Indian expats in UAE hopeful of passport fee relief after Delhi High Court order

Indian expats in UAE hopeful of passport fee relief after Delhi High Court order

Mangalore Today News Network

Dubai, Aug 4, 2026: Indian expats in the UAE are hopeful that their government will revise the steep increase in passport fees after the Delhi High Court recently directed the Union government to consider a petition challenging the revised charges within three weeks.

Members of the community group Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC), which moved the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), said the court’s direction has renewed hopes among overseas Indians, especially low-income workers who they say have been hit hardest by the higher passport fees that came into effect on July 1.

The PIL, filed by the Kerala chapter of Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC), challenges the revised passport fee structure introduced through the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026.

The petition argues that the higher charges introduced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) place a disproportionate burden on overseas Indians, particularly blue-collar workers, and seeks either the quashing of the revised fee structure or its reconsideration.

On July 22, the Delhi High Court heard the petition and directed the Union of India to treat the PIL itself as a representation, consider the grievances raised and take an appropriate decision, preferably within three weeks. The court also directed that its decision be communicated to the petitioner before disposing of the case.

With less than 10 days left before the Centre’s court-set deadline, members of Pravasi Legal Cell’s UAE chapter say they remain hopeful that the government will revise the steep hike in passport service fees.

Long campaign

TN Krishna Kumar, president of Pravasi Legal Cell’s Dubai wing, said the organisation has been fighting issues affecting overseas Indians for more than a decade.

Founded by Adv Jose Abraham, who is also the Global President of the organisation, Pravasi Legal Cell describes itself as a group of retired judges, advocates, social activists and inspired citizens of India dedicated towards empowering people with the power of law.

"Since 2009, we have consistently raised issues concerning Indian expats. Whenever the authorities did not respond to genuine concerns, we approached the courts and have received favourable verdicts on many occasions."

Krishna Kumar said the organisation now expects the MEA to review the revised fee structure in light of the court’s order.

"We are hopeful that the government will revoke the present fee structure and introduce a more affordable system. Our advocates will continue to follow up the matter."

Workers affected

According to Krishna Kumar, the fee hike has particularly affected blue-collar workers across the Gulf, many of whom renew their passports through Indian missions in the GCC.

A passport renewal fee of around Dh450, raised from Dh280, is very high for expats, especially workers, he said.

"People here are among the worst affected. It is a sharp increase and simply not affordable for many expat workers earning Dh800-Dh1,00 salary,” he pointed out.

As first reported by Gulf News, several community volunteers, followed by expat organisations, had demanded a revision, especially for blue-collar workers and low-income families.

“For the workers and low-income families, this is a very big amount. Many struggle to make ends meet, and hundreds of thousands of workers depend on renewing their passports from here."

The UAE is now home to 4.5million Indians, according to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Awaiting response

Prasad Sreedharan, a PLC member from Ras Al Khaimah, said the organisation had approached the court only after repeated representations to MEA failed to elicit a response.

"We had submitted two representations to the Ministry, but there was no response. That is why the PIL was filed. The Delhi High Court took up the matter immediately and directed the government to respond within three weeks."

He said PLC members across the Gulf are now waiting for the MEA’s response.

"Currently, a total of Dh477, including the service fee and community fund fee, is charged for renewing a passport in the UAE. Compared with the charges in India, the burden on overseas Indians is much greater. Many workers have also lost jobs because of the regional situation, making the increase even harder to bear.”

He said Pravasi Legal Cell has chapters in several countries, including the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UK and Australia, with the Delhi head office coordinating the legal effort.

"We are expecting the government to reduce the fee, at least for labour categories as sought in the petition. If the government’s response is not satisfactory, we will challenge it again before the Delhi High Court. We are trying our best."

The organisation said it remains optimistic that the government’s review, prompted by the court’s direction, will result in a more affordable passport fee structure for Indian workers overseas.