Dubai: Indian expats may have a new service provider for processing passport and visa applications replacing the current one soon.
The five-year contract of BLS International Services, the specialist outsource company appointed by the Indian Government to process visa, passports, consular, attestation and apostille services in the UAE and other diplomatic missions around the world, will end soon. This opens up the bidding process and many other companies are likely to join the fray.
The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said there would be a public announcement soon.
T.P. Seetharam, Indian Ambassador to UAE, told Gulf News: “The process of selecting a service provider for passport and visa outsourcing services for the next four to five years is being initiated. BLS International, which has been providing services since 2010, as well as others wishing to do so can participate in the selection process in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of External Affairs. A public notice in this regard will be issued shortly, inviting bids. A decision will be taken subsequently in the coming months following the due process.”
Sources said the BLS International Services contract may not be renewed in view of complaints about interminable delays in issuing of passports. In the UAE, which has a population of 1.8 million Indian expats, the BLS International offices have remained busy throughout the year. A prominent Indian expatriate said: “All Indians looking for passport-related services have no choice but to go to the office of the officially appointed company and their volume of work daily can be judged by the long queues outside their offices.”
