Revealed: What UAE residents need to do if they lose their passports abroad

With summer here, several UAE residents have started heading out on vacations to destinations across the globe.

While a holiday is an opportunity to relax and enjoy, a serious risk when travelling abroad is the possibility of losing your belongings such as your ID documents and your passport, or even having them stolen.

Stuck without a passport in a foreign country is not only daunting, but it also means you will be unable to travel back to the UAE.

If facing such a situation, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai (GDRFA) has outlined the process to follow for UAE residents.

STEPS TO FOLLOW IF YOU LOSE YOUR PASSPORT ABROAD

1. Report losing the passport in the nearest police station

2. Get a lost or stolen report from the police

3. Visit the UAE embassy or consulate in the country the passport got lost in to have loss offprint

4. Get a new passport from the embassy or consulate of the resident’s country

The required documents to enter the UAE include –

1. Valid passport

2. Loss offprint from the UAE embassy

3. Precautionary notification in the system

After reaching the UAE, the resident must the Amer centre to print the residency sticker on the new passport, the GDRFA explained.

عزيزي المقيم ..
كيف تتصرف إذا فقدت جواز سفرك خارج الدولة.

Dear Resident,
What shall you do if you lost your passport outside the country.#إسعاد_الناس_غايتنا #إقامة_دبي #دبي #توعية #إرشادات #عام_التسامح2019#yearoftolerance #awareness #dubai #mydubai #gdrfadubai pic.twitter.com/sN3IObUmsJ

— إقامة دبي (@GDRFADUBAI) June 22, 2019

Immigration expert Fragomen also offers the following tips and pointers-

• The time required and costs incurred throughout the process and in obtaining a new passport will vary depending on the issuing country and holiday destination.

• Check to see if your travel insurance covers accommodation, travel costs, and embassy fees in case of a lost or stolen passport.

• If you are required to visit Interpol or the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the UAE, make sure you carefully explain the situation and steps taken to ensure the process is correctly documented and to minimise any risk on family members. It may be helpful to appoint an Arabic translator to reduce communication barriers or misunderstanding.

• Visit the relevant authorities in person or accompanied by a professional as responses may be delayed if done through your sponsor.

Also read: What to do if you lose your passport in the UAE

How to deal with a lost or stolen passport abroad