The Consulate-General of India in Dubai has announced a three-day closure of its premises from 17 to 19 July 2026 owing to major road-access upgrades by local authorities. All walk-in and appointment-based services—including passport renewals, visa endorsements and attestation—are suspended during the shutdown. Indian expatriates form the largest single nationality in the UAE, and the Dubai post routinely handles more than 3,500 applications a day. To mitigate the impact, the mission has asked urgent cases to visit the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, which will run extended hours on 17 July and 20 July, and to re-book Dubai appointments online from 8 p.m. on 19 July. Travel agencies in Bur Dubai report a surge of last-minute calls from residents flying to India for Raksha Bandhan in August who need passport validity extensions. Some have opted to courier documents to India for tatkal processing, but this can add five working days. Employers with seafarers and oil-field staff transiting Dubai are advised to check that visas and emergency certificates are finalised before the weekend, or route crew changes through Abu Dhabi. The consulate says normal operations will resume at 8 a.m. on Monday, 20 July.
Source: The Indian Express
