Passport Archives

New passport rules for Indian expats in Dubai: What applicants need to know about 2025 photo guidelines | World News

Indian passport applications in Dubai must include ICAO-compliant photographs/Image: File Starting September 1, Indian expats in Dubai applying for new passports or renewals must submit photographs that conform to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. The directive was officially circulated by India’s Ministry of External Affairs to all embassies and consulates worldwide, including the Indian […]

Explained: How passport renewal became easier in America – for some

TL;DR: The US has launched a fully digital passport renewal system — no paper, no post office, no queues. Nearly half of all renewals are now done online, with over 3 million American citizens already using it. Applicants can upload a photo from their phone, pay online, and receive a passport within weeks — sometimes […]

Henley Passport Index 2025: UAE Passport now among world’s most powerful, ranks 8th globally | World News

UAE passport ranks among the world’s strongest, offering broad global access in 2025/ Image: File TL;DR UAE ranks 8th globally, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 184 countries. It’s the only country in the Middle East to make it into the Henley Passport Index Top 10. The UAE jumped 34 places in 10 years, the […]

Dubai launches One Freezone Passport that unlocks access to all free zones; Louis Vuitton first to join | World News

Dubai’s One Freezone Passport offers 100% foreign ownership, tax exemptions, and fast business setup across all free zones/ Image: Pexels TL;DR Dubai launched the One Freezone Passport allowing companies to operate across all free zones with a single licence. Louis Vuitton is the first company to expand using this initiative, operating in both JAFZA and […]

Eid Al Adha 2025: Dubai airport welcomes Eid travellers with special passport stamps | World News

A traveller shows the ‘Eid in Dubai’ stamp on his passport. Photo: x.com/DXBMediaOffice Passengers arriving in Dubai during the Eid Al Adha holidays are being welcomed with a specially designed passport stamp that reads ‘Eid in Dubai’, part of a festive initiative by Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).The commemorative stamp, introduced […]

From e-passports to colour-coded covers: Indian expats in UAE to see major passport overhaul in 2025

Indian passports are getting a high-tech, user-friendly makeover in 2025, and the updates are especially relevant for the over 3.5 million Indians living in the UAE. From chip-enabled e-passports to easier documentation for families, these sweeping reforms aim to modernize how Indians at home and abroad manage one of their most important identity documents.Here’s what’s […]

Too glam to scan: Shanghai airport stops woman with ‘bridal-level’ makeup as her face didn’t match passport

Shanghai airport stops woman with ‘bridal-level’ makeup as her face didn’t match passport (Pic credit: @wchinapost) A woman flying out of Shanghai was forced to scrub off her makeup at airport immigration after facial recognition scanners couldn’t match her heavily contoured face to the photo in her passport, sparking a viral moment.In a video that […]

REAL ID Explained: What it is and why Americans now need one to fly

Starting Wednesday, Americans will need a REAL ID or another federally accepted form of identification to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings. The REAL ID programme has affected millions of travellers. According to the DHS website, “Beginning May 7, 2025 every state and territory resident will need to present a REAL ID-compliant license/ID, […]

EU top court rules ‘golden passport’ schemes are illegal

European Court of Justice, Luxembourg (Image: AP) BRUSSELS: “Golden passport” schemes for deep-pocketed foreign investors violate European Union law, the bloc’s highest court ruled on Tuesday, after a legal challenge against Malta by Brussels.“The acquisition of Union citizenship cannot result from a commercial transaction,” the EU’s Court of Justice said, ruling that Malta had infringed […]

Masked thief who stole DHS chief Kristi Noem’s $4,400 Gucci purse, $3,000 cash, passport, keys to her apartment caught in brazen DC heist: Sources

The masked bandit who broke into a DC restaurant and made off with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem‘s expensive Gucci purse, filled with thousands of dollars in cash, confidential government documents, and her DHS badge, has been caught, sources said Saturday, reported the New York Post.Noem, 53, was out celebrating Easter family dinner at The […]