National ID Card in Nepal (2026): Online Form, Enrolment, Status Check and eNID Download

What the National ID card is, and why you need it

The National ID card is a smart card with a chip. It is issued by the Department of National ID and Civil Registration (DoNIDCR) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It holds your personal details and your biometrics: ten fingerprints, iris scans, a photo and a digital signature. It also carries your National Identity Number (NIN), a unique 10-digit number (DAO Kaski NID FAQ).

The NIN is fast becoming the number that everything else hangs off. The government's own FAQ calls it the main basis for public services and says you need it for most of them (DAO Kaski). In practice, the new driving licence system requires a National ID (The Kathmandu Post), e-passport applicants are asked to bring it, and the Nagarik App can show your National ID once it's linked. Our guides to the driving licence online form, the e-passport form and the Nagarik App explain each.

Who can get one

Nepali citizens aged 16 or over who hold a Nepali citizenship certificate can get a National ID card (DAO Kaski). Two groups can't for now, because the law doesn't clearly provide for them: Nepalis who have taken another country's nationality and use its passport, and former Nepalis who hold a Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) card (DAO Kaski).

Step 1: fill the online form

Pre-enrolment saves time at the office. You type your details at home and book a slot for your biometrics.

1. Open the NID Pre-Enrollment System and choose Login For Individuals.
2. Fill in your details exactly as they appear on your citizenship certificate, in Nepali and English.
3. Choose the registration office and book an appointment for biometric capture.
4. Print the completed form and take it with you.

Got a new citizenship certificate from 1 Baisakh 2083? Then you don't need the printed online form (DAO Kaski). Details from new citizenship records now pass automatically to the National ID system (Kantipur).

Use a mobile number registered in your own name. DoNIDCR uses it for SMS updates and for the eNID download code later. Our guide to checking your NTC or Ncell number shows how to see whose name a SIM is in.

Step 2: documents to bring

Bring originals. The office checks them against your form (DAO Kaski):

• Your original Nepali citizenship certificate.
• The printed online pre-enrolment form. You can skip it if your citizenship was issued from 1 Baisakh 2083.
• Your migration certificate, if you live somewhere other than the permanent address on your citizenship.
• If you're married and your spouse's name isn't on your citizenship: your marriage registration or a relationship certificate.
• If your citizenship has no date of birth: official proof of your birth date, such as a birth registration, an education certificate, a passport or a pension order.

Step 3: fingerprints, iris and photo

At the registration station in your District Administration Office or Area Administration Office, staff check your documents and take your biometrics: all ten fingerprints, both irises, a photo and a digital signature (DAO Kaski). Administration offices also run mobile registration camps from time to time.

Take the acknowledgement slip home. Its application number is what you use to follow up.

Give the details truthfully. A card obtained with false details is cancelled (DAO Kaski).

Check your NIN and card status

Your NIN is issued once your details are approved, and you're told by SMS. There are three ways to check:

• By SMS: send N, a space and your 16-digit application number to 30001. This method is widely reported (NepaliTelecom) but isn't listed on DoNIDCR's own site, so use the portal if you get no reply.
• Card status online: open NID Card Status on the citizen portal and enter your request number (from the slip) or your NIN.
• Collection SMS: when the card is printed, an SMS to your registered mobile says it's ready and where to collect it. Collect it in person from the place you registered. Your fingerprints are checked at handover, so nobody can collect it for you (DAO Kaski).

Be patient with the card itself. Printing has lagged far behind enrolment: by late May 2026 only about 40 lakh cards had been handed out (Kantipur). Your NIN and the eNID work in the meantime.

Download your eNID

Since 18 June 2026, DoNIDCR has let people who already have a NIN download an electronic National ID from its citizen portal, on a trial basis (Sharesansar). The eNID is a password-protected PDF with your photo and a QR code that can be scanned to check your details. The official manual explains the steps (DoNIDCR eNID manual):

1. Open Download Your eNID on the citizen portal.
2. Enter your full name in Nepali and in English, your date of birth (BS), your citizenship issue date and the captcha, exactly as on your National ID record, then search.
3. Enter the 6-digit OTP sent to the mobile number linked to your NIN.
4. Your details and photo appear. Download the card.
5. Open the PDF with a password made of the first four letters of your English name in capitals plus your birth year in BS. The manual's example: RAMESH born 2050-01-01 types RAME2050.

If the OTP doesn't arrive, tap resend first. If it still doesn't come, your mobile number may not be linked to your NIN: update it at your nearest NID registration unit (DoNIDCR). You can save the PDF or print it. Government offices have been asked to verify it by scanning the QR code (Sharesansar).

Mistakes, lost cards and a new mobile number

• Wrong details: apply to correct or add them at the registration station of your District or Area Administration Office, on the prescribed form. Your NIN stays the same (DAO Kaski).
• Lost, stolen or damaged card: report it at the District or Area Administration Office that has a registration station. A replacement is issued after your records are checked. If your card was destroyed during the Gen Z protests, a replacement currently costs Rs 500 in government revenue (DAO Kaski). For other lost or damaged cards, ask the office what fee applies.
• New mobile number: update it at a registration unit so the OTP and SMS reach you.

DoNIDCR's help lines are the toll-free number 1147 and nid@donidcr.gov.np (DoNIDCR).

Printers and scanners in our store

Printing the pre-enrolment form, an eNID copy or citizenship photocopies for a family? Shops that fill forms for customers need a printer and a scanner that last. These are in stock.

Prices checked on 12 November 2026 on our website.

In our store

Epson L3210

Brother DCP-B7620DW

Brother HL-B2100D

Epson V39II

PrintersScanners

Not sure between ink tank and laser? Our printer guide explains the running costs. Next step after your NID: get a personal PAN with it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a National ID card in Nepal?

Fill the pre-enrolment form at enrollment.donidcr.gov.np, then visit the registration station at your District or Area Administration Office with your original citizenship for fingerprints, iris scan, photo and signature. You don't need the online form if your citizenship was issued from 1 Baisakh 2083.

Who is eligible for the National ID card?

Nepali citizens aged 16 or over with a Nepali citizenship certificate. Nepalis who hold another country's passport and NRN card holders can't get one for now.

How can I check my NID number?

Check the NID Card Status page on citizenportal.donidcr.gov.np with your request number or NIN. Many people also send N, a space and their 16-digit application number to 30001 by SMS, though DoNIDCR's site doesn't list that method.

How do I download my eNID?

On citizenportal.donidcr.gov.np, choose Download Your eNID, enter your name in Nepali and English, your date of birth in BS, your citizenship issue date and the captcha, then the OTP sent to your NIN-linked mobile. The PDF password is the first four letters of your English name in capitals plus your BS birth year, for example RAME2050.

How much does the National ID card cost?

DoNIDCR lists no fee for the first card. Cards destroyed in the Gen Z protests are replaced for Rs 500; for other replacements, ask your District Administration Office.

Can someone else collect my National ID card?

No. Your biometrics are checked when the card is handed over, so you must collect it in person from the place you registered.

Sources

• Frequently asked questions on the National Identity Card (in Nepali), District Administration Office, Kaski
• User manual for downloading the eNID, Department of National ID and Civil Registration
• NID Pre-Enrollment System, DoNIDCR
• Citizen Portal: NID card status, eNID download, replacement payment, DoNIDCR, checked 12 November 2026
• Government launches online download service for e-National ID, Sharesansar, 19 June 2026
• New citizenship holders won't need a separate National ID form, Kantipur, 22 March 2026
• Only about 4 million have received National ID cards, Kantipur, 27 May 2026
• New driving licence system leaves services stalled, The Kathmandu Post, 5 August 2026
• National ID card: process to apply (SMS check), NepaliTelecom
• Department of National ID and Civil Registration, DoNIDCR
• Product prices: Quality Computer website, 12 November 2026.