Indian passport, visa and attestation services in UAE to pause for five days

Abu Dhabi: Indian passport, visa and attestation services in the UAE will be suspended for five days later this month as consular services for Indian nationals in the country switch to a new outsourced service provider.

The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi on Friday announced that Al Hind Tours and Travel LLC will take over the delivery of outsourced passport, visa and attestation services across the UAE from July 1, 2026.

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

Regular appointments for passport, visa and attestation services will remain unavailable from June 26 to June 30, effectively resulting in a five-day suspension of routine consular services.

However, the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai will continue to provide emergency passport, visa and attestation services during the transition period.

Applicants requiring urgent assistance can contact the Indian missions through the toll-free number 800 46342 (800 INDIA), WhatsApp on +971 54 309 0571, or by email at pbsk.dubai@mea.gov.in.

According to the embassy, Al Hind Tours and Travel will launch a new online appointment portal for consular services on July 1, when it formally assumes responsibility for the services.

The embassy advised members of the Indian community in the UAE to follow only official communication channels and social media accounts of the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai for updates regarding the transition.

16 centres across all seven emirates

As reported by Gulf News earlier, the centres will be operated by Alhind Tours and Travels. The locations of 16 new Indian consular service centres across the UAE have been revealed following the formal signing of an agreement between Alhind Tours and Travels and the Indian missions in the country.

According to Alhind’s UAE Operations Manager Arun Radhakrishnan, the new network will include six centres in Abu Dhabi, located in Al Khalidiya, Al Reem Island, Musaffah, Madinat Zayed, Ghayathi and Al Ain.

Dubai will have two centres in Bur Dubai and Dubai Investment Park (DIP), while Sharjah will be served by centres in Al Majaz and Rolla.

The remaining centres will be located in Ajman (Al Jurf), Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Khor Fakkan (Corniche), Kalba and Ras Al Khaimah.