Kathmandu, Nov. 22 -- The government had decided to procure around 700,000 passports from 'IN Smart Identity France SAS', previously known as IDEMIA Identity and Security France SAS, to cover the looming shortage after December until new supplies arrive. A Cabinet meeting on Friday made the decision.

The French vendor had been providing machine-readable passports (MRPs) and e-passports (biometric) to Nepal since 2010 and until mid-2025.

The 'IN Group' recently took over IDEMIA.

Government spokesman and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel said that the Cabinet meeting has authorised the Department of Passports to purchase 700,000 electronic passports from IN Group through a variation order.

With the co...