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Indian expats in UAE face passport, document delays due to consular services rollout snag
Parents and travellers face uncertainty as handover of Indian consular services to a new provider causes delays in passport renewals and NRI certificates
- PUBLISHED: Thu 2 Jul 2026, 9:52 AM
Several Indian expats in the UAE were caught off guard by the delay in rolling out consular services, and for some, their future is at risk. One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, told Khaleej Times that his daughter’s college admission was at stake because of this delay.
“We had finalised a college for my daughter and were trying to complete the admission process when we realised that she needed a Non-Resident of India (NRI) certificate,” he said. “However, we only found out about this document when the previous service provider stopped their services. For the past week, we have been waiting for the consular services to reopen so we can apply for the NRI certificate. I am worried that my daughter’s admission will be affected if we don’t submit the certificate in time.”
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Earlier this year, it was announced that the Indian consular services would be moved from BLS, which has operated them for over a decade, to Alhind Tours & Travels. The contract was awarded following a tender issued in November 2025. The provider was chosen from four shortlisted companies for offering the lowest financial bid.
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Passport renewal
Dubai resident Manju Sreekumar said she drove to Umm Al Quwain in the last few days of the previous provider’s services to renew her passport. “My husband and I had applied for a UK visa to attend our daughter’s graduation, but mine was rejected because my passport did not have six months’ validity,” she said. “This was at the beginning of June. We needed the passport renewal urgently but could not find a slot because people were rushing to complete their documents before the service provider changed. I finally found renewal slots in Umm Al Quwain and drove there to get it done.”
She added that the delay in rolling out consular services was unfortunate given its impact on Indian expats. “I have several friends whose travel plans are in limbo because they cannot renew their passports,” she said. “People don’t track passport renewal so diligently. Some realise they have only a few months of validity left after making travel plans. So, they are uncertain if they will be able to travel.”
On Wednesday, the Indian mission in the UAE announced that it will offer consular services in a limited manner from Thursday, July 2 onwards, citing administrative reasons. The Limited Consular services (Passport, Visa, Attestation & Miscellaneous services) will be provided by the embassy and the Consulate General of India on a walk-in basis, following the first-come, first-served principle from 9am to 12.30pm.
