Nepali Consulate in Dubai—Passport, Legal & Embassy Services

Dubai, UAE — Two government officials from Nepal have arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to initiate the establishment of a Nepali Consulate in Dubai, a long-awaited move aimed at easing consular service access for Nepalese living in the region.

Krishna Prasad Chapagain, Undersecretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Pradeep Sagar Giri, Third Secretary, landed in the UAE earlier this week to begin preliminary work on setting up the consulate. The Embassy of Nepal in Abu Dhabi confirmed their arrival and stated that additional officials are also expected to join them soon.

संयुक्त अरब इमिरेट्स (यूएई) को दुबईमा नेपाली कन्सुलेट स्थापना गर्ने नेपाल सरकारको निर्णय अन्तर्गत परराष्ट्र मन्त्रालयका उपसचिव कृष्णप्रसाद चापागाईंसहित तृतीय सचिव प्रदिप सागर गिरी हाल दुबई आइपुगेका छन्। दुबईमा कन्सुलेट स्थापनापछि नेपाली नागरिकहरूले पासपोर्ट नवीकरण, कानुनी सहायता, प्रमाणिकरण, आपतकालीन सेवा लगायतका विविध कन्सुलर सेवा दुबईमै सहज रूपमा प्राप्त गर्न सक्नेछन्। यो कदमले विशेषगरी सारजाह, अजमान, रस अल खेमा, फुजेरा जस्ता राज्यमा बसोबास गर्ने नेपालीलाई अबुधाबी धाउनुपर्ने झन्झटबाट मुक्ति दिनेछ। धेरै समयदेखि उठिरहेको कन्सुलेट स्थापनाको माग पूरा हुँदै जाँदा यूएईमा रहेका नेपाली समुदायको हितमा यो ऐतिहासिक निर्णय सावित हुने विश्वास गरिएको छ।

Nepal’s Ambassador to the UAE, Tej Bahadur Chhetri, officially shared this update during a community event in Dubai last Saturday, organized to welcome Nepal’s Minister of Health and Population, Hon. Pradeep Paudel. Ambassador Chhetri remarked, “Officials have already arrived. Once the office setup and necessary paperwork are complete, the consular services will begin from Dubai.”

The Government of Nepal had approved the plan to open consulates in Dubai, as well as in Texas and California in the United States, during a cabinet meeting held in the third week of Ashoj (October). This decision was driven by the growing demands of the Nepali diaspora, especially in cities with high population density like Dubai, which is home to one of the largest Nepali communities outside of India’s capital, New Delhi.

With the consulate expected to provide services such as passport renewal, legal assistance, and other documentation, it is anticipated to significantly reduce the burden on Nepalese residents in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah, who currently need to travel to the capital Abu Dhabi for consular matters.

How Nepalese in the UAE Will Benefit:

Once operational, the new consulate in Dubai will serve as a vital hub for the estimated hundreds of thousands of Nepali citizens in the northern Emirates. It will drastically cut down travel time and costs for consular services, provide faster processing, and allow easier access to government support in times of need. This move marks a major step in strengthening Nepal’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and welfare of its diaspora in the UAE.