Dubai: Alhind has issued a new service advisory after the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced the closure of four Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) in the UAE, confirming that passport delivery counters will remain available at three of them.
Submission counters, however, will not operate at any of the four closed centres.
The Embassy announced on Wednesday, in a post on X, that four ICACs would cease operations from October 22, 2026. Consular, passport, visa and attestation services continue at 12 centres across the UAE.
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Service advisory
In its latest service advisory, Alhind Tours and Travel, the temporary outsourced service provider of the Embassy and the Indian Consulate in Dubai, said passport delivery will be available at three of the closed centres: Musaffah in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Investment Park (DIP) in Dubai, and Al Majaz in Sharjah.
It added that submission counters will not be operational there. “Applicants are kindly requested to plan their visits accordingly,” the announcement said.
In another related update titled “Passport Collection Notice”, Alhind stated: “Please Note: Passports from Al Reem Centre will be available for collection at Al Danah Centre. Thank you for your cooperation.” Al Reem in Abu Dhabi is the fourth centre that has closed.
Only applicants who opted for in-person passport collection are required to visit the designated centres. Those who selected courier delivery will receive their passports through the designated courier service.
Increased footfall, delayed appointments?
With the closure of the four centres, there is now only one ICAC in Dubai (Bur Dubai) while there are three in Sharjah (Rolla, Kalba, Khor Fakkan) and four in Abu Dhabi emirate (Al Danah, Al Ain, Madinat Zayed, Ghayathi). The remaining centres are in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah.
The sudden closures are expected to increase footfall at the remaining centres and delay the availability of appointments, especially in Dubai and Sharjah, where the majority of the 4.5-million-strong Indian expats in the UAE live.
Gulf News has learnt that service-centre operations are being optimised as more footfall is expected at the remaining centres, particularly in Bur Dubai and Rolla.
Some applicants turned away
Gulf News visited Alhind’s ICAC in DIP on Thursday evening. The main office, where the application submission counters are located, remained closed.
The back office, which is used to hand over passports returned from the Indian Consulate after processing, was open.
Walk-in applicants were reportedly turned away earlier in the day. They included those who had come to submit applications, such as parents with newborn babies, who do not need appointments.
Appointment slots for the centres that were closing on Thursday had apparently not been released on Wednesday.
Those who turned up were, therefore, from categories of applicants who can walk in during specified hours.
Meanwhile, hundreds of passports, sorted into bundles, were seen at the DIP centre ready for delivery.
What happens next
The 12 centres are likely to stay open until all processed passports have been handed over. Beyond that, the picture is less clear.
Alhind services are expected to continue until the new tender process for the Indian missions’ outsourced service provider is completed, although the timeline remains uncertain amid ongoing court proceedings and the tender process itself.
As first reported by Gulf News, the Embassy issued a fresh request for proposal (RFP) on September 28, inviting companies to bid for the outsourcing of consular, passport and visa (CPV) services at both Indian missions. It followed a court-ordered reset of the earlier process for the ICACs, which are currently run by Alhind.
As per the RFP, the contract is due to be awarded on November 27. Whether Alhind will continue to provide the services will depend on whether it wins the new bid.
Gulf News has learnt that efforts are being made to maintain continuity of services and minimise inconvenience to applicants during the interim period.
Applicants are advised to check official public announcements for updates on passport collection arrangements and service-centre operations.