An Indian expat has urged residents to verify the details of visas immediately on receiving them after his daughter’s passport was stamped with a boy’s visa.

Indian expat Ateeque Ahmad said he had applied for the renewal of the residence visa of his four-year-old daughter, Romana, almost a month back.

However, when he received her passport by courier on Tuesday, he was shocked to find that the visa stamped on the passport belonged to someone else.

“I opened the passport to verify the details and I was shocked to see it was not my daughter’s visa. It was really painful to receive something wrong after a long wait,” said Ahmad, who works with a private company.

The visa stamped on Romana’s passport belonged to an Indian boy, whose family could not be reached for comment.

Ahmad said he contacted the call centre of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) which directed him to send the passport back with the courier company.

“Zajel said it was not their mistake and I have to pay again for courier charges to deliver the passport to the GDRFA. I was apprehensive of going there directly because the typing centre guy told me now everything is done online and no applications will be accepted in the immigration office.”

He urged residents to verify the details of such important documents as soon as they receive them. “Some people do not do it and realise the mistakes when they travel,” he pointed out.

Maj Ali Malallah, Acting Director for Residency Affairs with the GDRFA, regretted the error and said the department will conduct an investigation to find out who committed the mistake. “It could be from the typing centre also. We need to see the documents,” he said.

The official also offered to immediately issue the visa for Romana without imposing any fine if Ahmad could visit the GDRFA office in Jafliya.