NID Card Check in Nepal: Find Your NID Number, Card Status and eNID (2026)

To do an NID card check in Nepal, use the official Citizen Portal of the Department of National ID and Civil Registration (DoNIDCR): citizenportal.donidcr.gov.np. It does three things. It shows your NID number (NIN) and lets you download your eNID from your citizenship details. It shows whether your NID card is printed. And it takes the online fee for a replacement card. You can also get your NID number by SMS: send N <space> your application number to 30001 (DoNIDCR FAQ). One thing has changed in 2026: the portal no longer searches by citizenship number. This guide shows exactly what it asks for instead.

राष्ट्रिय परिचयपत्र (rastriya parichaya patra) is the Nepali name for the national identity card.

#Quick answer: which NID check do you need?

The portal checks don't ask for any payment; only a replacement card has a fee. Ignore Facebook pages or apps that ask for money or your OTP "to check your NID".

#National identity card check by citizenship number: does it still work?

Many people search for an NID check by citizenship number, and older guides still tell you to enter it. On the current portal you don't. DoNIDCR's own user manual (June 2026) lists what the form asks for (eNID user manual, PDF):

• your full name in Nepali, as it is on your NID record,
• your full name in English,
• your date of birth in Bikram Sambat (BS),
• your citizenship issue date,
• a captcha.

There is no citizenship-number field. The old "check national ID number" address on the portal now opens this same eNID form. You still use your citizenship certificate: copy your name, date of birth and issue date from it exactly.

Two things trip people up:

• The Nepali name must be typed in Nepali Unicode, not Preeti. If you don't have a Nepali keyboard, type your name with English letters in the free Nepali typing tool and paste it in. For example, raam bahaadur becomes राम बहादुर (type aa for ा).
• Both dates are in BS. If you only know a date in AD, convert it first with the Nepali date converter.

#How to find your NID number online and download your eNID

These steps follow DoNIDCR's eNID user manual. The eNID is a provisional digital NID: a password-protected PDF with your photo, your NID number and a QR code. The department started the service on 4 Asar 2083 (18 June 2026) (DoNIDCR notice).

The screenshots below show every step. Ours were taken on 6 November 2026 with sample details (a made-up name and dates); the screens after the OTP come from DoNIDCR's own manual, with personal details blurred.

#Step 1: Open the Citizen Portal and click Download Your eNID

Go to citizenportal.donidcr.gov.np. Click En at the top right for English, or Ne for Nepali. Then click the Download Your eNID box (eNID डाउनलोड).

#Step 2: Fill in your citizenship details and click Search

Copy each detail exactly from your citizenship certificate:

1. Full Name (Nepali): in Nepali Unicode, as on your NID record.
2. Full Name: in English, in capitals.
3. Date of Birth (BS): year-month-day, for example 2050-01-01. You can type English digits; the portal shows them in Nepali digits.
4. Citizenship Issuing Date: also in BS, in the same format.
5. Captcha: type the letters in the picture. Click the arrows to get a new picture if you can't read it.
6. Click Search (खोज्नुहोस्).

#Step 3: Enter the OTP from the SMS

A box opens and a 6-digit OTP is sent by SMS to the mobile number linked to your NID. It shows the number with most digits hidden, so you can see which phone to check. The SMS comes from DONIDCR_ALT and the code is valid for 5 minutes. Type it in and click the verify button (OTP प्रमाणित गर्नुहोस्). If no SMS arrives, wait for the short countdown and click the resend link (OTP पुनः पठाउनुहोस्).

#Step 4: See your NID number and download your eNID

A box shows your NID number at the top, in the format XXX-XXX-XXX-X (10 digits), with your photo, name, date of birth and permanent address. That is your NID number check done: write the number down. Then click Download card (कार्ड डाउनलोड गर्नुहोस्). The eNID downloads as a password-protected PDF.

#Step 5: Open the PDF with your password

When you open the PDF it asks for a password. The password is the first four letters of your full name in English, in capitals, followed by the first four digits of your date of birth in BS (the year). The result box shows the same rule.

That example comes from the official manual. Keep the PDF safe: save it to Google Drive or print it. You can scan its QR code with any phone QR scanner to check it.

#No OTP? Your mobile number isn't linked to your NID

The OTP only goes to the mobile number on your NID record. If you didn't give a number when you registered, or you have changed numbers, the manual says to update your mobile number at your nearest NID registration unit. You don't have to give your photo, fingerprints or iris again for this.

#Can you use the eNID?

DoNIDCR's notice asks government bodies and organisations that used to accept a printed NID number slip from the Citizen Portal to scan the eNID's QR code and match it with the documents you show (notice of 4 Asar 2083). Carry your citizenship certificate as well. The department calls the eNID a provisional NID.

#NID card status and print check: is my card printed?

The NID number and the plastic NID card are separate. You can have a number long before your card is printed. To check the card:

1. Open the Citizen Portal and click NID Card Status (राष्ट्रिय परिचयपत्र अवस्था).
2. Enter either your request number (RSN), the 16-digit application number you were given when you registered, or your NID number (XXX-XXX-XXX-X).
3. Fill in the captcha and click Search.

When your card is printed, DoNIDCR sends you an SMS saying it is ready to collect. Collect it from the same place where you registered your details, and go in person: your fingerprints are checked when the card is handed over, so nobody else can collect it for you (DoNIDCR FAQ).

#NID number check by SMS and phone

If you registered but never got your number by SMS, DoNIDCR's FAQ gives these options:

• SMS: type N, a space and your application number, and send it to 30001.
• Viber or WhatsApp: 9851316034 or 9851316035.
• Phone: 9847346412 or 01-4200014. The FAQ also lists a call centre, 01-5970449, for NID problems.
• Toll-free: 1147 (on the DoNIDCR homepage).
• Email: nid@donidcr.gov.np (NID branch) or gunaso@donidcr.gov.np (complaints).

DoNIDCR's office in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 4:00 in winter (16 Kartik to 15 Magh) and 9:00 to 5:00 the rest of the year (donidcr.gov.np).

#November 2026: delays for NID numbers issued after 1 Asoj

On 17 Kartik 2083 (3 November 2026) DoNIDCR posted a notice for people whose NID number was issued after 1 Asoj 2083 (17 September 2026). New records are verified by a fingerprint-matching system (ABIS), and its limited capacity has delayed the verification of these records. The department says the capacity upgrade is in its final stage and should be finished within about two weeks of the notice (DoNIDCR notice).

What it means for you:

• NID registration and new NID numbers are still being issued at every registration station.
• Passport, banking and financial services and driving licence services keep working even if your record isn't verified yet. The notice says this after complaints about driving licence offices.
• If an office refuses you because of this, you can point to the notice.

#Don't have an NID yet? NID pre-enrollment and registration

• Who can apply: anyone aged 16 or over with a Nepali citizenship certificate. Minors, non-resident Nepalis and foreigners living in Nepal are planned for a later phase.
• Where: your District Administration Office, an Area Administration Office with a registration station, or a registration campaign in your ward. You can fill in the form online first through DoNIDCR's NID online application (pre-enrollment), but you still have to visit a station to give your photo, all ten fingerprints, iris scan and signature.
• Documents: your original citizenship certificate. Also bring a migration certificate if your permanent address differs from your citizenship, and, if you are married and your spouse's name isn't on your citizenship, your marriage registration or relationship certificate. If your citizenship doesn't show your date of birth, bring an official document that does (birth registration, academic certificate, passport or pension card). Only clear original documents are accepted, not photocopies.
• Photo: no make-up, hat, cap or burqa.
• Your number: the NID number is a unique 10-digit number. At a District or Area Administration Office station you get it straight away. After a ward campaign it comes later by SMS.

#Lost card, damaged card or wrong details

• Wrong details: apply at the registration station of your District or Area Administration Office. Your NID number does not change when details are corrected.
• Lost or damaged card: apply at the same office, giving the reason, and they issue a copy (प्रतिलिपि). The fee is Rs 500 under rule 13(3) of the National ID and Registration Rules, 2077. You can pay it online on the Citizen Portal under NID Card Replacement Payment: you enter your NID number, mobile number, full name in English and Nepali, and choose an appointment office. The FAQ also lists payment at any Rastriya Banijya Bank branch: office code 314013501, revenue heading 14229, account number 1000100200010000.

#Keep your NID number safe

• Use only the .gov.np sites above. The portal checks don't charge a fee.
• Never share your OTP. DoNIDCR staff don't need it, and nobody can "speed up" your card for a fee.
• Don't post a photo of your eNID or NID number in Facebook groups or comments.

#Frequently asked questions

Related: License print check (is your smart driving license printed?) · Nepali typing tool (for the Nepali name field) · Nepali date converter (for BS dates) · How to type in Nepali

Sources: DoNIDCR Citizen Portal · DoNIDCR eNID user manual (PDF) · DoNIDCR notice: eNID service starts, 4 Asar 2083 · DoNIDCR notice on NID services, 17 Kartik 2083 · DoNIDCR FAQ: national identity card · DoNIDCR homepage (toll-free 1147, office hours) · NID online application (pre-enrollment)