Visiting the UAE and lost your passport? Here is how Indians can issue an emergency certificate or ‘outpass’

On Tuesday, July 5, the official Twitter account of the Indian Embassy in the UAE posted about the Emergency Certificate service, to raise awareness among Indian nationals residing in the UAE.

So, if you are in a situation where you do not have your passport – because if it is lost or has expired – and you need to return to India, here is all you need to know about applying for an Emergency Certificate.

What is an Emergency Certificate?

The Emergency Certificate allows Indian nationals, who are abroad to travel one way to India if there is no valid travel document with them. This certificate is usually issued to Indians who have lost their passport in a foreign country.

How do I apply for an Emergency certificate in the UAE?

You can apply for an Emergency Certificate through the Indian Embassy’s Passport Seva service. After filling out the form online, you must then take a print-out of the form, along with a copy of your original passport to the BLS International Centre, the outsourcing agency for processing Indian passport and visa applications.

The Emergency Certificate is only issued if the authorities can verify your Indian Citizenship.

Required Documents:

According to the Indian Consulate in Dubai, you will need to submit the following documents at the BLS Centre:

Step 1: Create an account

Visit this link: https://embassy.passportindia.gov.in/ and select the region and country you are residing in. To do so, choose the ‘Africa and Middle East’ category and select the United Arab Emirates.

Next, click on ‘Register – Register to apply for passport services’. Once you click on the category, you will be asked to create an online account with the Passport Seva portal. If you already have an account with the portal, log in using your account details.

To register as a new user, you must fill in the following information:

• Embassy/Consulate: Abu Dhabi or Dubai
• Given Name (first name)
• Surname
• Date of birth
• Email address

Once you have entered these details, create a password, and confirm it, choose a ‘hint question’ for security purposes: for example – your city of birth. Enter the captcha code and then click on the ‘Register button’.

You will then receive a confirmation email from Passport Seva, with an activation link. Click on the activation link and sign in with your email address and password.

Step 2: Apply for the Emergency Certificate

Once you have signed in with your email and password, you will then be transferred to the services page. Click on the third option, ‘Apply for Emergency Certificate’.

Step 3: Fill in the applicant details:

Next, fill in the following applicant details:

• Given name (First name)
• Surname
• Gender
• Have you ever been known by other names (aliases)? – Yes or no
• Have you ever changed your name? – Yes or no
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Is your Place of Birth out of India? – Yes or no
• Region/Country of birth
• Marital status
• Enter your PAN (Permanent Account Number) number or Voter ID (if available)
• Employment type
• Educational qualification

• Citizenship of India by
- Registration/Naturalisation
- Descent
- Birth

• Do you have a visible distinguishable mark? If you do, you will have to describe it in the form.
• Aadhar number (if available) – this is optional

Next, agree to the terms conditions and click on the next button.

Step 4: Enter family details

For the next section of the passport renewal application, you will have to enter your family details:

• Father’s full name
• Mother’s Full name
• Legal guardian’s name (if applicable)
• Spouse’s full name (if applicable)
• If you are applying for a minor, you must enter the father’s and mother’s passport number. In case either parent is not Indian, state their nationality.

Step 5: Enter address details

Next, type in the address details. For this section, you enter the address printed on your passport, which should include:

• House number
• Village town or city
• District

• Closest police station. (The Passport Seva Portal has a service on their website called, ‘Know Your Police Station’. You can find the service here: https://portal5.passportindia.gov.in/Online/locatePS . To find the closest police station, you must enter the state and district and enter the captcha displayed and click ‘submit’. You will then find the list of police stations in your area.)

Step 6: Emergency contact details

After that, enter your emergency contact and address. This includes mobile number and email address.

Step 7: Enter your previous passport details

• Passport number
• Date of issue
• Expiry date
• Place of issue

Step 8: Go through the questionnaire

After you have completed filling out your passport details, the last part of the application process is the ‘other details’ – this is a list of questions, and you will have to answer yes or no.

1. If you have any criminal proceedings
2. If you have been convicted by a court in India
3. If you were ever denied or refused a passport
4. Have you applied or been granted foreign citizenship?
5. Have you returned to India on an emergency certificate (outpass)?

Once the application form is complete, you must then review and verify the details and click ‘submit’.

Step 9: Submit the application and documents at the BLS centre

Next, take a print-out of the form and submit the application at the BLS centre, with the required documents listed above, in person.

However, you can also fill in the form take a passport photograph and photocopy the necessary documents at the BLS Centre.

When is the Emergency certificate issued?

According to Consulate General of India in Dubai- www.cgidubai.gov.in – the Emergency Certificate will only be issued after the application and documents have been verified.

Cost:

According to the Indian Consulate in Dubai, the cost for issuing an Emergency Certificate is Dh60.