Dubai: Are you a Chinese expatriate in the UAE? If you wish to receive Chinese consular services and support, there are different ways in which you can reach out to the Chinese embassy or consulate in the UAE or special hotlines for overseas Chinese citizens globally. Here is a detailed guide on how you can receive timely updates from the Chinese embassy or consulate in the UAE and receive help if needed.
1. Register your information on ‘Registration of Overseas Citizens’
The Chinese embassy and its consulate allow Chinese expatriates in the UAE to provide their individual information voluntarily through the ‘Chinese Consulate’ app. By registering for this service, you can receive various safety-related reminders and messages from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China (MOFAOC). It also enables the consulate or embassy staff to contact you directly, in case of an emergency.
To register yourself on the app, follow these steps:
Download the ‘Chinese Consulate’ app
You can download this app from the Apple AppStore, Tencent App Store (which can be used on Android phones), Xiaomi App Store and Huawei AppGallery, by typing ‘Chinese Consulate’ in the search bar.
Register user account on the app
You will then need to register by following these steps:
- When you open the app, tap on ‘my profile’ at the bottom right corner of the screen.
- On the next page, tap on ‘log in now’.
- Then tap ‘register a new account’ at the bottom of the next page.
- Afterwards, you will be asked to choose to register an account using your Chinese phone number or your email address. Choose the method that is suitable for you.
- You will then need to fill in your phone number or email address, depending on which method you chose previously, create a password, and confirm it.
- Tap the ‘send verification code’ button next and after you receive the code, fill it in the field of ‘verification code’.
- Check the box ‘I have read, and I agree to the terms and conditions’, then tap ‘Register’.
If you already have an account registered with the app previously, simply enter your username and password when you tap on ‘Log in now’.
Register yourself as an overseas citizen
- Go to the home page and tap on ‘Register now’, under the section of ‘Registration of Overseas Citizens’.
- You will see an information page afterwards. Read the information page carefully, check the box of ‘I have read, and I agree to the above information’ and tap ‘start registration’.
- On the next page, you will be given two options – ‘register for yourself’ and ‘register for others’. Select accordingly.
If you select ‘register for yourself’
- You will then need to fill in your ‘Chinese name’ (your name as per your passport), gender, date of birth, Chinese national ID number, passport, or travel document number and contact number.
- Next, select the country you are currently in, as well as the Chinese embassy or its consulate there, in the drop-down menu. Then, tap ‘next’.
- On the next page, from the options given, choose ‘registering for the first time/updating existing information’.
- Afterwards, you need to select your identity from the options listed below. Select according to your situation.
- Employee of Chinese central government enterprises
- Employee of Chinese local state-owned companies
- Employee of private companies
- Occasional worker
- Student
- Overseas Chinese with long or permanent residency permit
- Employee of Chinese state-owned non-profit agencies or institutions
- Tourist
- Others (if you select this one, you need to specify in the marked blank area)
- On the same page, fill in the name of the organisation you are in. If you don’t have an organisation, fill in ‘None’.
- Then, fill in your residential address in China, as well as your email address and tap ‘next page’.
- Next, you will be asked to select the number of your family members from the drop-down menu, then specify their relationship to you.
- On the same page, you will need to fill in your family members’ names, phone numbers and residential address. - - Then tap ‘next page’.
- On the following page, fill in the date on which you arrived in the UAE, and the date when you will leave the country, where applicable. Then, add your residential address in the UAE. Next, tap ‘submit’.
- After that, a page providing an overview of your filled information will show up. Read the information carefully and tap ‘confirm no mistake’.
- Next, you will be directed to a page with news articles published by the Chinese embassy and its consulate related to the UAE. You will also see the Chinese embassy or its consulate’s contact information and website. Read this page carefully and tap ‘Complete’.
If you choose ‘register for others’, you will have to provide the same information, as listed above, for the individual you are registering.
2. Contact the embassy or consulate directly
Alternatively, you can reach out to the Chinese embassy and its consulate in the UAE for help. Here are their contact details:
The Chinese embassy in Abu Dhabi
Address: Plot No. 26, Sector No.W-22, Abu Dhabi
Phone number: 02 4434276
Email: chinaemb_ae@mfa.gov.cn/abu-dhabi@csm.mfa.gov.cn
The Chinese consulate in Dubai
Address: Villa 14, Street 7a, Community 357, Umm Al Sheif Road, Safa 2 Area, P.O. Box 9348, Dubai, UAE
Phone number: 04 3944733
Email: chinaconsul_ab_ae@mfa.gov.cn
3. Reach out to global consular protection hotlines
You can also call these two 24-hour hotlines in China: +86 10 12308 or +86 10 59913991. These are the hotlines of the global consular protection and assistance emergency call centre of MOFAOC.
