By Staff Reporter
ABU DHABI — The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai have announced an extension of the temporary suspension of regular passport, visa and attestation services, with only emergency consular services remaining available until July 1, 2026.
The extension comes as Indian diplomatic missions continue preparations for the transition of outsourced consular services to Alhind Tours and Travel LLC, which will officially assume responsibility for passport, visa and attestation processing across the UAE from July 1.
In a statement released on the missions’ official social media platforms, the embassy confirmed that emergency requests involving passports, visas, miscellaneous consular services and document attestation will continue to be processed during the transition period.
The move follows an earlier announcement that routine passport, visa and attestation appointments would be suspended after June 25, when the outgoing service providers — BLS International for passport and visa services and SGIVS Global for attestation services — stopped accepting new applications.
Initially, regular services were expected to resume after June 30, but the missions have now extended the suspension by an additional day, citing administrative reasons.
Indian nationals requiring urgent consular assistance have been advised to contact the missions through the toll-free helpline 800 INDIA (800 46342), via WhatsApp at +971 54 309 0571, or by email at [email protected].
The embassy said further information regarding the resumption of normal passport, visa and attestation services from July 2 onwards will be announced in due course.
Members of the public have also been encouraged to follow the official communication channels of the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai for the latest updates.
Source: Gulf News
