Indian expats returning to the UAE are encountering challenges at Indian airports due to the absence of physical Emirates IDs, even when they have valid digital versions. This situation has led to some passengers being stopped from boarding their flights, resulting in cancelled tickets, travel delays, and financial losses.
Azeem Ahmed, an Indian expat working as a sales executive in Sharjah, was recently stopped at Bajpe Airport in Mangalore. Even though he had the digital version of his UAE visa, immigration officials still required him to produce his physical Emirates ID card, which he had forgotten to carry.
“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. As a result, he had to cancel his tickets and wait five days for the ID to be sent from the UAE, causing him to miss work and face salary deductions.
A Malayalam media channel Siraj Live reported a similar incident where a traveller from Thiruvananthapuram who did not have his physical Emirates ID with him was stopped by the airline staff.
Bysil, a resident of Pulluvila, Thiruvananthapuram, was denied boarding by Air India Express staff at Thiruvananthapuram Airport for not having his physical Emirates ID. Despite showing his digital ID and valid visa on his passport and the UAE mobile app, airline staff refused to accept the documents.
Frustrated by the experience, Bysil contacted airline officials, who confirmed that there were no restrictions for travelling with a digital ID and visa. He said that he is now considering legal action against the airline for the inconsistent policies at the airport.
Given recent incidents, travel agents are advising passengers heading to the UAE to carry a physical copy of their Emirates ID, despite the UAE's move toward digital residency documents.
Taha Siddique, owner of Siddique Travels, emphasised: “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, also shared his experience of being stopped at an Indian airport for visa authentication. “I was travelling back to the UAE from Kochi, and the staff at the airport asked me to show them my Emirates ID card." He added, "Many residents do not have a visa stamp on their passports, and the Emirates ID is now considered the UAE's visa copy."
In 2022, the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security announced that Emirates ID cards now serve as the official proof of residency, replacing the previous practice of stamping visas in passports. The updated Emirates ID includes all necessary residency information, and airport immigration counters can read this data digitally.
