Indian citizens living in the UAE will soon receive only the modern chip-enabled “e-passport” format as part of a major update announced by the Ministry of External Affairs of India and carried out by the Consulate General of India, Dubai and the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi.
The transition rolls out from 28 October 2025 under the upgraded “Passport Seva 2.0” system, aligning Indian passports with global standards. Under this new scheme, applicants applying for fresh or renewed passports in the UAE will receive an e-passport featuring an embedded RFID chip, secure biometric data and enhanced global interoperability While older passport versions remain valid until expiry, this marks the beginning of a full shift towards the e-format
( In the picture: NEW INDIAN PASSPORT WITH EMBEDDED CHIP)
For the large Indian community here in the UAE — this means a step-up in convenience and travel readiness. Gone will be older formats that don’t carry the same embedded digital security The Consulate urged all applicants to check the updated application guidelines, ensure their documents are in order and plan ahead to avoid delays.
So if you’re an Indian resident in the UAE applying for a passport after the rollout date, expect the e-passport — the future of Indian travel documents.
Points to Remember :
- The Indian passports holders with validity for next few years need not worry or rush and should wait till the renewal period arrives
- No change in fees for E-chip passport
- This is a reform in passport system and a step ahead towards digital era of passports
- Forgery to a large extent will be contained and curbed with e-Passports in place
