Indian consulate in Dubai issues new passport rules for expatriates in UAE: Details

Dubai: The Indian consulate in Dubai has issued new passport application rules and guidelines for Indian expatriates in the UAE. The updated standards of photograph will come into effect from September 1 onwards. Now on, most new applicants will have to take new photos when submitting their passport application.

Photographs that comply with the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation must be submitted. ICAO is the global aviation body that sets standards and benchmarks for biometric and identity verification in travel documents. These changes have been implemented in accordance with the directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The directives have been issued through the Passport Seva portal to embassies and consulates. The press wing of the Indian consulate in Dubai confirmed that passport applications with only ICAO-compliant photographs will be accepted from September 1 onwards. The consulate noted that this requirement is part of ICAO’s international travel regulations. Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi is expected to announce the new rules shortly.

These are the new photo guidelines
1) Colourful photo of size 630 x 810 pixels
2) A white background is mandatory
3) The head and shoulders should be properly visible; the face should cover 80 – 85 per cent of the frame
4) Front view of full face, eyes open with natural expression
5) No hair across the eyes, and the mouth closed

6) No shadows, red eyes or flash reflections
7) Natural skin tone
8) Head centred in the frame, from the top of the hairline to the chin
9) Clicked from about 1.5 metres away, not blurred or digitally altered
10) Glasses should not be worn
11) Head scarves are allowed for religious reasons, but facial features must be fully visible

The new rule has been posted on the consulate’s website and conveyed to BLS International, its outsourced passport application service provider. However, the BLS is yet to update their website. Meanwhile, BLS also provides photography services for an additional charge of 30 dirhams. But the facility to take photos of newborn babies is not available here. Therefore, parents applying for passports for their newborn child will need to take pictures from other service providers, meeting the ICAO guidelines. Studios usually charge between 15 and 25 dirhams for taking such photographs.