Indian tourists traveling to Nepal on private vehicles via Birgunj will now be able to enter Nepal upon showing their digital vehicle registration certificate (RC) at the customs checkpoint. Customs officials said that the Birgunj Customs Office has started 'facilitating' the entry if the vehicle owner's details shown on their mobile phones are verified online.
Since there is no need for complete documents in India, some Indians arrive at the border without carrying complete documents. "Due to this, the tourists will face unnecessary hassles, so they will be given permission to enter if the documents they show can be verified online," said an officer of Birgunj Customs.
This new initiative has facilitated the visitors as the details of RC can be easily viewed online. The customs office allows Indian vehicles to enter Nepal by issuing a pass or by charging a daily customs fee.
No fee is charged for the pass. The customs office says this pass is issued for 24 hours only. Indians who want to stay in Nepal for more than one day with their own vehicles have to pay a daily fee of Rs 565. According to the customs officials, they started this facility after middlemen were found to have exploited Indians who wanted to enter Nepal without the original RC documents.
Middlemen made fake documents in the Indian city of Raxaul by taking unauthorized money from Indian tourists who came withtheir own vehicles. Chief Customs Administrator Deepak Lamichhane said, "The tourists will not have to face harassment at the border, even if they do not have a valid document. They will be allowed to enter Nepal through online verification."
Customs has been giving pass to Indian private vehicles up to border market in Birgunj without charging customs duty. However, customs officials say they have adopted strict measures for issuing such passes due to the misuse of passes in recent times.
What is RC?
RC is a proof of vehicle registration with the Regional Traffic Authority of India, which mentions the vehicle's registration number, engine number, chassis number, fuel type and seating capacity.
Indian Currency (IC) can be brought with self-declaration
According to the customs officials, Indian tourists who come to Nepal can bring IC by self-declaration at the customs. “There is no problem in bringing IC after declaring them at customs. We have facilitated it at the border,” said Lamichhane.
