A team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has started providing consular services through a temporary office in Alcântara, Lisbon.  

In collaboration with the Nepali Embassy in France, the office launched a mobile service camp last Friday to facilitate passport issuance and document authentication. The camp will remain operational until February 26.  

Nepal is set to establish a full-fledged embassy in Portugal, a move expected to streamline consular services for the growing Nepali community in the country, Undersecretary Suvanga Parajuli, Assistant Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told New Business Age.  

The mobile camp has already certified approximately 200 documents, including police character certificates (police reports). During the service period, the embassy will provide a range of consular services, including relationship verification, and marriage and birth registrations.  

Additionally, e-passports will be distributed to applicants who had previously applied during past mobile service camps. For those whose passport processing was delayed due to various reasons, biometric data will be recollected, ensuring timely issuance, according to officials.  

Charge d’Affaires of Nepal to Portugal, Ram Babu Nepal, emphasized that the initiative aims to address longstanding challenges faced by Nepali nationals in Portugal regarding document verification and passport services. He further stated that full-fledged embassy services in Lisbon will commence soon. “We are currently in the process of securing a permanent office building and residential accommodations for embassy staff,” he said.  

Newly appointed Nepali Ambassador to Portugal, Prakash Mani Paudel, is expected to assume office in the coming days, further expediting the formal establishment of the embassy.  

The mobile service is being facilitated by a dedicated team, including Deputy Chief of Mission at the Nepali Embassy in France, Sita Basnet, and Third Secretary of the Nepali Embassy in Lisbon, Anil Rana, along with other embassy staff.  

For years, the absence of a Nepali embassy in Portugal has forced Nepali nationals to travel to Spain or France to obtain passports and verify essential documents, adding financial and logistical burdens. With an estimated 60,000 Nepalis residing in Portugal, the establishment of a permanent embassy is expected to significantly enhance accessibility to these crucial services.  

Previously, teams from the Nepali Embassy in France and the Department of Passports in Kathmandu provided similar mobile services in Portugal. 

(With inputs from RSS)