No premium queues, 30-minute target: What changes for Indian passport applicants in UAE

Indian expatriates in the UAE will no longer have to pay extra for faster passport services as Alhind Tours & Travels, the new provider of Indian consular services, promises to process applications within 30 minutes and offer the same service to all applicants.

Alhind took over the provision of consular, passport, visa and attestation services for Indian nationals in the UAE on July 22, following weeks of uncertainty after the previous outsourcing contracts expired.

The services are now being offered through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) across the UAE.

Speaking to the media at the company's flagship centre at UW Mall in Bur Dubai, Mohammed Haris T, chairman and founder of Alhind Tours & Travels, said the company had done away with premium queues that previously allowed applicants to pay extra for faster service.

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“We want to offer the same level of service to everyone,” Haris said.

“Our aim is that people should be able to enter our centre, finish their applications and exit within 30 minutes.”

No premium services, uniform fee

Alhind will charge a flat service fee of Dh19, inclusive of VAT, in addition to government-mandated fees and Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) charges.

The fee covers services such as form filling, typing, photography, photocopying and courier delivery.

The total cost for a standard 36-page Indian passport renewal is Dh477, while a Tatkal passport application costs Dh927, according to the new fee structure.

The company has said there will be no premium service or premium queue at an additional cost.

“Everyone will be treated equally,” Haris said, adding that the company wanted to ensure that applicants received the same level of service regardless of whether they were applying for a regular or urgent service.

Appointment system and walk-in rules

Most applicants must book an appointment before visiting an Indian Consular Application Centre.

Appointments can be booked through the official consular services portal, with fresh slots released twice a day at 9 am and 9 pm.

Applicants are allowed to enter the centre within 15 minutes of their scheduled appointment time. They are advised not to arrive significantly earlier, as only those with valid appointments are currently permitted to enter.

However, some categories can still use walk-in services.

Tatkal passport applicants, parents of newborns, applicants seeking Emergency Certificates and senior citizens aged 60 and above can visit the centres without an appointment, subject to the applicable rules and availability.

The centres operate from 8 am to 6 pm.

8,000 applications a day

Alhind said it has the capacity to process up to 8,000 applications a day across its network.

However, the number of appointments available to applicants is determined by the Indian missions in the UAE.

At present, nearly 2,000 appointment slots are being released daily, with new slots made available at 9 am and 9 pm. Haris said the number of slots could increase soon.

The company received more than 1,900 bookings across its 16 centres within minutes of the takeover announcement.

The UW Mall centre alone received more than 600 bookings, according to Haris.

He said demand was expected to rise further during the first week as applicants who had delayed their applications during the period of uncertainty sought appointments.

The 12,000-square-foot UW Mall facility has 75 counters and is described as the largest outsourced consular service centre outside India. It also has dedicated counters for people of determination.

Why Indian passport services shifted to Alhind

The transition follows a prolonged dispute over the outsourcing of Indian consular services in several countries.

The Embassy of India in the UAE had originally awarded the contract to Alhind after a tender process in November 2025, with the new arrangement initially scheduled to begin on July 1.

However, rival bidders challenged the tender process in the Delhi High Court. The dispute forced the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai to temporarily handle services in-house after the previous contracts expired.

The Delhi High Court later set aside the tender and directed the government to invite fresh proposals for Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore and Canberra.

The government challenged the order in the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court declined to intervene on July 20, clearing the way for Alhind to begin providing the services in the UAE.

What applicants should know

Indian nationals seeking passport renewal, visa or attestation services in the UAE can no longer directly walk into the Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate in Dubai for routine outsourced services.

They must use the designated Indian Consular Application Centres and, in most cases, book an appointment online.

The new arrangement is expected to bring the system back to an outsourced model after Indian missions temporarily managed the services directly.

For applicants, the key changes are a flat Dh19 service fee, the removal of paid premium queues, a twice-daily release of appointment slots and a stated target of completing the application process within 30 minutes at the centre.

The actual processing time for issuing a passport or completing a consular service will, however, continue to depend on the relevant Indian mission and the nature of the application.