The Government of the Republic of Portugal is considering opening a consular office in Kathmandu. This was informed by Foreign Minister of Portugal Paulo Rangel to Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal during a recent congratulatory telephone conversation between two counterparts.
Extending his warm congratulations to Minister Khanal on assumption of his office as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal Portuguese Minister Rangel expressed his best wishes for a successful tenure.
Nepal and Portugal established diplomatic relations on September 1, 1976 and Nepal established a residential Embassy in Portugal in 2025.
As per the sources, around 23,000 Nepalese are working in Portugal legally besides others without documents. Portugal’s plan to open a consular office in Kathmandu was to assist Nepalis in visa processing and document authentication services. Currently, Nepalese have to travel to New Delhi of India for such procedures.
Portugal lies in a southwestern European nation on the Iberian Peninsula. A country with around 10 million population, Portugal has a rich maritime history, diverse landscapes, fado music and sandy beaches.
Minister Khanal also requested his Portuguese counterpart to reconsider the status of over 2,000 Nepali nationals who are facing procedural and legal difficulties in Portugal due to fake stamps affixed to their genuine documents, especially Police Clearance Certificates, purportedly attested by the Embassies of Portugal and Nepal in New Delhi.
Appreciating the Nepali community in Portugal for their contribution to the Portuguese economy, Minister Rangel assured Minister Khanal that he would positively raise this issue with the agencies concerned to review the cases of the affected Nepali nationals applying humane approach.
Similarly, both the ministers expressed happiness over existing friendly bilateral relations. They also committed to strengthened cooperation in various areas.
