Indian residents in the UAE who usually spend hours sorting passport renewals or visa paperwork may soon have more nearby options. Alhind Tours and Travels has officially signed an agreement with Indian missions in the UAE to run new passport and consular service centres across all seven emirates. The centres are expected to start operating from July 1, 2026.
Indian Expats In UAE Will Soon Have 16 New Passport Service Centres
And for a community as large as the Indian population in the UAE, this is a pretty major shift. More than 4.3 million Indians live in the country, and many rely on these centres regularly for passports, OCI cards, attestations and visa-related work.
According to a report by Gulf News, the new setup will replace the existing operator, BLS International, which has handled these services since 2011.
Abu Dhabi Is Getting The Biggest Share Of Centres
Six centres are planned in Abu Dhabi alone. They will be located in Al Khalidiya, Al Reem Island, Musaffah, Madinat Zayed, Ghayathi and Al Ain.
Meanwhile, Dubai will have two centres, one in Bur Dubai and another in Dubai Investment Park. Sharjah is also getting two locations, in Al Majaz and Rolla.
The remaining offices will be spread across Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Kalba and Khor Fakkan. For many people living outside Dubai and Abu Dhabi, that probably matters the most. Travelling long distances for paperwork has been a common complaint for years.
The Agreement Was Signed In Abu Dhabi This Week
The formal signing ceremony took place at the Embassy of India on May 18. Senior officials from both the Indian Embassy and the Consulate General of India in Dubai attended the event.
As reported by Gulf News, Alhind secured the contract after an international bidding process involving more than 15 companies. The company reportedly submitted the lowest bid at AED19 per transaction, and that includes biometric photo capture too.
That said, the actual government fees linked to passport or visa applications will still apply separately.
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What Services Will People Actually Get?
The centres will handle passport renewals, visa applications, OCI cards, Police Clearance Certificates, attestation work and even Global Entry Programme verification.
Alhind says preparations are already underway before the July launch. Technology systems are being installed, offices are being set up, and staff hiring is ongoing. Between 250 and 350 employees are expected to be recruited.
The company itself has operated in the UAE since 2007 and already runs several offices across the country. So this isn’t exactly a new player entering the market.
Still, people will probably judge the service only after the queues start.
Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/Nikhil Patil from Getty Images
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What services will be available?
Passport renewals, visas, OCI cards, attestation services and Police Clearance Certificates will all be handled there.
How many centres are opening across the UAE?
A total of 16 centres will open across all seven emirates.
When will the new centres open?
The centres are expected to begin operations on July 1, 2026.