Travelling overseas and lose your passport? If you hold a UAE Golden Visa, that scenario just got a lot less stressful. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has launched a new digital return permit designed specifically for Golden Visa holders whose passports are lost or damaged while abroad. The service is free, available online or via the mobile app, and in many cases, your permit can be issued within 30 minutes.
A safety-net for international travel
For Golden Visa residents, losing a passport while abroad no longer means being stranded or waiting days for a fix. With this return permit, valid for a single entry back into the UAE, you can apply, upload the required documents and be ready to fly home in short order.
Here’s how it generally works: log in using your UAE Pass ID, upload a copy of the lost-passport report, your Golden Visa/residency details and a recent photograph, submit the application, and you’ll receive the permit electronically. This can help you return safely within about 30 minutes once approved.
Who is eligible and how the process works
The service is specifically for those holding a valid Golden Visa in the UAE. If you have dependents registered under your visa—spouse, children—they also qualify under the same application if their details are up-to-date.
Application steps:
- Use MoFA’s website or mobile app and log in with UAE Pass.
- Upload the required documentation: a police or embassy report of the lost or damaged passport, your Golden Visa details, and a recent passport-style photo with a white background.
- Submit the request. Once the system approves it, the digital permit is sent to you and becomes valid for a single entry into the UAE.
- Usually you need to use the permit within seven days of issuance.
a strong move for long-term residents
By introducing this service, the UAE sends a clear message: long-term residents on the Golden Visa programme are supported even when travelling abroad. It reduces anxiety for frequent travellers, investors, talents and families who call the UAE home but may regularly go overseas.
The fact that the service is free and processed quickly means fewer travel disruptions and more trust in holding that long-term residency in the UAE.
Checklist and things to watch
Even with the streamlined permit, it helps to keep a few things in mind:
- Always keep digital copies of your passport, Emirates ID and residence visa.
- If your passport is lost or damaged while abroad, report it immediately to the local police and your country’s embassy/consulate.
- Know that this permit is only for a single-entry back into the UAE, not for travel onward to another country.
- Register dependents (spouse/children) for Golden Visa coverage under your residency permit.
- Use the permit within the validity period, or else you may need to make alternative arrangements.
new service signals
This update is part of a broader upgrade in consular and emergency services for Golden Visa holders—services previously reserved only for UAE citizens. The UAE is clearly elevating the support offered to long-term residents, acknowledging their contributions and creating a more secure residency environment.
For those holding the Golden Visa and heading overseas, this new return-permit service is a welcome safety-net. The idea of being stranded without a valid passport is no longer as ominous. With the right documents and a quick application, you can return home to the UAE in under an hour.
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