Indian expats can now provide local address in passports

Dubai: Indian expats in the UAE and elsewhere can now provide their local address abroad in their passports, an official at the Indian Consulate in Dubai has said.

The Indian government has decided to allow its overseas citizens to add their local address in their country of residence mainly to aid those who do not have permanent or valid addresses in India, Siddhartha Kumar Baraily, consul, Passport and Attestation, at the Indian Consulate in Dubai told the Gulf News.

“We understand that many people who have been staying for a long time in the UAE don’t have a valid address in India. They may add their local UAE address in their passports,” he said.

Change in address cannot be made in existing passports, the official clarified. Indian passport holders have to apply for a new passport in which the change in address can be made.

The facility can be availed by Indian expats living in both rented or self-owned accommodations, the report said.

Those wishing to give their UAE address should provide certain documents as proof of residence at the time of applying for a new passport for changing the address from India to overseas.

Baraily said either the electricity and water bill or rent agreement/title deed/tenancy contract will be accepted as proof of residence in the UAE. Changing their address may help applicants to get quick police verification from India at the time of passport renewal.

Police verification is now mandatory for the passport renewal of all Indian expats as per a change in the policy of India’s Ministry of External Affairs implemented since September.

However, the diplomat clarified that police verification of Indians abroad does not require verification of the address of the applicant.

“This [police verification] is just to verify the identity of the applicants as Indian citizens and that there are no criminal cases registered against them since the time of the last police verification done on them,” he explained.

The mission is, however, encouraging Indians without a valid address to change their address, whether in India or locally, the report said.