Wider choice of doctors for licence health check
The federal government has started a process to expand and standardise the health check required for getting a driving licence in Nepal.
The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has written to all seven provincial ministries responsible for transport, requesting them to accept health certificates issued by any doctor registered with the Nepal Medical Council for driving licence purposes.
According to the circular signed by Ganesh Man Singh Rai, Director of the Vehicle Inspection, Standards and Driver Management Branch, this change is being pushed to make the service simpler, more transparent and more user-friendly for licence applicants.
Why this change matters for drivers
At present, driving licence applicants must complete a medical check, including eyesight and colour blindness tests, at authorised centres as part of the online licence process and office visit.
- For new licences, applicants apply online, then visit the selected Transport Management Office for biometrics and medical test before the written and trial exams.
- For renewals, applicants also have to undergo a mandatory medical test as part of the process.
The ministry has noted that the current arrangement is causing:
- Unnecessary crowding at limited health check points
- Extra financial burden on applicants
- Risk of syndicate-like control by a small group involved in the medical process
By allowing health certificates from any Nepal Medical Council-registered doctor, the government expects:
- Easier access to health checks, including outside major cities
- Reduced waiting time and queues
- More competition and potentially lower costs
- Uniform and transparent medical certification across provinces
What provinces have been asked to do
The circular, issued following a ministerial decision dated 2083/02/13 (B.S.), requests provincial transport-related ministries to:
- Make arrangements so that medical certificates from NMC-registered doctors are formally recognised for driving licence health checks
- Align provincial practices with the federal decision to maintain consistency nationwide
In parallel, the DoTM has also asked the Nepal Medical Council to provide a full list of recognised doctors, so transport offices can verify certificates more easily and avoid misuse.
What licence applicants should expect
Once this decision is implemented at provincial level:
- Applicants should be able to get their medical check done from any NMC-registered doctor, not only at a few designated centres
- Transport offices are expected to accept these certificates during new licence applications, renewals and other licence services
For now, applicants should follow the current online process and instructions of their local Transport Management Office, and watch for official notices on when the new medical certificate rules become active in their province.
For Nepali vehicle owners and new drivers, this policy is an important step towards more accessible and fair licence services, especially for those living far from existing health check facilities.
Reported by the Nepal AutoMart news desk. Prices verified against Nepal AutoMart's own distributor-sourced data.
