From 1 July Indian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates—numbering more than 4.5 million—have found themselves navigating a very different passport-renewal landscape. With the long-standing outsourcing contracts of BLS International and SGIVS expiring and a court challenge delaying the hand-over to new operator Alhind Tours & Travels, the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate in Dubai have assumed direct control of all passport, visa and attestation counters for the first time in 17 years. Reporting by The Print on 13 July reveals immediate ripple effects: renewal fees have risen to AED 450 (≈ US$ 123) from AED 285, payments are temporarily cash-only, and walk-in applicants are barred. Instead, a new portal—book.passportindiauae.com—releases limited appointment slots at 8 p.m. each evening, producing kilometre-long queues for the lucky few who secure a token. The crunch comes at the height of the Gulf summer travel season and has left many families unsure whether they will receive passports in time for already-booked holidays. Mobility managers are also concerned about staff on rotation to India who depend on timely re-issuance to meet six-month validity rules for onward destinations such as Thailand and Singapore. Officials call the arrangement “temporary” pending a Delhi High Court decision on the tender dispute, yet no end-date is in sight. In the interim the missions have warned travellers against touts and have published fee tables online. Companies should alert UAE-based assignees to: 1) book renewal slots as soon as validity drops below twelve months; 2) carry cash; 3) allow at least three weeks for delivery; and 4) budget for higher costs in assignment packages. Longer-term, the episode has reignited debate over whether core consular functions should ever be outsourced. Should the legal impasse drag on, MEA sources hint at deploying additional officers from Kuwait and Qatar to clear the backlog before India’s own festival travel surge kicks in during October.
Source: The Print
