Mobile phone IMEI registration (Mobile Device Management System)
मोबाइल सेट (IMEI) दर्ता – मोबाइल डिभाइस म्यानेजमेन्ट सिस्टम (MDMS)
Responsible office
Nepal Telecommunications Authority (MDMS online registration)
नेपाल दूरसञ्चार प्राधिकरण
01 · Before you apply
Essential information
Legal basis
Telecommunications Act 2053 (not re-verified); Mobile Device Management System Bylaws (2018); customs baggage rules as amended by the Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office notice of 13 May 2023
Fee information as of
May 2023 (latest found; FY 2083/84 customs rates not verified)
Source updated
2023-05-15 AD (MDMS enforcement; customs notice 2023-05-13)
Data confidence
medium
02 · Prepare
Documents you need
Bring original documents together with readable photocopies. Names, dates and record details should match across every document.
- IMEI number(s) of the phone (on the box, or dial *#06#)
- Scanned passport or citizenship certificate (नागरिकता) of the owner
- Scan of the passport page or boarding pass showing Nepal immigration departure and arrival stamps
- Customs receipt if duty was paid on the phone (news reports say phones bought abroad or received as gifts may need it)
- Working email address and Nepali mobile number (for OTP and the approval message)
03 · At the office
Step-by-step process
- 1
Find the phone's IMEI number on the box or by dialling *#06# (dual-SIM phones may have two).
- 2
Open NTA's MDMS individual registration page (mdms.nta.gov.np).
- 3
Enter the IMEI number(s), brand and model, and say whether the phone is already in use.
- 4
Verify your email address with the one-time password (OTP).
- 5
Enter your personal details, a Nepali mobile number, passport address and arrival details. Choose 'Self' as the user, or enter the actual user's details.
- 6
Upload the passport or citizenship scan and the immigration-stamp or boarding-pass page.
- 7
Wait for the approval or rejection email. Once approved, the phone works with Nepali SIMs.
04 · Cost
Fees and charges
MDMS registration
None of the sources found mentions a registration fee; confirm on the portal
No fee reported
Customs duty – one phone brought by a returning resident
Duty-free (1 phone)
Customs duty – second phone, migrant worker abroad 6+ months
Duty-free (2 phones in total)
Customs tax – extra phone for other returnees
As reported in May 2023; more than two phones may be confiscated. FY 2083/84 rates not verified
18% (smartphone) / 15.5% (bar phone)
05 · Digital options
Online services
06 · Read carefully
Important notes
- Phones bought from authorised dealers in Nepal are registered by the importer. Buying from an authorised dealer avoids this step.
- Phones brought for personal use before 15 September 2022 were registered automatically.
- MDMS enforcement began on 15 May 2023 after several postponements.
- Keep any customs receipt for a phone you bring from abroad.
07 · Where to go
Office information
Address
Kamaladi, Kathmandu (PO Box 9754)
Phone
+977-1-5355474Website
https://nta.gov.np/