‘All eligible Indians entitled to passports for 10-year validity’

Muscat: All eligible Indian nationals  are entitled to full validity, 10-year passports, irrespective of their occupation or status, Indian Ambassador to Oman H E Prashant Pise has said, effectively ending the earlier distinction under which some workers were issued shorter-validity passports.

In an exclusive interview with the Times of Oman, Pise said the Indian mission’s current position was clear: Indian nationals who meet the passport requirements should receive a full-term passport, regardless of whether they fall under the Emigration Check Required or Emigration Check Not Required category.

“All Indian nationals are eligible for full validity,” he said, emphasising that passport validity should not be linked to a person’s occupation. There are certain exceptions if they do not have valid documentation or if the police verification is not clear,” Pise said,  adding that short-term validity would be considered only in such cases.

The Ambassador explained that shorter-validity passports had previously been issued in certain cases, as a measure intended to protect vulnerable workers.