Empost to handle Indian passport, visa work
Indian missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have outsourced collection of application forms for passports and visas to Empost, the UAE's leading courier, cargo and logistics organisation. The arrangements will be in place within two months.
An agreement was signed on Sunday by Talmiz Ahmed, India's Ambassador to the UAE, and Sultan A. Al Midfa, Chief Executive Officer, Empost, under which 12 dedicated centres will be set up to receive passport and visa applications.
XPRESS first published the news about Indian mission's move to outsource collection of passport and visa forms, on March 13. Details were unveiled today.
Service fee
A service fee of Dh12 for each passport service and Dh50 for each visa service will charged by the Empost. The higher charge for visa processing will mostly impact foreigners, not Indian nationals.
Historic step
"Its a historic step. There are 1.5 million Indians in the UAE. Several thousands of Indians and foreigners visit our missions daily and it has been a matter of concern that our premises have numbers that we can't cope with and quality of services have been affected. The service centres will be open seven days a week from 7am to 10pm and not just on weekdays for limited times," Ambassador Ahmed said at a press conference.
Emphasising what he called "a fundamental change in the manner of providing services", the ambassador said the service centres will receive the applications and transfer them to the missions and the documents after processing would be returned by courier or personally to the applicants. These centres will also assist schedule appointments with Embassy/Consulate officials for interviews.
"But till all the arrangments are in place, the Indian missions will continue to receive applications," he clarified. Attestation of documents will, however, be excluded from this process in the light of the legal implications entailed.
Al Midfa, the Empost CEO, said a website would provide information on the various services offered and enable online submission of applications besides checking on status of applications. "This new venture will further foster the close and friendly ties between the UAE and India," he said.
Replying to a query, Al Midfa told XPRESS that of these 12 centres in the UAE, three would be set up in Dubai at Deira, Bur Dubai and Jebel Ali.
Abdullah Al Daboos, the Empost Chairman and President of Emirates Post Holding Group, diclosed that depending on the success of Empost providing these services to the Indian mission, it was planned to approach other embassies and consulates.
"The Indian community needs a large number of services and it is time for the government to go down and reach them. The UAE is not an easy place to get around with the traffic situation what it is and these service centres will be valued by the people," he told XPRESS.
Indian Consul General Venu Rajamony, said the time taken for receiving the applications and delivering the documents would remain five days in Dubai notwithstanding the new arrangements. The difference is in the facilities available for the people beyond the normal timings.
"It's the first time anywhere in the world that Indian missions have outsourced collection of passport applications," he noted.
Workload on Indian missions
Indian Embassy and Consulate together annually provide around 200,000 passport services and 63,000 visas in the UAE. Over 4,000 people visit the missions daily to seek these services.
Changed timings
Indian Consulate in Dubai at present receives applications between 8am and 11am. Under the new system, applications can be submitted from 7.30am till 10.30pm at the service centres.
Call centre
A call centre will be established to respond to queries and inform applicants regarding status of their applications. The call centre as well as the service centres will be manned by persons familiar with different Indian languages and trained staff will also guide people fill up applications. The applicants will be photographed digitally at the collection centres and need not attach their photos with their applications. Source
An agreement was signed on Sunday by Talmiz Ahmed, India's Ambassador to the UAE, and Sultan A. Al Midfa, Chief Executive Officer, Empost, under which 12 dedicated centres will be set up to receive passport and visa applications.
XPRESS first published the news about Indian mission's move to outsource collection of passport and visa forms, on March 13. Details were unveiled today.
Service fee
A service fee of Dh12 for each passport service and Dh50 for each visa service will charged by the Empost. The higher charge for visa processing will mostly impact foreigners, not Indian nationals.
Historic step
"Its a historic step. There are 1.5 million Indians in the UAE. Several thousands of Indians and foreigners visit our missions daily and it has been a matter of concern that our premises have numbers that we can't cope with and quality of services have been affected. The service centres will be open seven days a week from 7am to 10pm and not just on weekdays for limited times," Ambassador Ahmed said at a press conference.
Emphasising what he called "a fundamental change in the manner of providing services", the ambassador said the service centres will receive the applications and transfer them to the missions and the documents after processing would be returned by courier or personally to the applicants. These centres will also assist schedule appointments with Embassy/Consulate officials for interviews.
"But till all the arrangments are in place, the Indian missions will continue to receive applications," he clarified. Attestation of documents will, however, be excluded from this process in the light of the legal implications entailed.
Al Midfa, the Empost CEO, said a website would provide information on the various services offered and enable online submission of applications besides checking on status of applications. "This new venture will further foster the close and friendly ties between the UAE and India," he said.
Replying to a query, Al Midfa told XPRESS that of these 12 centres in the UAE, three would be set up in Dubai at Deira, Bur Dubai and Jebel Ali.
Abdullah Al Daboos, the Empost Chairman and President of Emirates Post Holding Group, diclosed that depending on the success of Empost providing these services to the Indian mission, it was planned to approach other embassies and consulates.
"The Indian community needs a large number of services and it is time for the government to go down and reach them. The UAE is not an easy place to get around with the traffic situation what it is and these service centres will be valued by the people," he told XPRESS.
Indian Consul General Venu Rajamony, said the time taken for receiving the applications and delivering the documents would remain five days in Dubai notwithstanding the new arrangements. The difference is in the facilities available for the people beyond the normal timings.
"It's the first time anywhere in the world that Indian missions have outsourced collection of passport applications," he noted.
Workload on Indian missions
Indian Embassy and Consulate together annually provide around 200,000 passport services and 63,000 visas in the UAE. Over 4,000 people visit the missions daily to seek these services.
Changed timings
Indian Consulate in Dubai at present receives applications between 8am and 11am. Under the new system, applications can be submitted from 7.30am till 10.30pm at the service centres.
Call centre
A call centre will be established to respond to queries and inform applicants regarding status of their applications. The call centre as well as the service centres will be manned by persons familiar with different Indian languages and trained staff will also guide people fill up applications. The applicants will be photographed digitally at the collection centres and need not attach their photos with their applications. Source
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