With nearly 3.5 million Indian nationals living in the Emirates, any tweak to passport rules reverberates across HR and travel desks. On 30 October the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate General in Dubai moved to quash social-media rumours that the nationwide e-passport rollout would require fresh fingerprints, iris scans or higher charges in the UAE. Officials confirmed that application fees, documentation and appointment procedures remain exactly as before.
India began issuing ICAO-compliant e-passports domestically in 2023 and will extend the upgrade to missions abroad through the revamped Global Passport Seva Programme 2.0. The new booklet embeds a secure microchip holding the holder’s biographic and biometric data, accelerating border checks and reducing fraud. In the UAE, processing will continue through the existing BLS International centres and is expected to reach a throughput of 1,600 passports per day—sufficient to clear the backlog of renewals created during the pandemic.
For mobility managers the messaging is clear: planned international assignments or re-entries should proceed without disruption. No additional biometrics sessions are needed if the applicant has submitted fingerprints within the last ten years, and there is no surcharge for the chip version. The missions do, however, recommend submitting applications well ahead of travel because courier backlogs may build in November and December when expatriate families head home for school holidays.
The clarification also highlights the importance of relying on official channels. Fake agents have circulated WhatsApp messages claiming that failure to enrol in new biometrics would invalidate existing visas—misinformation that could have led to costly last-minute trips or unnecessary service fees. Employers should circulate the embassy’s advisory and remind staff to use only the Passport Seva portal for bookings.
While the physical process is unchanged, travellers will notice swifter e-gate clearance in many airports worldwide once the e-passport is scanned. Gulf carriers including Emirates and Etihad have already upgraded their systems to read Indian e-passports, which should shave minutes off connection times through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
India began issuing ICAO-compliant e-passports domestically in 2023 and will extend the upgrade to missions abroad through the revamped Global Passport Seva Programme 2.0. The new booklet embeds a secure microchip holding the holder’s biographic and biometric data, accelerating border checks and reducing fraud. In the UAE, processing will continue through the existing BLS International centres and is expected to reach a throughput of 1,600 passports per day—sufficient to clear the backlog of renewals created during the pandemic.
For mobility managers the messaging is clear: planned international assignments or re-entries should proceed without disruption. No additional biometrics sessions are needed if the applicant has submitted fingerprints within the last ten years, and there is no surcharge for the chip version. The missions do, however, recommend submitting applications well ahead of travel because courier backlogs may build in November and December when expatriate families head home for school holidays.
The clarification also highlights the importance of relying on official channels. Fake agents have circulated WhatsApp messages claiming that failure to enrol in new biometrics would invalidate existing visas—misinformation that could have led to costly last-minute trips or unnecessary service fees. Employers should circulate the embassy’s advisory and remind staff to use only the Passport Seva portal for bookings.
While the physical process is unchanged, travellers will notice swifter e-gate clearance in many airports worldwide once the e-passport is scanned. Gulf carriers including Emirates and Etihad have already upgraded their systems to read Indian e-passports, which should shave minutes off connection times through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
