

You can acquire Nepalese citizenship by birth if you meet the following:

• Any person whose father or mother is a citizen of Nepal.

• Any person who is 16 years of age and permanently resident in Nepal

• Any minor found in Nepal whose paternal and maternal status is unknown. He is considered a citizen of Nepal until the paternal and maternal status is known.

Regardless of the citizenship of the parents, any child who is born in that country can obtain citizenship.

• Naturalized citizenship

Naturalized citizenship means citizenship granted after legal procedures to those persons who are not eligible for citizenship by birth or descent.

• A woman of foreign nationality who is married to a Nepalese citizen may apply for naturalized Nepalese citizenship provided that she submits a marriage certificate and proof of renunciation of her foreign nationality;

• If the child is born as a result of marital relations between a Nepalese citizen and a foreign citizen and if he is a permanent resident of Nepal provided that he has not acquired the citizenship of any other country;

• The foreigner must have some kind of employment in the country;

• Must have lived in the country for more than 15 years;

• Obligated to take steps regarding the renunciation of former citizenship.

Meanwhile, there is one sub-category of honorary citizenship under the category of naturalized citizenship. Any foreign citizen aged 16 or over can obtain such citizenship if he has made a special contribution to the arts, economy, literature, and social development in Nepal, provided:

- He/she can speak and write in any of the languages practiced in Nepal;

- He is engaged in any profession in Nepal;

- He renounced his foreign citizenship and hails from a country that grants naturalized citizenship to Nepalese;

- He/she has been living in Nepal for at least 15 years;

- He/she is of good behaviour, character, and mental health.

Any person born to those who acquire naturalized citizenship can also apply for naturalized citizenship. In special cases, there is another way to apply for Nepalese citizenship if Nepal acquires new land. Thereafter, persons residing in the territory are considered Nepalese citizens. Citizenship can be lost both voluntarily and involuntarily.

The citizen needs to go to the office of the head of the district in case of voluntary refusal. The application must be sent to the Nepalese embassy if a citizen is outside the country. If a citizen voluntarily accepts the citizenship of another country then he automatically loses the citizenship of Nepal. We briefly talked about how to become a citizen of Nepal. And in order to complete all the documents without any problems download the checklist which describes in detail all the nuances of obtaining citizenship.