Significant delays are reported in processing of no objection certificates (NOC) for students in Nepal who are seeking to study abroad. According to the law, students must have a valid NOC certificate from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of the government of Nepal to leave the country for their studies.

The application numbers have grown exponentially, with 2000 in a day which is almost double of the capacity that can be cleared by the officials in one day even if they worked 12 hours to process them. These delays are reported on account of an unexpected surge in applications, fewer staff then needed and technical glitches in the system.  

The standard waiting time to receive the NOC letter is between 2-3 working days after the documents are verified, however, students are advised to apply one month before their visa deadline.

As set out by the Nepal government, the NOC is a mandatory requirement to study abroad as well as to be able make a payment to the intended foreign higher education institutions. It gives an indication of the student’s financial capability to fund their studies. The NOC is important because only students with a valid NOC certificate will be able to transfer funds to their universities through Nepal’s banking system. Funds are released to the university mentioned in the NOC, otherwise, banks reject the fund transfers. Further, the NOC makes students eligible for support services provided by the government for studying abroad.

British Council comments

With the backlog of over 8,000 uncleared NOCs, it is reported that the Nepalese government has deployed volunteers and additional staff to mitigate the pressure and speed up the process, however it would be advisable for UK universities and their agents/counsellors to guide prospective students to apply early on. 

As a result of the heavy outflow of students from Nepal, domestic higher education institutions have also been left with fewer students and the government is seriously exploring options on containing the exodus of its young population for studies abroad.  In 2023, the government changed rules to prevent Nepalese students from applying for language courses and diploma/certificate programmes, as well as preventing students from studying at overseas educational institutions which are not listed on the Ministry’s list.

In such a situation, Transnational Education may emerge as a potential option. Data from HESA covering the 2021/22 academic year shows that there were as many students studying UK HE qualifications in Nepal as in the country’s much larger neighbour India, indicating that this option is already relatively popular. It is possible that the TNE may take centre stage with government’s efforts to meet the demand for international education of its youth as well as retaining them in the country.  The British Council will soon be commissioning research to gather insights on the TNE landscape and prospects for collaboration between Nepalese and UK HEIs which would be useful for the UK sector.  

Links:

https://kathmandupost.com/national/2024/03/15/no-objection-letter-seekers-overwhelm-education-officials

https://noc.moest.gov.np/

https://experteducation.com/nepal/blog/study-abroad/steps-to-get-no-objection-letter/

https://graceintlgroup.com/all-about-no-objection-certificate-noc-2023/

https://www.aeccglobal.com.np/blog/noc-no-objection-certificate-for-nepalese-students

https://thenext.edu.np/no-objection-certificate-noc-nepal-for-study-abroad-students/