Indian passport walk-in services are now available at all 16 Indian Consular Application Centres across the UAE, the Consulate General of India in Dubai confirmed on 6 August 2026, as the new outsource operator Alhind Tours and Travels works to clear a backlog ahead of India’s Independence Day on 15 August.
Consul General Dr Vishnu Vardhan Reddy held a media briefing that day, acknowledging there would be ‘teething problems’ as the new system stabilises, but said processing times were expected to improve soon.
Who can use Indian passport walk-in services at UAE centres
According to the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi’s official press release, walk-in access at all ICACs is available on a first-come, first-served basis for four categories: Tatkal passport applicants, newborn cases, Emergency Certificate applications, and senior citizens aged 60 and above.
Applicants in these categories do not need a prior booking but must carry documentation proving the emergency. For Tatkal cases, that means a flight ticket showing travel within two to three days.
The consulate has prioritised clearing the Tatkal backlog and is aiming to bring processing times to standard delivery levels as quickly as possible.
Appointment slots, centre hours and fees
For those who do not qualify for walk-in access, appointments are released twice daily at 9am and 9pm through the official portal at consularsevainuae.com. Centre hours are 8am to 6pm at all 16 locations, and entry is permitted no earlier than 15 minutes before the booked appointment time.
All consular, passport, visa and attestation services are now handled exclusively through the ICAC network. Neither the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi nor the Consulate General of India in Dubai accepts these applications directly at its own premises.
Alhind’s service charge is Dh19, which the consul general said covers everything needed at the centre, including photography and form-filling. No additional fees should be paid for those services. Government of India fees for consular services in the UAE were also revised from 1 July 2026, so applicants should check the current schedule before visiting.
Alhind has set a target of processing each passport or visa application within 30 minutes at the centre and has removed the paid premium queue arrangements that existed under the previous operator, according to Firstpost.
Background: legal dispute and transition
Alhind took over from BLS International last month following a legal dispute in which two unsuccessful bidders challenged the Government of India’s evaluation criteria for awarding the consular services contract covering the UAE and Saudi Arabia. A court directed that the Ministry of External Affairs could engage Alhind as the existing L-1 contractor on an interim basis, describing the arrangement as purely temporary. The Embassy of India’s announcement of 21 July 2026 did not specify whether the engagement is temporary or permanent.
During the transition period, the Indian missions handled consular services directly, creating the backlog now running across the 16 ICAC centres in the UAE. The Dubai and Abu Dhabi missions together serve close to 4 million Indian expatriates in the country.
Dr Reddy warned the Indian community against fraudulent third-party agents charging extra for appointment bookings. He said the official appointments portal is consularsevainuae.com, and that no legitimate service requires payment beyond the stated government and ICAC charges. Dr Reddy, a doctor-turned-diplomat from Telangana, is described by Deccan Chronicle as having recently assumed charge as Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
The consulate’s target is to bring the Tatkal backlog under control before 15 August.
