Indian nationals applying for passport, visa, consular and attestation services in the UAE will now have to follow a new process, with the Government of India officially transferring service operations to Al Hind Tours & Travels from July 22, 2026.
The services are now being provided through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) across the UAE. Applicants will no longer be able to submit passport and related applications directly at the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai.
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Appointments for passport and other consular services can be booked through the official portal consularsevainuae.com, with new appointment slots released every day at 9am and 9pm. The updated portal provides access to appointment booking, application tracking, fee details, service guidance and important announcements from Indian diplomatic missions in the UAE.
Under the new system, applicants must first complete the online passport application through the Passport Seva Portal and schedule an appointment at their preferred ICACcentre. They are required to carry original documents, photographs and supporting papers for verification during their visit. After submitting the application along with the applicable government fees and service charges, applicants will receive a receipt that can be used to track the progress of their application through the ICAC website or Passport Seva Portal. Once the process is completed, passports can either be collected from the selected centre or delivered to the registered address if courier service has been selected.
All 16 ICAC centres across the UAE will operate daily from 8am to 6pm. In addition to the revised government passport fees that came into effect from July 1, 2026, applicants will need to pay a Dh19 service charge including VAT. This charge covers additional support services such as form filling, photographs, typing, printing, photocopying and domestic courier facilities.
The total passport fee has been set at Dh477 for a normal application and Dh927 for a Tatkal (express) application.
Certain applicants will not require prior appointments and can visit ICAC centres on a first-come, first-served basis. This facility is available for Tatkal passport applications, newborn passport cases, Emergency Certificates, and senior citizens aged 60 years and above.
The 16 ICAC centres are spread across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates, covering locations including Al Danah, Musaffah, Al Reem, Al Ain, Madinat Zayed, Ghayathi, Bur Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Kalba and Khor Fakkan.
The transition to the new service provider follows months of legal developments surrounding the Ministry of External Affairs’ tender process. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had cancelled the tender for outsourcing passport, visa and consular services over concerns regarding the bidding process and directed the ministry to conduct a fresh tender.
The Ministry of External Affairs approached the Supreme Court, arguing that cancellation of the arrangements could disrupt essential services for millions of Indians living overseas. On July 21, 2026, the Supreme Court stayed the Delhi High Court order, allowing the MEA to proceed with the new outsourcing arrangements while the legal proceedings continue.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai announced that Al Hind Tours & Travels would take over passport, visa, attestation and consular services in the UAE through the network of 16 Indian Consular Application Centres from July 22, 2026.
