Aadhaar cards now becomes a valid travel document for Indians under 15 and over 65 those travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, according to a Home Ministry communiqué. 
Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not be able to use Aadhaar to travel to both these neighbouring countries, for which visas is not required, clarified the communique issued recently.
Indian visitors to Nepal and Bhutan don’t need a visa if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card issued by the government of India or an election ID card issued by the Election Commission, the official added.
Previously, persons over 65 and under 15 could show their PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card or ration card, but not the Aadhaar, to validate their identity and visit the two countries.
The Aadhaar card has currently been added to the list, as explained by a senior Home Ministry official.
Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It is being made requisite for using in most of the government services.
Giving information, the official said a certificate of registration issued by both the Embassy of India, Kathmandu, to Indian nationals is not an acceptable travel document for travelling between India and Nepal.
“However, the emergency certificate and identity certificate issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal will be valid for single journey for travelling back to India,” he said, mention the statement.
Teens between the age of 15 to 18 years are permitted to travel between India and Nepal on the basis of an identity certificate issued by the principal of their respective school in a prescribed form, the officer added.
When a family (like husband, wife, minor children and parents) visiting together, all persons will not be required to carry relevant documents (such as a passport or an election ID) if one of the adult members has valid travel papers, he said.
However, the other family members must have some proof of their identity with a photograph and their relationship as a family, such as a CGHS card, ration card, a driving licence or an ID card issued by school/college, the official added.
Indian nationals those travelling to Bhutan must have either an Indian passport with minimum validity of six months or a voter identity card issued by the Election Commission of India.
Bhutan, which shares borders with the Indian states of Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal, has about 60,000 Indian nationals, employed mostly in the hydroelectric power and construction industry in the country.
Everyday between 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan in border towns.
About six lakh Indians live in Nepal, as per the data by the Ministry of External Affairs.Those include businesspersons and traders who have been living in Nepal for a long time, professionals (doctors, engineers, IT personnel) and labourers (including seasonal/migratory) in the construction sector.
Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with India with its five states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
