Abu Dhabi: The Embassy of India in the UAE has announced that consular, passport, visa, and attestation services across the Emirates will be outsourced to AlHind Tours & Travels with effect from Wednesday, July 22, 2026.

Under the new arrangement, services will be delivered through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) located across the UAE. Consequently, passport, visa, and attestation services will no longer be available directly at the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

Online Appointment System Introduced

According to an official circular issued by the Embassy, applicants must book appointments online through consularsevainuae.com. Appointment slots will be released twice daily at 9:00 am and 9:00 pm.

All ICACs will operate from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, and applicants will be permitted to enter the centres only 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment.

The Embassy also announced that Tatkal passport services, applications for newborns, Emergency Certificates (EC), and senior citizens aged 60 years and above will be accepted on a walk-in, first-come, first-served basis at all ICACs.

Service Charges

AlHind will levy a service charge of Dh19 (inclusive of VAT), in addition to the prescribed Government of India fees. The charge covers ancillary services such as application form filling, photography, document typing, domestic courier service, printouts, and photocopies.

A detailed fee structure has been made available on the official appointment portal.

How AlHind Secured the Contract

Earlier this year, the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi awarded the contract for outsourcing consular support services in the UAE to AlHind Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd. The decision followed the Ministry of External Affairs' move to debar the previous service provider, BLS International Services Ltd., from bidding for new Indian Mission contracts for two years over alleged irregularities.

Although AlHind established 16 service centres across the UAE, legal proceedings in India delayed the rollout of its operations. The dispute arose after unsuccessful bidders challenged the tender evaluation process, claiming it was arbitrary.

Due to the litigation, the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai temporarily resumed providing passport, visa, and attestation services directly through an appointment-based system.

Supreme Court Clears Interim Arrangement

Many Indian expatriates experienced significant delays in renewing passports and obtaining other consular services, with appointment slots becoming increasingly difficult to secure, particularly ahead of the summer travel season.

The situation changed after the Supreme Court of India permitted Indian missions in the UAE, Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra to temporarily engage service providers whose contracts had previously been set aside. The court allowed the Ministry of External Affairs to appoint the existing L-1 contractor—AlHind Tours & Travels in the UAE—or another suitable agency until a fresh tender process is completed.

While the Embassy has confirmed that AlHind will commence services from July 22, it has not specified whether the arrangement is temporary or permanent.