Indian passport, visa services to move to a new system in UAE. Here's what changes from July 1

Indian passport, visa and consular services in the UAE will undergo a major transition from July 1, 2026, with Alhind Tours and Travels LLC taking over operations from BLS International and SGIVS Global (IVS), stated the Indian Embassy, Abu Dhabi in a press release.

The appointment follows a competitive tender floated by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi to select a single outsourced provider for passport, visa and other consular services across the UAE.

As part of the transition, BLS and SGIVS will stop accepting new appointments after June 25. Routine services will remain suspended between June 26 and June 30, while a new appointment portal will go live on July 1. Existing BLS and IVS booking platforms will no longer be used.


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What services will be available?

The new centres, which will operate under the Indian Consular Application Centre (ICAC) framework, will offer passport services, visa applications, OCI cards, Police Clearance Certificates (PCC), Surrender Certificates, Global Entry Programme verification, document attestation and other miscellaneous consular services under one roof.

The new network will span all seven emirates, with centres planned in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Khor Fakkan and Kalba. Full addresses are expected to be announced before launch.

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The UAE is home to more than 4.3 million Indians, one of the world's largest Indian diaspora communities. Indian missions processed over 1.58 million consular transactions between 2022 and 2024, including around 561,000 services in 2024 alone, according to Gulf News.

Emergency services to continue

While regular services remain paused during the transition period, emergency passport, visa and attestation services will continue through the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai. Applicants requiring urgent assistance can contact the missions through the toll-free helpline 800 INDIA (800 46342), WhatsApp (+971 54 309 0571) or email (pbsk.dubai@mea.gov.in).