Kathmandu - The Department of National ID and Civil Registration has clarified that public services will not be suspended for citizens whose national identity details are yet to be verified, reassuring the public that pending verification should not become a hurdle in accessing essential services. In a notice issued on Monday, the department stated that any person who has received a national identity number remains eligible to obtain a passport, use bank and financial services, and acquire a driving licence. It also urged the agencies concerned not to stop service delivery on the grounds that the verification of an applicant's details is still pending, a clarification aimed at removing confusion over the status of national ID holders.

The department's statement, as reported by Khabarhub and Nagarik News, addresses the situation of citizens who have been issued national identity numbers but whose submitted details have not yet completed the verification process. For applicants in that position, the department's message is direct: the services they seek will continue, and the pending verification of their details is not a valid ground for refusal.

What the notice says

The department has stated in clear terms that services being delivered to the public will continue even if the verification of national ID details remains incomplete. In its notice, the department listed the major services that citizens holding a national identity number can continue to access. These are:

  • Passports - citizens who have received a national identity number can proceed with obtaining their passports.
  • Bank and financial services - holders of a national identity number can access services offered by banks and financial institutions.
  • Driving licences - a pending verification of details will not stand in the way of obtaining a driving licence.

The underlying message to the public is that the possession of a national identity number is sufficient for these purposes. The department has made it plain that the verification status of a citizen's details should not be treated as a reason to refuse, postpone or discontinue any of these services.

Number holders and verified details

At the heart of the notice lies the distinction between having been issued a national identity number and having one's details fully verified. Citizens across the country have received national identity numbers, but for many of them the verification of the details they submitted remains pending. The department has underlined that this pending status does not diminish the validity of the national identity number itself, nor does it affect a citizen's eligibility for the services that depend on it.

Appeal to agencies delivering services

The department did not confine its notice to reassuring the public. It also addressed the institutions that actually deliver these services, urging the agencies concerned not to stop service delivery by citing the pending verification of details. This directive is aimed at the offices and entities that citizens approach for passports, banking services and driving licences, and it signals that any refusal of service on verification grounds would go against the department's position.

By speaking directly to these agencies, the department has sought to remove any ambiguity at the point of service delivery. The notice effectively places the responsibility on service-providing institutions to continue their operations as usual, treating the national identity number as adequate for the delivery of the services it has listed. Citizens, for their part, have been given the confidence to seek these services without first waiting for their verification to be completed.

Reassurance amid pending verifications

The notice is expected to bring relief to citizens whose details are yet to be verified. For an individual whose passport application, bank account or driving licence has been linked to the status of their national ID verification, the department's statement removes the concern that a pending verification could leave them without access to services they are otherwise entitled to.

The department's position, as set out in the notice, is that the two matters should be kept separate: the issuance of a national identity number, which qualifies a citizen for services, and the verification of details, which remains pending for many and should not be allowed to interrupt service delivery. With this clarification, the department has sought to ensure that no citizen is turned away from a passport office, a bank or a licensing counter simply because their details are still in the verification process.

Through the notice, the Department of National ID and Civil Registration has drawn a clear line for both the public and the service-providing agencies. Citizens who hold a national identity number need not wait for the completion of verification to access passports, banking and financial services or driving licences, and the agencies concerned have been asked to carry on with service delivery without interruption. For the public, the message is one of continuity: the services they rely on remain within reach, even while their national ID details await verification.