Abu Dhabi (HRNW)- Indian citizens living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are facing difficulties in obtaining passports, visas, document attestation, and other consular services following a legal dispute over the country’s consular service contracts.
According to foreign media reports, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai have announced that passport, visa, attestation, and other consular services will be provided directly on a limited basis starting July 2. Applicants have been advised to visit the missions on a walk-in basis between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., without requiring prior appointments.
Previously, Indian consular services in the UAE were managed by BLS International and SGIVS, but their contracts expired on June 30, 2026.
Under a new tender process, Al Hind Tours and Travel was selected as the new operator for the Indian Consular Application Centres and was scheduled to take over services from July 1. However, the transition was halted due to ongoing legal proceedings.
According to reports, two companies challenged the technical evaluation and scoring process of the tender in the Delhi High Court, and the matter was later taken to the Supreme Court of India. The court ordered that the status quo be maintained until a final decision is reached, preventing any changes in the service provider.
As a result of the court order, the new company has not been able to assume operations, while the previous service providers have also closed their public service centres, causing temporary disruption in consular services.
Indian diplomatic missions described the situation as a temporary arrangement and said further announcements regarding the transfer of services would be made after the legal proceedings are completed and the court issues its final decision.
According to official data, Indian diplomatic missions in the UAE provided approximately 1.58 million consular services between January 2022 and December 2024, including more than 364,000 passport-related services in 2024 alone.
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