The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai have announced that the two VFS-operated ePassport Renewal Centers in the United Arab Emirates will shut down by 30 June 2026, returning all passport processing to the diplomatic missions themselves.
In a joint advisory, the missions said the VFS Philippine ePassport Renewal Centers, located at the World Trade Center in Abu Dhabi and at Wafi Mall in Dubai, will cease operations at the end of June. Beginning 1 July 2026, all passport applications and renewals will be processed exclusively by the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate general in Dubai.
The renewal centers were established under a memorandum of understanding signed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and VFS Global on 21 November 2019, beginning at Wafi Mall in Dubai. The facilities were intended as an alternative channel for Filipinos holding electronic passports whose applications did not require changes to their passport records, easing the renewal load on the missions in a region with one of the largest concentrations of overseas Filipino workers.
Applicants whose renewed passports are ready for collection have been urged to claim them at the earliest opportunity. The missions added that all unclaimed passports, including those processed by the VFS centers through 30 June 2026, may be retrieved from the embassy and consulate from 1 July 2026 onward.
For consular and other concerns, applicants in Abu Dhabi may contact +971 50 813 7836, while those in Dubai and the Northern Emirates may call +971 4 220 7800. Inquiries may also be sent to abudhabipe.passport@dfa.gov.ph or passport.releasing@pcgdubai.ae.
