The Indian Consulate in the United Arab Emirates issued a new notification on Friday, July 10, informing Indian expatriates about how to now book appointments for passport renewal.
Reason for Service Postponement
This decision was made after the company Tours & Travels became involved in a lawsuit and confirmed a temporary delay in launching its consular, visa, and passport (CPV) services in the UAE. This postponement followed an official announcement from the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi.
Services that were originally scheduled to begin on July 1 were delayed due to 'administrative reasons,' as reported by the embassy. Earlier this month, the Indian mission in the UAE also stated that it would no longer accept visitors without a prior appointment for passport renewal services.
Online Booking Procedure
Expatriates in the UAE can follow simple steps to book an appointment. They need to go to the website book.passportindiauae.com, register using their name, email address, and password, and then confirm their email address.
After logging into the site, they must select their consular jurisdiction. In this case, the choice is available between the Consulate General of India in Dubai and the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi. Next, the applicant fills in the required details and selects a convenient time, after which they confirm the appointment.
Important Clarifications
The notification dated July 10 also emphasizes that the companies BLS International and SGIVS Global are no longer authorized to provide any consular services. It is important to remember that before booking an appointment, the applicant must pre-fill the online passport renewal form and have a copy with them.
