Dubai: The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai stated on Thursday that Indian expatriates applying for the new ePassport in the UAE will not currently need to provide biometric information, and passport fees will stay the same, according to Gulf News.
Top diplomats responded to major concerns raised by the Indian expat community regarding the application procedure as the embassies implemented the ePassport system in the United Arab Emirates on October 28.
No adjustments to fees
Speaking at a press conference at the Indian Consulate in Dubai, A Amarnath, Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai, emphasised that applicants would not incur any additional fees as a result of the switch to the new digital passport system.
“There will be no additional charges for the applicants,” Amarnath affirmed.
The ePassport, which is referred to as a “next generation travel document,” blends cutting-edge technology with conventional passport elements, such as an embedded chip that holds digital copies of the holder’s data.
Clarification of biometric details
Although the ePassport chip is intended to store biometric data, officials made it clear that, for the time being, some of this data will be collected from applicants’ photos in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines rather than through separate biometric collection at application centres.
“Some of the biometric information which is embedded in the chip will be captured from the photograph that the person submits,” Amarnath stated.
They emphasised that in order for the application to move forward, an ICAO-compliant photo must be submitted. “The application will not move on to the next stage unless you are able to submit an ICAO-compliant photograph,” stated Amarnath.
The outsourced service provider, BLS International, did not specify a timeline for putting in place a system to collect the biometric information of passport applicants.
“It depends on the decision of the Government of India to roll out the system in the missions here,” stated Sivan.
Simplified application process
A number of features aimed at streamlining the passport application process have been added to the new Global Passport Seva Portal 2.0 (GPSP 2.0).
Applicants just need to input their previous passport reference number and finish verification using their registered email address for renewals in which no information has changed.
According to Amarnath, “all the details will automatically be fetched in the application form,” and the entire procedure can take less than two minutes.
A large portion of the application process can now be finished from home, according to the Consul General. “The candidates themselves may submit the application. The procedure has been streamlined, and there will be a significant decrease in wait times at the (BLS) centre,” he stated.
Applications can also be posted at outsourced service provider centres, other typing centres, or with assistance from community organisations or employer HR departments, he said, for blue-collar workers and people who are less accustomed to digital procedures.
The missions stated that applicants will no longer have to retype full passport applications at BLS centres in the event of minor mistakes. There are no extra costs associated with making corrections.
Current applications
The ambassadors stated that Indian expatriates do not need to apply for the new ePassport until their current passport expires or they need to amend information in their passport, as previously reported by Gulf News.
As of October 28, the new portal system will automatically process all applications for new passports for newborn children and those for renewing the passports of other applicants as ePassports. This means that only ePassports will be issued to Indian expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates.
Together, the Indian embassies issue 1,600 passports every day, processing one of the highest volumes of passport applications.