UAE-based applicants will face a temporary freeze in Indian embassy bookings ahead of a major service change.

Regular visa, passport and attestation appointments at the Indian embassy in the UAE will be unavailable from June 26 to June 30 as authorities transition to a new outsourced service provider, according to an official press release from the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi. The temporary suspension is expected to impact over 3.5 million Indians living in the UAE, many of whom rely on these services for travel, documentation and legal procedures.

No Routine Appointments For Five Days

The embassy said no regular appointments or fresh application submissions will be available during the five-day window, as part of a planned handover process. Current service providers - BLS International (passport and visa services) and SGIVS Global (attestation services) - will stop accepting new applications after the close of business on June 25, 2026.

The pause is intended to ensure a smooth and complete transition of operations to the new provider.

Emergency Services To Continue

Despite the suspension, emergency consular services will remain available throughout the transition period. The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai will directly handle urgent passport, visa and attestation requests.

Applicants facing emergencies can reach out via:

• Toll Free number- 800 46342 (800 INDIA)

• WhatsApp- +971 54 309 0571

• Email- pbsk.dubai@mea.gov.in

As per the press release, from July 1, 2026, consular services across the UAE will be handled by M/s Al Hind Tours and Travel LLC, which has been appointed the sole outsourced service provider.

A new online appointment portal is also expected to go live around the same time.

According to The Indian Express, Alhind is preparing a significant operational rollout, including 16 service centres across all seven emirates, with the aim of improving accessibility for applicants. The new provider has also proposed a flat service fee structure to streamline the process and reduce waiting times.

The shift is being seen as one of the largest consular service transitions undertaken by an Indian mission abroad, given the scale of the Indian community in the UAE and the extent of services involved.

Authorities have advised applicants to plan their appointments around the five-day gap and rely only on official Embassy and Consulate communication channels for updates during the transition period.