UAE declares 10-year validity of passports for citizens 21 and above

Recently, the Emirates Passport Authority was reported to have stated that from March 2024, it will start implementing processes of increasing the validity of Emirati passports from five to 10 years as a decision made by the UAE Cabinet previously.

This new service will be available to citizens whose age is 21 years and above as publicized by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP) starting today, Monday, July 8th.

The new amendments cover more facilities and elaborate digital services, which will be offered in the respective sectors by the concerned authorities.

Previously the Emirati passport expired five years from the date when the passport was granted to the holder. As for the new service of the 10-year validity passport, the customer will also be saved from the inconvenience of two journeys to the passport office and every 10 years he will have to go only once for a new passport which is in line with the government’s policy cutting down bureaucracies and saving time.

The new Emirati passports shall be valid for a period of up to ten years similar to the current passports with the same processes and channels as shall be valid for use. It is again when citizens wish to have a new one that they can seek the new service.

The Emirati passport ranks highly in terms of the most effective passports within the Arab nation. The Ministry of Interior has recently started to release E-Passports to the people of the country in compliance with the technical specifications and security features of the passport.

It is courtesy the “Mabrouk Ma Yak” service package that parents of Emiratis can get passports for their newborns as well as other identification documents like birth certificate, passport and Emirates ID card at one and the same times.

From July 8, 2024, any newly-issued passport is effective for a period not exceeding 10 years from the date of its issuance, or until the aforementioned pages of the passport are used up. Thus, a passport cannot be used to renew or revalidate after its expiry date but the holder has to apply for a new passport.

UAE passport issuance request

UAE citizens can apply for the issuance or renewal of passports, or obtain a substitution for lost or damaged ones, through several channels:

• General Residency and Foreign Affairs Departments or Nationality Departments
• Nationality and Residency (e Channels)
• Online Passport Issuance Service for Citizen-Federal Authority for Identity & Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security.
• Travel documents service for people at international airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and in Sharjah
• GDRFA located in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports.
• For instance, if the holder of a passport is in a foreign nation and their passport has expired, or, his or her passport has been lost or demolished, then he or she can contact the representative missions in his/her country to get a new passport.