UAE residents often need to renew their passports without returning home. Here is the complete 2025 guide to passport renewal while in the UAE.
Renewing Your Passport in the UAE
Passport renewal is handled by your home country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE. Each country’s embassy has its own procedures, fees, and timelines. General approach: Step 1 — contact your home country embassy in the UAE (most have offices in Abu Dhabi or Dubai). Step 2 — book an appointment (most embassies require pre-appointment). Step 3 — submit the passport renewal application with required documents (old passport, photos, completed forms, fees). Step 4 — collect the new passport (or receive by courier if offered). Timeline: varies by nationality — 2 weeks to 3 months depending on the country. Indian passport: VFS Global in Dubai and Abu Dhabi processes Indian passport renewals (typically 2-4 weeks). UK passport: HMPO (His Majesty’s Passport Office) online application, passport collected from a service point. Philippine passport: Philippine Embassy with Philippine Overseas Labor Office involvement.
UAE Visa Implications of Passport Renewal
When you get a new passport: your UAE residence visa stamp is in the old passport. Your UAE visa remains valid even after you switch to a new passport — you carry BOTH passports (old and new) when travelling until the visa is transferred or until the next renewal. Emirates ID: your Emirates ID remains linked to your ID number (not your passport number), so the Emirates ID does not need to be replaced when you renew your passport. At visa renewal: your UAE visa will be transferred or renewed into the new passport at the next renewal cycle.
Urgent Passport Issues
If your passport is lost or stolen in the UAE: report immediately to Dubai Police or Abu Dhabi Police (police report required). Contact your embassy immediately for an emergency travel document. An Emergency Travel Document (ETD) can be issued within 24-48 hours for urgent travel. Notify your UAE employer or free zone about the passport loss — immigration records will need to be updated when the new passport is issued.