all questions and queries related to MDMS
What is MDMS?
MDMS is the short form of Mobile Device Management System. Its purpose is to end the black market and illegal entry of mobile phones in Nepal, to control revenue leakage by the government, to create an environment for safe use of mobile phones, to find them if they are lost, to control theft, and to facilitate criminal investigations.
It also works to protect citizens’ interests by controlling the import of low-quality phones, prohibiting the use of phones that emit excessive radiation, and preventing the use of phones with exploding batteries.
It determines the basis on which Nepalese importers can import only phones that are in the GSMA database. It also helps to block phones that are assembled outside, have more radiation, and are not certified by Nepal, ITU, or GSMA.
MDMS FAQs
What phones does MDMS block?
It is said that it will block all the phones that entered Nepal illegally. But since there are a large number of ‘grey list’ phones on the market, ‘high-end’ or recently launched phones have been discontinued. The work has already started as of October 20, 2080. Regarding all incoming phones, the authority has made it clear that it will send an SMS to register in MDMS within 15 days and block it if it is not registered within the specified period.
What is white, gray and black list?
Phones imported by Nepalese importers that have completed the customs process and have a VAT bill are included in the ‘white list’. Nepali citizens who have taken work permits or who have gone as tourists and brought with them stamped and customs-paid phones are also included in the white list.
Apart from these, the phones that came as gifts or through border and other means but are not registered in MDMS are called phones in the ‘grey list’. Which is currently said to be in the range of 40–50 lakhs. The phones that have started to be blocked now belong to the same ‘grey list’. In the first phase, 804 iPhones that were not registered in MDMS were closed. In this way, the phones that are closed so that they do not work inside Nepal are kept on the ‘black list’.
Are all the phones on the ‘grey list’ closed?
According to the regulatory Nepal Telecommunication Authority, all those phones (numbering 40/50 lakhs) will not be blocked without a policy decision from the Government of Nepal and the Council of Ministers. Therefore, MDMS has started to be implemented on ‘high-end’ phones.
What kind of technology is being used to prevent unregistered phones from working in Nepal?
The mobile device management system can identify the IMEI number of the mobile, which company, and which model the mobile is based on the fact that it is ‘latched’ (uses the communication service by keeping the SIM) in the network of the telecom companies. Based on this, information about how many mobiles are on the market and which mobiles are coming is kept in this system. Now, the authority has started the work of blocking the mobile phone model, i.e., the series. Rather than technically, phones are being identified and blocked on the basis of their IMEI numbers.
What about other phones in the ‘Grey List’?
The budget for the current financial year 2080/081 had set a deadline of mid-June to register the phones that were used before June 15 by paying a certain fee in the MDMS. It is estimated that there are more than 5 million phones in it.
The authority is silent about such phones. In other words, there is no authority to block phones that were in use in Nepal before June 15 but were not registered in MDMS and were on the ‘grey list’.
Why are there so many such phones that blocking all of them can disrupt the entire communication system in Nepal? This seems to affect a large number of common people. Natural disasters are also happening now. In this way, the victims may suffer more, and relief and rescue operations may be disrupted.
Why is the authority blocking expensive phones?
These phones are used by middle and above income level people. They are not remote, and they are also at the level of law enforcement. Therefore, when MDMS is started by people from the upper level, an environment is also prepared to give space to the people below.
What happens to phones that have recently entered Nepal but do not have the necessary documents to register in MDMS?
This is a matter that has not been clarified yet. It has been said that the Authority has discussed this matter with the Customs Department and the Ministry of Finance and will make a policy arrangement orally and give an option for registration. Citizens have to buy a new phone to use after blocking. From there, more money for the country goes abroad. The related user expenses also increase. Basically, because it is blocked due to non-payment of tax, the issue of giving an option and allowing it to be used is currently under discussion. As this matter depends on the government’s policy, there is no option to wait for a decision.
After the iPhone 15 series, which phones are now being blocked by MDMS?
Since the iPhone 15 has started blocking unregistered phones, now high-end phones from companies like Samsung and One Plus, i.e., those above one lakh rupees, will be blocked. The authority has already started the process of sending SMS to other phones for that purpose. But the authority has also requested that the general public not be alarmed by the news of the implementation of MDMS. It is said that there is no attempt to create fear that the phone being used will be turned off. If you use a simple phone, only by giving the proper time and method will the process ahead of it proceed.
Before the phone is turned off, is information given to the concerned user or not?
Of course, it is a given. Initially, 15 days are given to register in MDMS after sending the notification. But if it is not registered within the specified period, the SIM of the Nepali mobile service provider will not work on the phone.
What should you pay attention to when bringing phones with you to work, study, or travel abroad?
Nepali citizens returning from abroad can bring a phone they are using without paying customs duty. In this way, when you bring a phone that you are using, you don’t even have to declare it at customs. The concerned person can register the phone with MDMS online. For that, a passport, the stamp of the immigration department, or a scanned copy of the boarding pass are required. Those who have gone to work abroad with a work permit have the facility to bring another phone without paying customs duty. But one more phone brought in this way has to be declared at the customs office. From there, the information directly reaches the MDMS and is automatically registered. But if you bring more phones than the quota issued by the government, you have to pay the customs duty at the customs point. Even if you do that, the phone will be directly registered in MDMS.
When returning from abroad, if you bring another phone with you other than the one you brought from Nepal, will customs be charged or not?
If you go abroad with a phone already registered in MDMS, you can register it in MDMS without paying customs duty if you bring another phone along with it on your way back.
Phones that come as gifts and parcels but do not have immigration stamps, passports or boarding passes can be registered or not?
Whoever brings it to Nepal can complete the prescribed customs procedure from his quota and register. In the case of phones sent by DHL or parcels, certain customs duties must be paid. If you have proof of payment for customs, you can register the phone in MDMS.
What will happen to foreign nationals visiting Nepal for more than 15 days?
Foreign citizens can also use their phones in Nepal uninterruptedly for the first 15 days. If you have to stay in Nepal for a longer time, arrangements have been made to extend the duration of such phones. In such a case, if you receive an SMS saying that you are not registered with MDMS, you will have to send a request online to the system of MDMS to extend your period along with a photo of your visa. In that case, they get to use their phone for an additional period.
How to register phones coming from India?
There are various customs posts on the border between Nepal and India. Citizens entering Nepal from India can register their phones at that post. If the phone is within the free quota, the customs must have stamped it. If it is beyond the quota, it can be registered in MDMS on the basis of customs-paid documents.
What to do if the phone bought in Nepal is not registered in MDMS?
Users can check whether their phone is registered in MDMS by clicking here. If it is not registered and you do not have a certified VAT bill, then the phone is considered to have been sold on the black market. In such a case, the police or authorities can be informed. Based on that, legal action will be taken against the trader. But no action will be taken against the buyer.
What to pay attention to when buying a new mobile phone?
If you are buying a new phone from the Nepali market, click here to see if it is registered in MDMS. Businesses have to officially register the phone in MDMS before selling it or importing the phone. Therefore, the phones in Nepali market shops must be registered in MDMS before being sold or used.
Don’t forget to ask for the VAT bill when buying the phone. If the new phone bought in Nepal is not registered in MDMS, file a complaint with the police or authorities.