Indian consular services in UAE consolidated; four application centres to close

India’s Embassy in Abu Dhabi has announced a sweeping rationalisation of its outsourced Consular Application Centre (ICAC) network. A press release dated 21 October confirms that, from 22 October 2026, consular, passport, visa and attestation services will be delivered through 12 ICACs across the Emirates, down from the current 16. The services remain outsourced to Al Hind Tours & Travels under a contract renewed earlier this year. Centres in Musaffah (Abu Dhabi), Al Reem Island, Dubai Investment Park and Al Majaz (Sharjah) will cease operations, with applicants redirected to nearby ICACs in Abu Dhabi city, Bur Dubai or Sharjah’s Al Qasimiah district. The embassy says the consolidation will “improve service standards and reduce duplication,” citing under-utilisation at the four sites and the rollout of mPassport Seva’s online appointment system. For the estimated 3.5 million-strong Indian diaspora in the UAE—India’s largest overseas community—the change means checking appointment availability and potentially longer commutes, especially for blue-collar workers in Musaffah’s industrial zone. The embassy promises a 30-day grace period where applicants with pre-paid appointments at the closing centres can walk into any of the remaining ICACs. Corporate mobility teams managing intra-company transfers to the UAE should update employee welcome packs with the new centre list and advise staff to use the official URL (www.blsindiavisa-uae.com) rather than unverified agents. Companies issuing power-of-attorney or degree-attestation documents should also plan for added courier time if they previously used the Musaffah or DIP centres. Industry watchers view the move as part of India’s broader digitisation of consular services, including the planned global rollout of e-OCI cards and the integration of the Trusted Traveller biometric profile with passport renewal workflows.