If you’re planning to renew your Indian passport in the UAE, you may have noticed longer waiting times over the past few weeks. That’s because passport and consular services have moved to a new outsourcing partner, and the Indian Consulate in Dubai says it’s now working to clear the backlog as quickly as possible.

The new Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs), operated by Alhind Tours and Travels, have replaced the previous service provider and are now handling passport renewals and other consular services across the UAE.

Why are there delays?

According to the Consulate General of India in Dubai, the transition between service providers created a temporary backlog, leading to heavy demand at ICAC centres across the country.

Newly appointed Consul General Dr E. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy said some initial ‘teething problems’ were expected but added that clearing pending applications, particularly Tatkal (fast-track) requests, is now a top priority.

The Consulate and the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi together provide consular services to nearly four million Indians living in the UAE.

Who can walk in without an appointment?

To help those with urgent travel needs, the new centres are accepting walk-in applications for genuine emergency cases.

These include:

• Tatkal passport applications with proof of urgent travel
• Newborn passport applications
• Senior citizens
• Emergency Certificate applications

Applicants must carry documents supporting their request, such as a confirmed flight ticket for travel within the next two or three days.

Only official appointments permitted

The Consulate has also warned applicants not to use unofficial agents offering paid appointment bookings.

Officials said appointments should only be made through the official portal, adding that Alhind’s Dh19 service fee already includes services such as form filling and photography. Applicants should not be paying additional charges for these services.

The Consulate says it is working closely with the new operator to reduce waiting times and improve the overall experience. More digital services are also being introduced to simplify the application process and reduce the need for intermediaries.

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.