Nepali citizens can now buy mobile SIM cards in India. Nepal’s ambassador to India, Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma revealed the good news via X (formerly Twitter).
It came with some recent diplomatic efforts. Mr. Sharma shared that the issue was discussed and quickly processed by the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and the MoC (Ministry of Communications) of India.
“Great news! Nepali nationals can now obtain a SIM card on the basis of their passport, Citizenship Certificate, voter’s ID, or ID issued by the Embassy. Citizens were denied a SIM card earlier due to technical reasons. Our request was processed quickly by MEA and the MoC,” Mr. Sharma shared the good news via X.
Prior to this, Nepali nationals would not get SIM cards in India. The Indian officials had been citing technical difficulties in issuing new SIM cards. This led to major difficulty for Nepalese with communication.
Nepalese can now buy SIM cards in India after the approvals from the country’s MoC and MoE.
However, if a citizen enters India from another country, then they must provide their passport with their valid visa stamp. Such SIM cards shall have a validity of 3 months. Also, these connections won’t have international roaming capability, India’s MoC said.
It’s possible to use roaming services in India using Ntc SIM cards. However, it can be too costly and not a desirable option for many. Particularly, those who don’t visit India with a Nepali SIM card or wish to buy a local one have this inconvenience.
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Nepali citizens to get SIM cards in India with citizenship
Now, Nepalese can buy a SIM card in India by showing their passport, citizenship, or a Voter’s ID card. Additionally, it’s possible to produce an identity card issued by the Nepali embassy.
This is a remarkable development for Nepalese. Nepal and India have recently signed ToR for cross-border transactions and this new SIM card convenience further adds value to the two countries’ deep relationship.
Nepalese can now buy new Indian SIM cards with their passport, citizenship, voter’s ID card, and other government-issued documents.
If you plan on visiting India or going there for work, you would be at ease to get an Indian SIM card quite easily. Gratitude must be extended to the Indian ministries for making this possible. The news should be a relief to Nepalese who are already in India or planning to go there soon.
But …
There are some users expressing disappointment that they couldn’t buy a SIM card in India despite owning a passport and said that the SIM card providers were not even cognizant of the Nepal-India agreement for providing Nepali visitors with SIM cards in India with valid documents. If it has applied to others too, then it’s sad that they are still at a disserve despite government-level agreement on it. We hope that these are some unfortunate incidents and don’t apply to every Nepali visitor in India.
What has been your experience with purchasing a SIM card in India with Npeali documents? Do share your experience if you have one in our comments section below.
