Indian Embassy extends suspension of regular Indian passport and visa appointments in UAE

- June 29, 2026 , by Maagulf

Abu Dhabi: The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai have extended the suspension of regular passport, visa, and attestation services in the UAE until July 1, 2026, citing administrative reasons.

In a statement posted on its official X account on Monday, the Indian mission said that only emergency consular services—including passports, visas, miscellaneous consular services, and document attestation—will be available until July 1.

The extension follows an earlier announcement made on June 19, when the embassy said regular passport, visa, and attestation services would be suspended for five days due to the transition of outsourced consular services to Alhind Tours and Travel LLC, which will officially begin operations across the UAE from July 1, 2026.

As part of the transition, the existing service providers—BLS International, which handles passport and visa applications, and SGIVS Global, responsible for attestation services—stopped accepting new applications after business hours on June 25.

Initially, regular appointments were suspended from June 26 to June 30. However, the Indian mission has now extended the suspension until July 1, stating that the additional day is required for administrative reasons.

Indian nationals requiring urgent assistance during this period can contact the mission through the toll-free helpline 800 46342 (800 INDIA), via WhatsApp at +971 54 309 0571, or by email at [email protected].

The embassy said details regarding the resumption of regular services from July 2 onwards will be announced in due course. It also advised the public to follow the official social media channels of the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai for the latest updates.