No official timeline yet, with services likely to resume by May 4 following a technical glitch.
Dubai: Pakistan’s passport services remained suspended for a second straight day across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and several other countries, leaving thousands of expatriates in limbo with no confirmed timeline for restoration.
Authorities have not issued an official update on when in-person processing will resume. However, an official at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai said services are expected to restart on Monday, May 4, offering some tentative relief to affected residents.
The disruption has created significant challenges for Pakistani nationals in the UAE, many of whom rely on timely passport renewals for travel, residency and visa-related needs. An estimated 800 to 1,000 applicants visit the consulate and embassy each day for passport services, underlining the scale of the impact.
Technical issues
The suspension was first announced on Wednesday by Pakistan’s missions in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, citing technical and maintenance problems. Since then, all in-person passport services have come to a complete halt, with officials confirming that operations will remain suspended until further notice.
According to a senior official, the disruption is due to a major technical glitch affecting passport systems across multiple countries, with expatriates in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf among the hardest hit.
Online alternative
In response, Pakistani missions have advised nationals in the UAE to avoid visiting embassy or consulate offices for passport-related services during the disruption.
Instead, applicants are encouraged to use the online passport application system for renewals and new requests where possible. Those unable to access digital services have been asked to wait for further guidance.
Reassuring the community, officials said updates will be shared as soon as services resume. “The community will be informed immediately on resumption of the service,” the embassy said.
