Abu Dhabi: The Embassy of India in the UAE has announced that it will provide limited consular services on a temporary walk-in basis from July 2, citing administrative reasons during the transition to a new outsourced service provider.

In a statement, the Embassy said that passport, visa, attestation, and miscellaneous consular services will be available at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai from 9:00am to 12:30pm on a first-come, first-served basis.

To avoid overcrowding, only applicants will be allowed to enter the Embassy or Consulate premises. An exception will be made only for minor applicants who are required to be accompanied by their parents.

The missions also clarified that cash payments only will be accepted for all services. Applicants have been advised to carry the exact amount based on the revised service fees, which came into effect on July 1.

The Embassy instructed all applicants to appear in person with a fully completed application form and all required supporting documents. Applications will be accepted only after payment of the applicable fees.

Officials emphasized that the current arrangement is temporary and that further details regarding the transition to the new outsourced service provider will be announced in due course.

The temporary walk-in system comes as the Indian missions in the UAE shift passport, visa and consular services to Alhind Tours and Travels LLC, which is set to become the sole outsourced service provider across the country. The transition impacts consular services for more than 3.5 million Indian expatriates living in the UAE.

Once fully operational, Alhind Tours and Travels plans to establish 16 dedicated Indian Consular Application Centres across all seven emirates, including major service hubs in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah, to streamline passport, visa and other consular services for the Indian community.