All about No Objection Certificate (NOC) 2023

In Nepal, there has been a lot of discussion about No Objection Certificates (NOC) in recent weeks. However, on April 2, 2023, the Nepalese government ceased giving NOCs to students who wanted to study degrees or language courses abroad. This decision caused frustration and insecurity among many students who had been preparing and applying for overseas education. As a result of receiving strong criticism from students, parents, and education providers, the government reversed its decision on April 27, 2023.

Despite being based on the eighth amendment of the Education Act 2016, the issuance of NOCs was only stopped four weeks ago. Under Nepal’s education law, education up to grade 12 is considered school education. Only those enrolled in a university program at the bachelor’s level or higher are eligible for a NOC for higher education abroad. This decision has particularly affected students who wished to study diploma-level programs in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, as well as language courses in Japan.

The Ministry of Education has now reversed its decision, stating that some universities do not directly admit students to bachelor’s programs, making the revision necessary. This change means that students pursuing diplomas, advanced diplomas, and language courses will now be able to receive NOCs.

What is NOC?

• The NOC (No Objection Letter) is an official document issued by the Government of Nepal that permits an individual to work, study, or conduct business in a particular field. In education, a NOC is a certificate granted by the Ministry of Education that allows Nepali students to study abroad.

How to obtain a NOC?

• To obtain a NOC in Nepal, there are two main steps. The first step involves submitting an application form for the NOC, while the second step involves collecting the NOC from the foreign study permit branch in Bhaktapur. The application form can be filled out online or physically, but the online option is the most convenient. You will also need to provide specific documents to complete the application, which may vary depending on the course and level you are applying for.

For health-related courses or medical fields at the undergraduate or postgraduate level, you must pass an examination called the Common Entrance Examination (CEE) conducted by the Medical Education Commission (MEC). The Ministry of Education charges NPR 2000 per NOC, and if you need a NOC for a different course, school, or level, an additional fee of 2000 Nepali rupees will apply.

Online Application Process for No Objection Certificate (NOC)

As per the user manual for students to apply for the No Objection Certificate, one should follow the following steps:

1. You can simply type “NOC in Nepal” in your browser and you will see a government official portal for NOC appear on your screen. You can click the first website that pops up or open the URL: http://noc.moest.gov.np/
2. Locate and Click on Apply NOC.
3. Enter your phone number and email Respectively and click on Proceed
4. Enter a 6-digit OTP (One Time Password) from your mobile phone’s message box and click on the Proceed button
5. Click on the Resend button if you don’t get the OTP within 2 minutes
6. After this, you need to complete your profile. Only then, you can apply for NOC. 
7. Verify your email address and click on the request token
8. Open Email and enter the email verification token from your email and click on verify email
9. Fill in all the fields and upload documents and click on Proceed
10. Add your passport details and click on Confirm
11. Select your previous academic country
12. Select your previous Academic level, when selected faculty, or stream will appear on the screen, and select your stream
13. Select the country Name from the list in the dropdown menu and the list of
    colleges will be seen on the screen
14. Select the college or university from the list
15. Select the Level of study, Stream/faculty, and the subject you want to apply to,
    select self if you’re applying yourself, or choose consultancy if you are
    applying from consultancy, and click on proceed
    [Note(only if college, university, subject of your choice ): click on Request
    New. Type your University name, level, faculty/Stream name subject of
    your choice and click on request.]
16.  Else click on Proceed to apply for your NOC and a success message will appear on your screen.

Documents Required to Apply for NOC

Below is the list of common documents required while applying for NOC. As mentioned earlier, the requirement varies from course to course and level to level you are applying to. 

1. Citizenship Certificate
2. Academic Certificate(transcripts)
3. Citizenship of guardian
4. Certificate of Enrollment/Offer letter/ Admission Letter (Subject, level, duration, and student name should be mentioned in the Offer Letter)
5. Copy of Previous NOC (If It has been issued before)
6. Passport Copy of Student
7. Invoice Letter (Payment details)
8. If studying abroad, a certificate and Equivalence should be submitted.
9. University Bonafide Letter (If Applicable)
10. Invoice Letter (payment details)
11.  Degree awarded certificate (If Passed from a Foreign country)
12. English Language Test Certificate (If Applicable)
13. License/Approval Letter (If Applicable)
14. Common Entrance Exam Pass List (If Applicable)

What is an Eligibility Letter?

An eligibility letter is one of the major documents required while applying for NOC regarding some particular courses. To get an eligibility letter, you first need to fill out a form. You can find the form here: https://eligibility.mec.gov.np/user/register. 

List of Courses requiring Eligibility Certificates:

As per the Ministry of Education, any student intending to study any of the below-mentioned health-related courses in foreign institutions, will be required to pass the Common Entrance Exam and get Eligibility Certificates to obtain the No Objection Certificate for higher level education abroad in the relevant program. 

FAQs related to NOC

• Why do I need a No Objection Letter?

Obtaining a NOC means you have legal consent from the Government of Nepal to study in foreign countries and can make a payment to the intended institutions abroad. Students must submit NOC to the bank while making any payment to the institution mentioned in NOC. You can only make a payment to the particular institution mentioned in the NOC.

If you want to pay for more than one institution or more than one country, you need separate NOCs for each institution. NOC is also required if you want to exchange NPR for any other foreign currencies.

It is also likely possible that the immigration officers at the airport will ask you to show the NOC before departure.  

• How much money should I pay for NOC?

NPR 2,000. You can either use eSewa or fill in the bank voucher and make payment in cash. The number to eSewa the amount is posted on the wall at the counter. Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) is the beneficiary bank if you apply online.

•  Who can apply for NOC?

Anybody who intends to study in countries other than Nepal can apply for NOC. Such a student must hold a valid offer from a foreign institution. However, on behalf of the student, his/her guardian can also apply for NOC. Guardian of students includes parents, grandparents, elder brother or sister, and spouse. If a guardian is applying for NOC on behalf of the student, they should include their citizenship along with other required documents.

• How can I apply for NOC?

NOC can be applied both physically and online at http://noc.moest.gov.np/

• How long does it take to get a NOC?

You will be given a collection date. Applying online takes 1-2 business days. 

• Can I study abroad without a NOC?

No, you cannot. NOC is one of the mandatory documents for studying abroad. 

• If I have studied for a Bachelor of Engineering in Nepal, but am going abroad for other courses, do I need an engineering license for applying to NOC?

Yes. Regardless of what program you are applying for, you need to present your license. If you haven’t received your license yet, you need to attach the document which demonstrates that you have applied for a license and are eligible to get the NOC.  

• Can I apply for NOC without a passport?

Yes!

• Who can collect my NOC?

Your close guardian-father or mother- can collect your NOC. However, you need to mention that while filling out the application form for NOC and fill in the asked details of the guardian who is to receive your NOC.