Empost to set up 12 dedicated offices across UAE functioning through the week

The Ambassador of India to UAE, H.E. Mr. Talmiz Ahmad and Mr. Sultan A. Al Midfa, Chief Executive Officer, Empost signed this morning an agreement whereby Empost will set up twelve dedicated centres to receive passport and visa applications.

Mr. Abdullah Al Daboos, Vice Chairman, President of Emirates Post Holding Group & Chairman of EMPOST was also present at the signing along with the Consul General of India in Dubai, H.E. Mr. Venu Rajamony.

At present, the Indian Embassy and the Consulate together annually provide around two hundred thousand passport services and 63,000 visas in the UAE.

Over 4000 people visit the Embassy and the Consulate every day to seek these services.

The proposed collection centres set up by Empost across the UAE will significantly reduce the inconvenience caused to the public who at present face heavy crowds at the two offices and, again, can seek services only during specific hours on working days.

The new arrangements will enable the public to submit applications at several centres across the country, before and after their office hours as well as on weekends.

At the dedicated centres, Empost staff will complete preliminary formalities and forward the applications to Embassy/Consulate for processing.

A website would also be set up to provide information on the various services offered and enable online submission of applications and checking of status of applications.

A Call Centre will be set up to answer telephone queries and inform applicants of the status of their applications.

The collection centres as well as Call Centre will be manned by persons familiar with different Indian languages.

Trained staff at the centres will guide applicants in the task of filling up applications.

The applicants will be photographed digitally at the collection centres and hence will not have to provide photographs with their applications.

Further, there will be arrangements for fast-track processing of applications in cases of emergency.

Applicants will be at liberty to receive their documents back via courier at their office/residence or to collect them personally from the collection centres.

The centres will also have arrangements to schedule appointments with Embassy / Consulate officials for interviews, where required.

In addition to the normal passport and visa application fees (detailed on Embassy/Consulate official websites), Empost will charge a service fee of Dhs12/- for each passport service and Dhs50/- for each visa service.

Attestation of documents will continue to be done at the Embassy/Consulate as before.