If you need to renew your Indian passport, apply for a visa or get documents attested, you may want to plan ahead
The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi has announced that passport, visa and attestation services across the UAE will be temporarily suspended for five days at the end of June as consular services move to a new provider.
From July 1, 2026, Al Hind Tours and Travel LLC will become the new outsourced partner responsible for handling Indian passport, visa and attestation services throughout the UAE.
What dates will services be unavailable?
Current service providers, BLS International and SGIVS Global, will stop accepting new applications after business hours on June 25.
As a result, routine passport, visa and attestation appointments will not be available from June 26 to June 30 while the transition takes place.
Anyone planning to submit an application during this period is encouraged to do so before June 25 or wait until the new system launches on July 1.
Emergency services will still be available
While standard services will be paused, emergency passport, visa and attestation support will continue through the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai.
Indian nationals requiring urgent assistance during the transition period can contact the missions through the dedicated helpline or official communication channels.
The embassy has also confirmed that a new online appointment platform will go live on July 1 when Al Hind Tours and Travel officially takes over the service.
What Indian residents should know
The change is expected to streamline the delivery of consular services going forward, but anyone with upcoming passport renewals, visa applications or document attestation requirements should take note of the temporary closure dates to avoid delays.
For now, the key dates to remember are June 26 to 30, when regular services will be unavailable, and July 1, when the new provider and appointment system will launch.
