Indian Missions in the UAE Launch a New Passport & Consular Appointment Portal (July 2026)

Indian consular services in the UAE have moved to an appointment-based system run directly by the Indian Missions. The previous outsourced providers — BLS International for passport and visa services, and SGIVS Global for attestation — stopped accepting applications at close of business on Thursday, 25 June 2026, followed by a short transition window from 26 to 30 June during which only emergency services were available. From 2 July 2026, the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai began providing passport, visa, attestation and other consular services directly, with appointments booked through a new official portal at book.passportindiauae.com while the transition to the new service provider is completed.

The important point for applicants is that this is a change to how you book and where you attend — not to the underlying rules. Fees, eligibility criteria, documentary requirements and the consular decisions themselves are all set by the Government of India through the Embassy and Consulate, and they do not change with the service arrangement. What has changed is the front-office booking: appointments are now reserved online, and walk-in availability is limited during the transition.

Appointments for both jurisdictions — the Consulate General of India in Dubai and the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi — are booked through the same official portal. You create an account, complete your application details, reserve a slot, and receive a confirmation with a QR code to present at the counter.

The change affects the largest single community in the UAE: Indian passport holders, who number roughly 3.5 million people (about 38% of the population). It also affects non-Indian residents — typically spouses and family members — who use the Indian Missions for Indian visa applications or document attestation. Because walk-in availability is limited during the transition, booking an appointment through the official portal is effectively required for routine services. A revised passport fee schedule also took effect on 1 July 2026; confirm the current fee for your service on the official portal before you attend, as fees are set by the Government of India.

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services follow their own online route and are not affected by this change: OCI registration, renewal and miscellaneous services continue through the national portal at ociservices.gov.in. If you had an application in progress under the previous arrangement, keep every receipt, application number and appointment confirmation so you can follow up during the transition.

1. 1Book your appointment early through the official portal at book.passportindiauae.com — routine services now require a reserved slot, and demand is high given the size of the community.
2. 2Complete your application forms in full before your appointment, and bring the original documents plus your QR-code confirmation.
3. 3Arrive about 15 minutes before your slot, and be prepared to pay any government fee in cash with exact change if requested.
4. 4For OCI registration, renewal or miscellaneous services, use the national portal at ociservices.gov.in — it is unaffected by this change.
5. 5Verify all appointment details, centre locations and fees only through the Embassy of India Abu Dhabi and Consulate General of India Dubai official websites and verified social media channels — never through unsolicited calls, messages or third-party agents.
6. 6For urgent matters during the transition, the Missions have published emergency contact channels — a toll-free line (800 46342), a WhatsApp number (+971 54 309 0571) and email (pbsk.dubai@mea.gov.in).

This update is based on publicly available information from the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai, and the official appointment portal at book.passportindiauae.com, as of 6 July 2026. Indian consular services in the UAE are now appointment-based and, during the transition to a new service provider, are being rendered directly by the Missions. This summary is provided for informational purposes to help UAE-resident Indian nationals book and prepare for their appointments. It does not constitute legal advice. For the latest official information, always refer to the Embassy of India Abu Dhabi (https://www.indembassyuae.gov.in/) and the Consulate General of India Dubai (https://www.cgidubai.gov.in/).