The UAE is set to launch 16 new Indian passport service centres, a move expected to simplify the application process, ease overcrowding, and significantly reduce waiting periods for Indian residents seeking passport-related services.
UAE to Open 16 Additional Indian Passport Centres, Reducing Delays for Applicants.
With a little more than a month remaining before Alhind Group officially begins handling consular support operations for the Indian Embassy in the UAE, the company says it is making extensive preparations to ensure a smooth transition. The organisation is expected to start services from July 1 and plans to introduce several measures aimed at improving customer convenience, including reducing appointment delays and streamlining passport processing for the Indian expatriate community.
One of the key initiatives being explored by the company is a home-based passport renewal service. According to officials, the pilot project has shown encouraging early results and could eventually allow applicants to complete renewal formalities without visiting a service centre in person. The move is expected to benefit thousands of residents across the Emirates by saving time and reducing congestion at application centres.
Alhind Group will be responsible for providing passport and consular assistance to the UAE’s Indian population, which exceeds four million people. Company representatives stated that preparations are progressing rapidly and that approvals for the new office locations have already been secured from the Indian Embassy.
Arun Radhakrishnan, Operations Manager for Alhind in the UAE, said the company has completed the selection of its service centre locations and is now awaiting the final administrative clearances. He added that the goal is to make all centres operational by mid-June to ensure services can officially commence at the beginning of July without disruption.
Earlier, the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi confirmed that Alhind Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd had been awarded the contract to manage outsourced consular support services in the UAE. The company will replace BLS International, which has overseen these services for more than a decade. The transition marks a major change in the way passport and related services will be delivered to Indians living in the country.
Cut waiting time
Alhind Group has announced plans to establish an extensive network of 16 consular service centres across all seven emirates in the UAE as part of its new role as the Indian Embassy’s outsourced service provider. The upcoming centres will be strategically located to ensure easier access for the large Indian expatriate population living throughout the country. Services will be available in key cities and regions including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Kalba and Khorfakkan, helping applicants avoid long-distance travel for passport and documentation needs.
Among all the planned facilities, the company’s flagship centre in Dubai’s Bur Dubai district is expected to be the largest and busiest. Spread across approximately 12,000 square feet, the centre will feature more than 45 service counters designed to handle a high volume of applications daily. Officials believe the larger space and expanded staffing capacity will play a major role in reducing overcrowding and cutting waiting periods for appointments and document processing.
According to Arun Radhakrishnan, Operations Manager for Alhind in the UAE, the company’s primary objective is to make consular services more accessible and affordable for ordinary residents. He explained that many applicants previously struggled to secure timely appointments, forcing some to spend additional money on urgent bookings or third-party assistance. The new system, he said, is intended to remove those difficulties by increasing appointment availability and improving the efficiency of customer service operations.
Radhakrishnan stated that the company wants applicants to have a smoother experience from the moment they begin the process until the completion of their applications. By opening multiple centres across different emirates, the organisation hopes to reduce pressure on a single location and make services available closer to where people live and work.
One of the important changes being introduced involves services for newborn children. As per the Indian Embassy’s guidelines, parents applying for passports for infants will be allowed to directly visit the centres without needing to book an appointment beforehand. Officials say this measure has been introduced to support families who may require urgent documentation for travel or residency purposes.
The company also revealed that all major documentation-related services will be available under one roof, eliminating the need for applicants to visit multiple offices. Customers will be able to process passports, attestation services, visa-related documentation and other consular requirements at the same location. Dedicated coordinators and support staff will be available to guide applicants through each stage of the process.
Special arrangements are also being made for Emirati nationals seeking visas to India. Separate counters will be established specifically for UAE citizens applying for Indian visas, ensuring faster assistance and smoother communication. These desks will be staffed by Arabic-speaking employees to provide better support and eliminate language barriers during the application process.
In addition to visa services, specialised counters will handle various documentation categories to improve organisation and reduce confusion for visitors. The company says trained staff members will be assigned to manage different application types so customers can receive more focused assistance without unnecessary delays.
Alhind Group believes the expansion of centres and the introduction of customer-friendly initiatives will significantly improve the overall consular experience for Indians living in the UAE. With millions of expatriates relying on passport renewals, attestations and visa services every year, the company says its goal is to create a faster, more convenient and more transparent system that can efficiently handle growing demand across the country.
Passport renewal at home?
Alhind Group is preparing to introduce a new technology-driven system that could allow Indian expatriates in the UAE to renew their passports without visiting a consular service centre. Company officials say the initiative is currently in the testing phase and early results have been highly encouraging. If the pilot project succeeds, the service could soon become available to the wider public, offering a more convenient option for thousands of applicants across the country.
Speaking about the project, Arun Radhakrishnan, Operations Manager for Alhind in the UAE, explained that the company has been working extensively with modern digital solutions to simplify the passport renewal process. According to him, the aim is to eliminate unnecessary travel and reduce the time applicants spend waiting at centres for routine procedures.
He noted that the organisation is carefully evaluating the system before officially launching it. The testing phase includes examining the reliability of the technology, ensuring data security and confirming that the service meets the standards required by the Indian Embassy. Arun said the company is optimistic about the outcome, adding that the trial runs have delivered positive results so far.
