How do I correct my name or date of birth on my citizenship?

नागरिकतामा नाम वा जन्ममिति कसरी सच्याउने?

Corrections to a Nepali citizenship certificate are decided by the Chief District Officer. The old certificate is withdrawn and a corrected one issued.

Cost: Stamp fee; District office applications usually carry a Rs 10 stamp. Ask your office for its correction fee.
How long: Same day to a few weeks; Depends on the evidence and whether another district's record has to be checked.
Where: District Administration Office
Last checked: 8 Oct 2026; Awaiting official confirmation

What it is

The Citizenship Act lets you ask for a correction to anything written on your certificate. Rule 14 of the Citizenship Rules sets out how: you apply to the Chief District Officer (or the Home Ministry), the officer looks into it, and if approved the old certificate is withdrawn and a new one is issued with the correction.

What counts as enough evidence is up to the office, so the hard part is usually proof. A spelling mistake with your birth registration and school certificates spelled correctly is straightforward. A date of birth change is much harder, because the office needs a record that existed before your citizenship was issued.

Who needs it

People whose citizenship certificate has a spelling mistake in their name, surname, parents' names or address.
People whose date of birth on the certificate doesn't match their birth registration or school records.
Married women who want their husband's name added to the certificate.

What you need

Your current citizenship certificate and a photocopy
The old certificate is withdrawn when the corrected one is issued.
Official
An application to the Chief District Officer
Most offices have a set form. DAO Darchula publishes its application formats online.
Official
Documents that prove the correct detail
Birth registration, school or SEE certificates or your parents' citizenship, depending on what is wrong.
Official
A recommendation from your ward
Official
Two recent passport-size photos
Official
To add your husband's name: marriage registration, and your husband in person with his citizenship
Listed by DAO Kalikot for copies that add the husband's name.
Official
Your parents' citizenship, if the correction is about lineage or your parents' names
In practice

In practice items aren't in the official rules but are commonly asked for at the counter.

How it works

1
Decide which record is wrong
Line up your citizenship, birth registration, school certificates and parents' citizenship. The office corrects the citizenship to match the strongest evidence, usually the oldest official record. If that record is the wrong one, fix it first.
2
Get a ward recommendation
Ask the ward office of your permanent address for a recommendation that states the correct detail. Bring the evidence you'll show the District Administration Office.
3
Apply to the Chief District Officer
Submit the application with the evidence at the District Administration Office. If your certificate was issued in another district, the office may need to check that district's record first.
4
Wait for the decision
Under the Citizenship Rules, the Chief District Officer looks into the request before deciding. Simple spelling fixes with clear evidence move faster. Date of birth changes take longer and may be refused.
5
Collect the corrected certificate
The old certificate is withdrawn and a new one is issued with the correction. Check every field at the counter.
6
Update everything linked to it
Your National ID, passport, PAN, bank accounts and land records still show the old details. Update them, starting with the National ID.

Where to go

District Administration Office
Usually the office that issued your certificate
Your ward office
Recommendation and, if needed, birth registration corrections

Find the nearest DAO

Straight-line distance. Directions open in Google Maps.

Open the full mapOffice locations © OpenStreetMap contributors

Cost and time

Official fee: Stamp fee; District office applications usually carry a Rs 10 stamp. Ask your office for its correction fee.
Processing time: Same day to a few weeks; Depends on the evidence and whether another district's record has to be checked.

Common problems

My SEE or SLC certificate has the wrong date of birth, not my citizenship.

Exam certificates can only be corrected for a short time after results come out. DAO Bhaktapur's charter says SLC corrections are made only within six months of the result. After that, offices will only certify that both records belong to the same person.

My records disagree and none of them can be changed now.

Ask your ward for a "same person" recommendation (दुवै व्यक्ति एउटै). It states that the names or dates on your different documents refer to you. Many offices accept it alongside your certificates.

Can I change my date of birth to make myself younger for a job?

No. The office corrects mistakes against official evidence that existed before. A date of birth change without that evidence will be refused, and giving false details on a citizenship application can lead to the certificate being cancelled.

I need the correction urgently for a passport.

Apply for the correction first. The passport office follows your citizenship exactly, so applying with the old details just repeats the mistake on the new passport.

Real experiences

Been through this recently? Tell the next person which office you went to and what they asked for. Reports are published as community notes, apart from the official information.

Share your experience

Sources

Needs review

Written from the sources above and last checked on 8 Oct 2026. Some details aren't confirmed against an official page yet, so check fees and documents with the office before you go.

Spotted something out of date?

How do I correct my name or date of birth on my citizenship?

01What it is

02Who needs it

03What you need

04How it works

05Where to go

06Cost and time

07Common problems

08Real experiences

09Sources