Nepali activists living in Portugal have become active in campaigning for the establishment of a Portuguese embassy in Nepal. It is estimated that more than 60,000 Nepalis reside in Portugal. The campaign has been launched based on the need for official Portuguese representation in Nepal as well.
Currently, Nepalis are compelled to seek services from the Portuguese embassy in India, which is both cumbersome and expensive. Therefore, efforts are underway to establish such a mission in Nepal. According to campaigner Ramesh Raj Bastola, who is actively involved in this initiative, 216 people have submitted online signatures within three weeks on the official website of the Portuguese Parliament. Bastola says the campaign aims to ensure that thousands of Nepalis in Portugal and their families in Nepal can access services directly from Nepal. At present, Nepalis are forced to travel to India for family reunification processes and document verification.
The campaign initiated by Bastola has been given legal and institutional backing by prominent Portuguese lawyer Angela Maria Cabral Arsenio. She argues that the Portuguese government should assign official representation in Nepal to make document authentication and family reunification easier and more affordable for Nepalis, who play a significant role in Portugal’s economic and social sectors. Under Portuguese law, a proposal supported by 4,000 signatures is directly discussed in Parliament, while 7,600 signatures allow it to be submitted directly to the Cabinet. So far, 216 Nepalis have signed the petition titled “Request for Establishing Permanent Representation in Nepal” on the Portuguese Parliament’s website.
The Portuguese government has also indicated the possibility of establishing an official presence in Nepal, such as a consular office. On April 10, during a telephone conversation between Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced plans to set up a consular office in Nepal. The ministry shared a photo of both ministers on its Facebook page and stated that establishing an office in Nepal would elevate bilateral relations and provide direct benefits to citizens.
However, the Nepali Embassy has stated that it has not yet received any formal information on this matter. According to First Secretary Rambabu Nepal, the demand for establishing a Portuguese embassy or consulate in Nepal is consistently raised as a top agenda in discussions with the Portuguese government and other stakeholders. He also noted that there has been a positive response from Portugal’s president and members of various political parties regarding this issue.
