Nepal Digital Wallet Identification Requirements
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has introduced the 15th amendment to the Integrated Payment Systems Directive, 2082, making the National Identity Card (NID) mandatory for opening and maintaining digital wallets. The directive establishes verification procedures for new accounts and a compliance timeline for existing users, while providing specific exemptions for citizens living abroad and individuals with disabilities.
Aggregated from 4 sources · Updated 1 Aug 2026, 03:02 UTC (UTC)
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Facts (10)
- Established
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has amended the Integrated Payment Systems Directive, 2082, making the National Identity Card mandatory for digital wallet services.
- Established
Payment service providers must now verify the electronic record of a citizen's National Identity Card before opening a new digital wallet.
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Existing wallet users are required to provide a self-declaration regarding their National ID status by October 17, 2026 (Ashwin 2083).
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Wallet users who already possess a National ID must update their account details with their ID number by October 17, 2026.
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Nepali citizens residing abroad may open electronic wallets using alternative documents but must update National ID details within six months of returning to Nepal.
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Exemptions to the National ID requirement exist for disabled and helpless citizens, who may use alternative documentation for wallet transactions.
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The amended directive requires providers to send monthly reminders to users without a National ID to update their information once the ID is obtained.
- EmergingNiche Signal
More than 17 million people have enrolled for the National ID in Nepal, but a majority of citizens have not yet collected their physical cards.
- EmergingNiche Signal
Nepal's Supreme Court issued a 2024 ruling affirming the primacy of the citizenship certificate over other forms of identity infrastructure.
- EmergingNiche Signal
Nepal is developing a separate digital wallet and locker for government credentials through a World Bank-backed transformation project.