The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security has officially announced the start of issuing the UAE passport with a validity period of 10 years for citizens aged 21 years and above, starting from Monday, July 8, 2024.
The Director General of the Authority, Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, stressed that the update to the passport issuance service aims to provide comfort and decent living for the people of the Emirates by providing smart proactive services that meet the aspirations of citizens and contribute to improving their quality of life, noting that the Authority has been working on developing the passport issuance service and ensuring the compatibility of the systems.
He added: “The service of issuing a passport with a validity period of 10 years is one of the strategic objectives of the Authority approved during the period 2023-2026, especially the seventh objective, which stipulates developing an advanced and proactive system for the affairs of citizens and foreigners, as the Authority is committed to achieving the best experience for customers applying for its services through all its channels, in order to achieve a smooth and integrated digital government experience and an innovative model of partnership to achieve the effectiveness and efficiency of services and raise customer happiness.”
He explained that issuing a passport to citizens of the country aged 21 years and above with a validity period of 10 years contributes effectively to raising the level of happiness of citizens and providing them with the opportunity to move and travel freely and comfortably, and improving the quality of life of the community in a sustainable manner, in addition to the positive effects represented in shortening the customer’s journey in terms of procedures and time by almost half, from two trips to one trip every 10 years, which supports the program to eliminate government bureaucracy and saves time and effort for customers.
For his part, the Director General of Identity and Passports at the Authority, Major General Suhail Juma Al Khaili, said that the issuance of a passport with a validity period of 10 years is limited only to citizens in the age group of 21 years and above, while the issuance of a passport for a period of 5 years will continue for the age group of less than 21 years, explaining that the new passports will be issued with the same procedures, standards and controls currently in effect and through the same service delivery channels.
He stressed that citizens can apply for the new service when the validity period of their current passports expires for those aged 21 years and above, noting that applying for the new service for those with valid passports is when the validity period of their current passports expires, and citizens residing abroad have the right to apply for the service if the validity period of their passports expires according to the controls and standards approved in this regard.
He added that citizens who meet the terms and conditions of the new service can apply for the service through the service delivery channels approved by the Authority.
It is worth noting that the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security issued the new generation of the UAE passport, as part of the final phase of the project to develop the new generation of passports and identity cards, which was launched in June 2021, within the framework of achieving the strategic goals of the Authority, and within the path of enhancing national targets and supporting them with international competitiveness.
The new generation of the UAE passport comes within the framework of achieving the vision of the UAE government to consolidate the Emirati identity, keep pace with the latest technologies in the field of issuing passports, and provide innovative services to identify personal identity according to the latest international standards.
The new version of the UAE passport has unprecedented technical features and highly complex security specifications to reduce counterfeiting or forgery attempts. It is also distinguished by printing the holder’s identification page using “polycarbonate” instead of paper, which increases the efficiency of specialized printing supported by images and security marks that are not visible to the naked eye, especially since they are characterized by their thickness, which prevents the possibility of damaging them, in addition to the ease of processing them using readers at ports, in addition to the uniqueness of the new generation of the UAE passport with high quality and speed when printing using laser technology and tangible three-dimensional elements.
Raising the security standards of the UAE passport and supporting it with leading technical specifications in the field of travel is an essential step that enhances the relentless efforts made by the Authority to achieve various security and safety requirements when traveling or crossing through international travel points, and supports the diplomatic efforts of the UAE, which has succeeded in highlighting the strength of the UAE passport over the past years, to become the strongest passport in the world.
It is worth noting that passport holders must verify the validity of their documents at least six months before they travel, while they can issue passports while they are abroad, through the country’s embassies and consulates.
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