India’s Embassy in Abu Dhabi issued a press release on 21 October 2026 confirming that all consular, passport, visa and attestation services will be consolidated into twelve Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) nationwide from 22 October. The move ends operations at four under-utilised facilities in Musaffah, Al Reem Island, Dubai Investment Park and Sharjah’s Al Majaz district. Services remain outsourced to Al Hind Tours & Travels, but the embassy stressed that quality-control audits will intensify. Why the change? Embassy officials cited rising demand—over 3.4 million applications were processed in the UAE last year—and the need to “optimise manpower and technology” after several pandemic-era work-arounds became permanent. Concentrating services in larger hubs allows biometric kits, e-visa printers and attestation scanners to be upgraded without duplicating investment. For the UAE’s 3.5 million-strong Indian diaspora, the shake-up matters. Corporate mobility managers moving staff between Gulf and Indian projects will need to update travel policies with the new centre list and book appointments early; walk-ins are no longer accepted. Companies sponsoring short-notice deputations should budget extra lead-time for Police Clearance Certificates, which must now be submitted through the ICAC network rather than directly to embassy counters. The embassy added that a pilot 24/7 helpline—staffed jointly by Al Hind and mission officials—will go live next month. Callers will receive real-time queue data and be able to upload missing documents before arriving, a feature aimed at reducing repeat visits and taxi costs. All applicants are urged to verify ICAC addresses on the embassy website; visiting the wrong centre will require a fresh appointment.
