The Indian Embassy in the UAE has announced an expansion of consular services accessibility by providing special conditions for certain population groups. The Embassy confirmed that Persons of Determination (PoD) can now utilize dedicated services at all passport issuance centers.
Dr. Dipak Mittal, speaking at an event organized by the Indian Association Sharjah, stated that PoD will receive dedicated counters and will not require prior appointments. They can visit any ICAC center on a 'walk-in' basis and will be provided with priority service, bypassing regular queues.
This humane approach also extends to other support-needing groups. Citizens over 60 years old, as well as new parents, can also approach any consular center without the need for prior booking.
On Wednesday, Alhind Tours and Travels launched its new Indian Consular Application Centers (ICAC) in 16 locations across the UAE. The company's flagship center in UW Mall has allocated three counters specifically for PoD. This 12,000 square meter center features over 70 counters and provides services such as passport renewal, document legalization, visa services, and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services.
For all other applicants, online booking through the official portal consularsevainuae.com remains mandatory. Slots are available twice daily—at 9 AM and 9 PM. Access to ICAC is permitted only 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time.
Earlier this year, the Indian Embassy in the UAE announced that Alhind Tours and Travels had secured a contract to provide outsourced consular services following a tender conducted in November 2025. Among the four companies shortlisted based on financial proposals, Alhind was recognized as having the lowest financial bid (L1).
A company representative confirmed to the media on Wednesday that they had participated in tenders for this service for the past 14 years. Mohammed Harris T., founder and chairman of Alhind, stated: 'We have participated in consular outsourcing tenders for the last 14 years, and this is the first time we have succeeded.' The company also won a tender to provide consular services in Sri Lanka and began operations there at the beginning of this month.
The implementation of Alhind's services in the UAE was delayed due to legal disagreements. Two non-selected companies approached the High Court of Delhi, claiming their disqualification was unfair. The High Court of Delhi ruled that a new tender must be announced within one month. This case postponed outsourced consular services in four countries, and the Indian missions in the UAE began providing services directly for the first time in 17 years.
During his speech, Dr. Mittal thanked the Indian Association Sharjah for assisting in ensuring easy access to passport and consular services for the community, as well as for the support provided to the Indian mission during the transition period. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of India upheld the Delhi High Court's decision but allowed Indian missions to admit any service provider they deemed suitable to provide consular services in the interim period.
The Embassy of India in the United Arab Emirates announced that services related to obtaining passports, visas, and document legalization in the UAE have been outsourced to AlHind Tours & Travels company.
This transfer of authority came into effect on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. These services will now be provided through sixteen Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs).
A mother from Durban shared her extremely difficult three-week experience of obtaining a passport for her seven-month-old daughter, who was born in Pakistan. She stated that she was constantly refused and ignored by the immigration department.
Rezwana Rishad Sher, a South African citizen, recounted marrying Malik Omar Sher, a Pakistani citizen. They lived in Pakistan until she returned to South Africa in March of this year. During her pregnancy, she experienced discomfort, and her husband, who is a doctor, advised her to move to Pakistan for her care. Their daughter, Sarish, was born there.
After the birth of the child, they obtained a Pakistani birth certificate and approached the South African embassy in Pakistan to apply for a Pakistani passport for their daughter. However, they were informed that the process would take time, and if they planned a trip to South Africa, they should obtain a visitor visa, which they secured for themselves and their husband for three months.
Upon arriving in South Africa, they immediately visited the immigration department to register the marriage and obtain the child's birth certificate. This stage proceeded without issues, and she received the document by May. After this, her husband mentioned that he needed to return to Pakistan for work, and she needed to return to work, although he allowed her to return when she was ready.
At the end of June, Sher went to the immigration department on uMgeni Road to submit documents for her daughter's passport. She decided to resolve the matter as she did not know when they could leave again. At the first visit, she clarified the required documentation. Her husband, while abroad, prepared all the necessary paperwork, including forms that were supposed to be filled out at the South African embassy in Pakistan, and also provided notarized consent for the child's passport application.
The embassy sent all documents to the immigration office via email to prevent fraud or corruption. Nevertheless, during a subsequent visit, she was told that the documents were unacceptable because they lacked the necessary stamps in certain sections of the forms that should have been placed at the embassy. Following this, they contacted the embassy, but were informed that the stamp could only be affixed in the applicant's personal presence before a commissioner. Since the child was with her in South Africa, the embassy sent back the document with an explanation on its letterhead as to why they could not affix the stamp. The immigration department staff refused even to consider this explanation, demanding that she return to the embassy. According to Sher, the embassy began to show irritation, even circling the relevant section in red and writing the reason for the inability to stamp it.
Despite her attempts to explain the situation, she was rejected again last week. She noted that she had visited the immigration department five times. She felt growing frustration trying to simultaneously care for her child, carry bags, and deal with paperwork. The employee who supposedly helped her simply said she could not help and that she needed to return to the embassy for the stamp. When she demanded to speak with management, the employee walked away and called security, who escorted her out. Sher felt intense shame.
While outside, one of the security guards, who had previously been kind to her, asked what happened. After she explained the situation to him, he gave her the contact details of the department director. However, this did not bring immediate relief. Subsequently, Sher wrote to the 'Democratic Alliance', the Immigration Department, and the High Commission of Pakistan in South Africa, and also shared her story on TikTok. On Monday, she received a response from the 'Democratic Alliance' stating that they would raise the issue with the Immigration Department. On the same day, she was contacted by an influential businessman who offered assistance, saying he would speak to the director personally. The next day after this, he asked her to come to the department, and she was able to submit the application. Nevertheless, she noted that the interaction with the staff remained very rude.
Sher expressed hope for change, emphasizing that no one should have to go through such an ordeal. She does not deny the diligence of the staff but believes some should realize that they are public servants whose duty is to assist citizens. She added that they should not decide whether or not to help them, and that they must behave professionally and politely, considering that their salaries are funded by citizen taxes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
