Surname rule eased for passengers from India
The guidelines for Indian passengers with a single name on their passports have been updated. According to a social media post by the Consulate General of India, Dubai (CGI) on Thursday, passengers will be allowed to board the flight provided they fulfil certain conditions. The rules apply to passengers with visit visas/those eligible for visa on arrival/employment and temporary visas. They are not applicable to existing UAE residents.
The CGI shared a circular issued by Air India and Air India Express to travel agents. According to the National Advance Information Centre – UAE, the amended guidelines are:
>> If the visa is issued with more than one name and the passenger has the father's or family name mentioned in the second page, they will be allowed to continue the journey.
>> For passengers who are eligible for visa on arrival, the traveller must have father's or the family name mentioned in the second page.
Fardan Haneef, a spokesperson of Deira Travels, confirmed that they have received the updated rules and guidelines from Air India and Air India Express. “I am sure it will be a relief for many,” he said. “We had received calls from many passengers who had faced difficulties because of the rule change.”
It was on Monday that Air India sent out a notice regarding the issue of single names in passports. The document said that “any passport holder with a single name (word) either in surname or given name will not be accepted by UAE immigration and the passenger will be considered as INAD" — a term which stands for inadmissible passenger.
The new rule was implemented immediately. Indian airlines like Indigo also sent out similar notices. A call centre representative at Rayna Tours and Travels confirmed that the rule applied to visitors travelling on tourist visas
We had received calls from many passengers who had faced difficulties because of the rule change.
Fardan Haneef, Deira Travels
on all airlines, including international ones.
Several tourists in India had reported being turned away from the airport for having a single name on their passport since the new guidelines came out. “A cousin of mine who had reached the airport to come to Dubai from Mangalore airport in India was told he couldn't travel,” said Dubai-resident Zahra. “My mother also doesn't have a surname in her passport. She is currently in the US and is due to travel to the UAE soon.”
A call centre representative at Rayna Tours and Travels had said that the rule change primarily applied to those coming to the UAE from India on visit visas. “If you have UAE residency it will not be a problem,” he said. The representative had also recommended taking steps to make changes to their official documents.