From 22 July 2026, every Indian national or foreigner who needs to renew an Indian passport, obtain an Indian visa, or legalise documents in the United Arab Emirates will have to apply through a brand-new network of 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) operated by Al Hind Tours & Travels. The Indian Consulate in Dubai confirmed the switchover after BLS International and SGIVS Global Services saw their contracts lapse on 30 June 2026. The transition caps several weeks of legal wrangling over the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) outsourcing tender. On 15 July the Delhi High Court quashed the MEA’s technical evaluation, calling it “arbitrary”, and on 21 July the Supreme Court declined to intervene. However, the apex court allowed temporary arrangements to keep services running, paving the way for Al Hind’s soft launch on 22 July. For India’s 3.5 million-strong diaspora in the UAE, the change means new procedures, new service fees (AED 19 per application) and a new online appointment portal, Consular Seva in UAE. Consular traffic is intense: the Dubai mission alone processed over 430,000 passport renewals and 710,000 visa or attestation requests last year. Any early glitches—such as website queues or unfamiliar document check-lists—could disrupt travel plans for Indian professionals on short leave cycles and Gulf-based companies moving staff between the two countries. Al Hind says each ICAC will have extended evening hours and a “fast-track” lane for medical emergencies. It is also piloting a mobile-biometric unit for oil-field workers in Abu Dhabi’s Ruwais and Das Island who cannot reach city centres easily. Employers sponsoring bulk applications have been advised to re-register corporate credentials well before the peak festive-travel rush that begins in September. Practical takeaway: mobility managers should update employee travel policies with the new centre addresses, fees and processing times; cancel any pending BLS/SGIVS appointments; and monitor the Supreme Court-mandated re-tender (due by October) in case a second transition occurs later this year.
Source: Gulf News
