UAE urges citizens to check passport validity before travelling abroad

Dubai: The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security has urged UAE citizens to check the validity of their passports before making travel plans, as many prepare to spend the holiday season abroad.

In a post on X, the authority said passports should be valid for at least six months before travelling, noting that many countries treat this requirement as mandatory to ensure passports do not expire during a traveller’s stay overseas.

The UAE passport allows holders to enter 179 countries, including 134 without a prior visa and 45 with an electronic visa or visa on arrival.

The authority said citizens applying to renew their passports must submit a recent personal photograph that is different from the one currently printed on the passport and meets International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.

Passports are issued for 10 years for UAE citizens aged 21 and above, and for five years for those under 21. Renewal applications can be submitted only when the remaining validity of the passport is one year or less.

The service is available for citizens inside the UAE. Those outside the country must apply through the passport renewal service for citizens abroad.