The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate-General in Dubai on 14 July rolled out a mandatory online-appointment regime for every passport renewal, visa endorsement, attestation and police-clearance service. In a Malayalam advisory circulated through Gulf media, the missions said walk-in requests would be entertained only for medical or humanitarian emergencies. Applicants must first complete electronic forms on Passport Seva or the relevant visa portal, then book a time-slot through a new VFS Global scheduling page that went live at noon UAE time. Fees will be collected on site; payment links or third-party agents charging “token money” have been declared unauthorised. The change follows weeks of chaotic queues after the missions terminated their long-running outsourcing contract with BLS International on 30 June amid a litigation stand-off. Indian expats—numbering about 4.5 million in the UAE—reported waiting as long as ten hours in the summer heat to submit documents. By capping daily footfall, the posts expect to process a consistent 4,000 applications a day and clear the current backlog by mid-August. Global-mobility teams of UAE-based multinationals should alert Indian assignees to secure slots at least four weeks before travel dates, as biometric capture is still required for most adult renewals. Companies that move crews between the Gulf and India have been advised to avoid last-minute passport extensions and to keep scanned copies of appointment confirmations for airport checks.
Source: Malayala Manorama Online
