Indian passport and visa in UAE: Walk-in rules, agent warning, new booking portal explained

Abu Dhabi/ Dubai: Getting a passport, visa or attestation done has turned into a moving target for the UAE's 4.5 million-strong Indian expat community, and for other UAE residents hoping to travel to India, with frequent changes in rules as the Indian missions navigate a legal deadlock over who should be running these services — albeit at less cost, for now, than the outsourced system it replaced.

Since July 1, 2026, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai have been running these services directly from their own premises for the first time in 17 years, after their outsourcing partners’ contracts ended and court cases in India held up the new single-window system of Indian Consular Application Centre that was meant to replace them.

The result has been tents in courtyards, token systems, cash-only counters, a brand-new booking portal and a public warning against agents cashing in on the confusion. Here is a Q&A breaking down everything Indian expats in the UAE need to know right now.

Q: Why is this happening at all? A: For 17 years, Indian passport, visa and attestation services in the UAE were run by outsourced agencies — Empost from 2009, then BLS International for passport and visa work from 2011, and SGIVS Global (formerly IVS Global) for attestation from 2013. Their contracts expired on June 30, 2026.

A new operator, Alhind Tours and Travels LLC, had been chosen to run a unified system of Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) from July 1, but its launch was delayed by legal challenges in India. With no outsourced partner in place, the Embassy and Consulate stepped in to run services themselves.

Q: How long has this stopgap been running? A: BLS and SGIVS stopped accepting new applications after June 25, and it has now been over two weeks since the outsourced system that handled collection, dispatch and attestation processing came to a halt.

The missions began offering emergency-only services during the transition, then moved to walk-in services from July 2, before layering on an appointment portal and, eventually, an appointment-only system at the Consulate.

Q: Can I simply walk in for passport or attestation work? A: It depends on which mission you use. At the Consulate General of India in Dubai, walk-ins have been stopped entirely. Only applicants with a confirmed appointment booked through the portal are allowed in.

At the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, limited walk-in services continue, but the window has been cut down to 9am to 11am on working days, from an earlier cut-off of 12.30pm.

Q: Who gets priority in the walk-in queue? A: Newborn passport applications and Emergency Certificate cases [applicants seeking a one-time travel document issued to those who do not hold a passport] are given priority.

Everyone else is encouraged to book an appointment in advance rather than rely on walk-in slots.

Q: How does the new appointment system work? A: Both missions now take appointments only through a newly launched dedicated portal, book.passportindiauae.com, for passport, visa, attestation and other consular services.

Appointments are for the 9am to 1pm slot. Remember: fresh slots for the next working day are released on the portal at 8pm the previous evening.

For example, the appointment slots for Monday, July 13, are released at 8pm on Sunday, July 12.

Applicants with a confirmed slot are allowed entry 15 minutes before their scheduled time.

Q: Any other entry rules I should know? A: Yes. Only the applicant is normally allowed inside the premises, with one exception: for minor applicants, both parents must be present.

In Abu Dhabi, entry for passport, visa and consular work is from the Embassy's main gate on Al Safarat Street, with queries handled separately at the Consular Wing on Al Ishirah Street.

In Dubai, the entry at the Consulate for all applicants seeking passport, visa and attestation services is now from Gate no. 1.

Q: Is it true that agents are cashing in on the chaos? A: The Embassy has issued a public advisory warning applicants against unauthorised agents and intermediaries claiming to arrange passport, visa or attestation appointments.

It has clarified that BLS International and SGIVS Global are no longer authorised to provide these services and cautioned the public against anyone falsely claiming links to the missions.

Q: Does booking an appointment cost anything? A: No. The missions have made it clear that booking on the official portal is completely free, and that no third party is authorised to charge applicants or arrange appointments on the missions' behalf.

Anyone who has been misled, overcharged or given false information by such agents has been asked to report it to the Embassy or the Consulate through official channels.

Q: How many applicants are being processed daily now? A: The two missions told Gulf News that together they are now processing more than 1,500 applications a day — over 1,000 at the Consulate and around 500 at the Embassy.

Earlier, the missions had said around 1,700 applications were received daily through the outsourced service providers.

The missions are now processing broadly close to those volumes directly, minus the outsourced infrastructure and additional service fee, within a much shorter daily window.

Q: Are passport fees different now? A: Yes. A regular passport renewal now costs Dh450, up from Dh285 — a near 60 per cent jump and the first major fee revision since 2012.

It applies uniformly across the Embassy, Consulate and the future ICACs. Fees are accepted only in cash at present, so applicants are advised to carry exact change.

Q: How do I make my visit smoother? A:

Need help?

Rely only on these official channels and verified mission social handles, not agents or unverified sources.

Q: Will Alhind's ICACs finally launch? A: If the legal challenge clears, Alhind is set to run 16 Indian Consular Application Centres across the UAE at a flat Dh19 service fee per application, with no separate courier or premium-lounge charges.

The ICAC model promises guaranteed appointments within five working days, a 30-minute in-centre turnaround, four free SMS updates per application and an online fee calculator.

Q: When will that happen? A: That remains unclear. With the matter still before the courts, the missions have described the current in-house arrangement as temporary, with further updates promised "in due course" once there is legal clarity.