LISBON:-  The Government of Portugal has announced plans to open a consular office in Kathmandu. Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared this update through its official social sites, including Facebook and X.

The decision to establish such a facility in Nepal is expected to help strengthen bilateral relations, promote shared interests, and enhance cooperation between the two countries. It is worth noting that Nepal has long been requesting the Portuguese government to set up an embassy in Kathmandu.

Once the consular office becomes operational, Nepali citizens in Portugal will be able to access services more conveniently, as they will no longer need to travel to New Delhi, India, for visa processing, document authentication, and other related matters.

Furthermore, Portugal’s diplomatic presence in Nepal is expected to support greater collaboration in areas such as trade, investment, tourism, energy, agriculture, and technology. Earlier, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel held a telephone conversation on Wednesday.

During the discussion, Minister Khanal informed his Portuguese counterpart about the legal and procedural challenges faced by over 2,000 Nepali nationals in Portugal. These issues stem from cases involving forged official stamps on original police reports, which have complicated their documentation processes.

He also requested assistance in addressing these concerns. In response, Minister Rangel acknowledged the valuable contribution of the Nepali community to Portugal’s economy and assured that he would take positive steps with the relevant authorities to review the cases from a humanitarian perspective.