the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) has recently announced the implementation of the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS), which went into effect on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.
Under this new rule, passengers traveling to Nepal from abroad are allowed to bring up to two mobile handsets.
To ensure compliance, mobile sets brought from abroad must be promptly registered in the MDMS by providing the necessary documents. For personal use mobile phones, registration in the MDMS can be done by entering passport or citizenship details along with the passport page or boarding pass papers indicating the arrival/departure stamp. This decision has been made by the authority to effectively manage and regulate the use of mobile phones in Nepal, as well as to exercise better control over unauthorized mobile phones entering the country.
The implementation of MDMS aims to prevent consumers from falling victim to fraudulent practices and protect revenue, as well as support legitimate businesses within the mobile retail sector. Over the past three months, approximately 1.5 million mobile devices have entered the country through official means, while 3.1 million devices have entered through the grey market. Additionally, about 42,000 devices have entered through personal channels, accounting for just 1.5 percent of the total mobile phones entering the country. The Nepal Mobile Distributors' association (NMDA) claims that rampant smuggling of mobile phones has resulted in an annual revenue loss of two billion rupees for the government.
The MDMS is a high-tech solution introduced to combat unauthorized mobile sales and distribution while bringing these devices under the revenue ambit. With the implementation of the MDMS, the government aims to address concerns related to foreign exchange reserves and the decline in revenue caused by the entry of illegally imported mobile phones. It's worth noting that the implementation of the MDMS was previously postponed under the directive of Prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal but has now been put into effect.
How many mobile phone can I carry to Nepal 2023?
Under the new MDMS rule, passengers traveling to Nepal from abroad are allowed to bring up to two mobile handsets.
