DUBAi //Indian missions are urging their citizens to apply soon for passports for newborn children to avoid fines from UAE authorities and prevent delays in receiving citizenship.
Officials say families must request identification papers within a year of the child's birth, after some Indian nationals failed to obtain passports for their children for as long as seven years.
"The registration of the newborn children, if not done within one year of their birth at embassy or consulate, may result in delay in issuance of Indian passports due to involvement of additional necessary formalities and avoidable financial penalties imposed by the local UAE authorities," said a release from the Indian Embassy.
"As per the guidelines issued under Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, the birth of a child born to Indian parents is required to be registered … expeditiously in order to get Indian passport and consequently get registered as (an) Indian citizen in a timely manner."
The Indian Ambassador, MK Lokesh, said: "Some people have not registered for nearly seven years."
The missions received as few as 20 late applications last year. "But there could be more who have not approached us. There are quite a number of such cases in the Gulf," Mr Lokesh said.
If expatriate Indians apply for documents on time they are processed within five days by the missions.
But Mr Lokesh said the process could take a "few months" if people applied late, as applications would have to be approved by the Indian ministry of home affairs in New Delhi.
Indian missions in the Emirates recorded more than 11,000 births last year.
Details on the procedures can be found on www.indembassyuae.org/drupal/indiancitizenship