Travel agents urge passengers to carry physical Emirates IDs after Indian expats are denied boarding at Indian airports, sparking confusion and delays.
Indian expats returning to the UAE are facing unexpected travel disruptions as immigration officials at Indian airports are increasingly demanding physical copies of their Emirates ID cards, despite passengers carrying valid digital versions. The issue has led to numerous incidents where travelers were stopped from boarding flights, causing financial losses, missed work, and significant delays.
Azeem Ahmed, an Indian expat employed as a sales executive in Sharjah, was one such passenger. He was stopped at Bajpe Airport in Mangalore after presenting his digital UAE visa, as immigration officers insisted on seeing his physical Emirates ID card, which he had forgotten to bring due to sudden travel plans.
“I had been to India to bring my family back after vacation, but I forgot my Emirates ID due to sudden travel plans,” said Ahmed. The mishap forced him to cancel his tickets and endure a five-day delay while waiting for his Emirates ID to be sent from the UAE. The delay cost him missed work days and resulted in salary deductions.
In another instance, Bysil, a resident of Pulluvila in Thiruvananthapuram, was denied boarding by Air India Express staff at Thiruvananthapuram Airport for the same reason. Despite showing his digital ID and a valid visa on his passport through the UAE’s mobile app, the airline refused to accept the digital documentation. Frustrated by the inconsistency, Bysil reached out to airline officials who confirmed that there were no formal restrictions on traveling with digital IDs, leading him to consider legal action against the airline.
Travel agents in the UAE are advising passengers to avoid these complications by carrying physical copies of their Emirates ID cards. Taha Siddique, the owner of Siddique Travels, stated, “Whenever a person books a ticket with us, we urge them to carry the Emirates ID, irrespective of where they travel. After the UAE stopped stamping visas on passports, such cases became common at Indian airports, though they have decreased recently.”
Libin Varghese, sales director at Rooh Travel and Tourism, echoed similar concerns, sharing his personal experience of being stopped at Kochi airport for visa authentication. “I was traveling back to the UAE from Kochi, and the staff at the airport asked me to show them my Emirates ID card,” he said, highlighting that many UAE residents no longer have visa stamps on their passports, as the Emirates ID now serves as their proof of residency.
The confusion stems from a change in UAE regulations in 2022, when the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security announced that Emirates IDs would replace traditional visa stamps in passports. The updated Emirates ID cards now contain all necessary residency information, which airport immigration counters can access digitally. Despite these advancements, the inconsistent enforcement of digital IDs at Indian airports continues to disrupt travel plans.
As the situation persists, travel agents and authorities alike are urging all passengers traveling to the UAE to carry both digital and physical versions of their Emirates ID to avoid delays, ensuring a smoother travel experience amidst evolving policies.
