Hundreds of Indian nationals visited the UAE’s newly launched Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) on Wednesday as the new network officially began operations, marking a major overhaul of Indian passport and consular services in the country.

The centres, operated by Al Hind Tours & Travels, have taken over passport, visa, attestation and other consular application services previously handled at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

A total of 16 ICAC centres are now operational across the UAE, making it easier for Indian residents to access consular services closer to home.

Speaking at the opening of the flagship centre at UW Mall in Bur Dubai, Mohammed Haris, Chairman and Founder of Al Group of Companies, said demand was high from the moment bookings opened.

Largest centre in Bur Dubai

The Bur Dubai branch is the largest Indian Consular Application Centre in the UAE, featuring 70 service counters with the capacity to serve around 600 applicants a day. The second-largest facility is located in Dubai Investment Park.

Once all 16 centres are fully operational, the network is expected to process up to 8,000 applications daily. Around 350 employees have been recruited to manage operations across the country.

Dh19 service fee

Applicants will pay a Dh19 service charge in addition to the applicable Government of India fee.

The charge includes several services that were previously paid for separately, including passport photographs, photocopying, printing and form-filling assistance.

Al Hind confirmed there are no premium service options, with all applicants receiving the same level of service.

Faster application process

Officials said most applications can be completed in around 30 minutes, provided applicants arrive with the required documents.

Appointments can be booked through the new online portal, with fresh slots released twice daily at 9am and 9pm.

Services available

The new centres offer a full range of Indian consular services, including:

• Passport applications and renewals
• Visa services
• Document attestation
• OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) services
• Other consular applications

With the launch of the ICAC network, applicants will no longer need to visit the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Indian Consulate in Dubai to submit most routine consular applications.

The Supreme Court of India has upheld the Delhi High Court’s decision to cancel the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) tender process for outsourcing passport, visa and consular services at Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore and Canberra.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant dismissed the Centre’s appeal, directing the MEA to comply with the High Court’s ruling and complete a fresh tender process within three months.

To ensure there is no disruption to services, the Supreme Court allowed the MEA to continue with the existing service providers or temporarily engage the lowest (L-1) bidders whose contracts had previously been set aside. The ministry may also make any other suitable interim arrangements until the new tender process is completed.

The court clarified that these temporary measures will not create any legal rights for any party and will remain in place only until fresh contracts are awarded.

According to legal reports, the Bench, which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana, heard arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on behalf of the Union Government, along with senior advocates representing the private companies involved in the case.

The ruling means the MEA must restart the tender process while following the directions issued by the Delhi High Court.

Meanwhile, due to the ongoing legal proceedings, Indian diplomatic missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have been providing passport and consular services directly from their premises, ensuring that services for the Indian community in the UAE continue without interruption.

Indian expats in the UAE waiting to renew their passports or access other consular services could face continued delays after the Why Indian passport renewals in the UAE could face longer delaysCourt ordered a fresh tender process for outsourced consular operations.

The ruling affects the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai, as well as Indian missions in Kuwait, Singapore and Australia.

The court cancelled the previously awarded contract and directed India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to issue fresh Requests for Proposal (RFPs) within one month.

Why did the court intervene?

The case was brought by two companies that were eliminated during the technical evaluation stage of the bidding process.

While they did not challenge the technical assessment itself, they argued that the evaluation lacked transparency.

The Delhi High Court agreed, ruling that the authorities had failed to disclose how technical marks were awarded, effectively invalidating the tender process.

What happens now?

The contract had been awarded to Alhind Tours & Travels, which was due to take over consular operations from July 1 after submitting the lowest financial bid.

The Kerala-based company had already prepared to operate 16 service centres across the UAE, including a large facility in Bur Dubai with more than 45 service counters.

However, following the court’s ruling, Alhind can no longer formally assume the contract until a fresh tender process is completed.

How are passport services operating now?

Since July 1, passport, visa and other consular services have been handled directly by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai, marking the first time in 17 years that the missions have managed these services in-house.

The missions currently process applications for:

• Passport renewals
• Visa services
• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards
• Police Clearance Certificates (PCC)
• Surrender Certificates (SC)
• Global Entry Programme (GEP) verification
• Document attestation

Authorities have also warned applicants against unauthorised agents claiming to secure appointments, stressing that bookings through the official portal are free of charge.

Will services be disrupted?

The High Court said existing service providers may be allowed to continue temporarily to minimise disruption, but the final decision now rests with the Indian missions and the Ministry of External Affairs.

Until a new tender is completed and a service provider is officially appointed, applicants may continue to experience longer waiting times for appointments and document processing.