A passport is an indispensable, inseparable and intimate document of immense importance for a visitor, foreign national, or an expatriate. Passport is equivalent to one's identity, one's legal status and one's credibility of residing in a foreign country of which he/she is not a natural citizen of.

If the passport is lost or misplaced, the consequences could be disastrous. There are several potential legal provisions to rectify, remedy and redress the issue.

This article attempts to address the aforementioned questions with special focus on the loss of passport along with the Residency Permit in the United Arab Emirates.

The following steps shall prove to be instrumental in resolving the problem.

1. The foremost step of redressing the concern is that such loss of Passport has to be brought to the notice of the Police, to the station nearest to the said incident or location of the loss. 
2. Loss of Passport in UAE (or any other country for that matter), demands an application for a new passport in the respective embassy situated within the UAE. In addition to the passport application, when the question is pertaining to the residency permit, the same has to be duly restamped on the new Passport. 
3. There may be some distinctive or peculiar situations that demand a focused approach. 

• In the case of a Minor: 

The Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 defines a minor as a human being below the age of 18. In such cases where the passport lost belongs to a minor, the respective guardian or the sponsoring parent shall be present to endorse the report due to the incompetency of the minor to understand the specifications.

In the case of an employee under an employer's sponsorship: 

When the case resembles an employee who has lost the passport, and has been hired and sponsored by an employer, the requirements are as described herewith. A letter describing the loss of passport has to be submitted to the Police Department of the Emirate from where the Residency Visa was obtained and should bear the following details 

• The letter shall be written in the native Arabic language
• It should be formulated on the sponsoring employer's letterhead
• It should be accompanied with the photocopy of sponsor's license and establishment card.

In the case of a person who is on a family sponsorship: 

A letter describing the problem along with a photocopy of the sponsor's passport and signature has to be duly submitted to the Police Department.

Who is a Sponsor?

 A general perception of a sponsor is a person or an organisation that is responsible for providing financial assistance to another. In the case of the UAE, the term has two connotations. One, that has been explained above and the second which is peculiar to the conditions in the UAE.

It refers to the "local sponsor" that is defined as a citizen or a government agency required to obtain Residency Visas or establish companies within the territories of the UAE.

 A citizen of the UAE holding shares of a local company as a silent shareholder, worth 51 percent of its total value and acting as an authorised representative of an expatriate in the eyes of the government of the UAE is referred to as a local sponsor.

 A local sponsor acts as the representative of the sponsee and can also be held liable for any wrong actions committed by the sponsee.

In case of Residency Visas:

 Employer: A company based in the UAE becomes a sponsor when it hires an employee in a formal contract. The employee then becomes its sponsee.

 Family: 

A person already on an employment or investor visa, residing in the UAE, when applies for visas of his/her family members, becomes the sponsor for them. 

 Dubai

The procedure for restoration when the loss of passport has occurred in Dubai has been clarified by authorities. The principal agencies that are concerned with the issue are the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and the Courts in Dubai. 

1. After the prerequisites are completed, a report is issued by the Police Department has to be stamped by 
2. A) The relevant court
3. B) Public prosecution 
4. C) GDRFA which also issued the visa previously.
5. After obtaining the above mentioned authorisations, the report has to be submitted back to the Police Department which will then issue a formal "Lost Passport Certificate". This is the principal document through which an application for a new passport will be entertained at the respective embassy.
6. Upon the reissuance of the passport, the GDRFA has to be approached for restamping of the Residency Visa. It will issue the visa as per the validity period upon the previous visa.

This marks the end of the entire process of reviving the Passport along with the Residency Permit and reinstating one's legal residential status in the UAE yet again. 

 A passport is a document that holds great value when a person is working or residing abroad. As it is considered as a document that holds identification of the bearer, it is always wise to keep it safely.

Kanishk Bhavesh Gala

Pic - Khaleej Times