The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi has named Al Hind Tours & Travels LLC as the exclusive outsourced service provider for Indian passport renewals, visas and other consular formalities in the United Arab Emirates, replacing BLS International and SG IVS from 1 July 2026. Sixteen new Al Hind centres—spread across all seven emirates—will take over front-end collection of applications, biometrics and fees, while adjudication will remain with the embassy and consulate. According to the embassy’s statement, BLS and SG IVS will continue to accept files until close of business on 30 June, after which appointments must be booked through Al Hind’s soon-to-launch portal. Detailed price lists and opening hours are promised “in the coming days,” but officials emphasised that existing bookings remain valid and warned applicants to ignore social-media rumours. For the UAE’s 3.5 million-strong Indian community—the largest expatriate group in the country—the switch has major practical implications. Human-resources teams that bulk-submit renewals for seafarers, oil-and-gas rotations or IT consultants will need to update power-of-attorney letters and bank-guarantee formats to Al Hind templates. Mobility managers are also advised to re-audit service-level agreements, as processing times and value-added services (such as document pick-up or VIP lounges) may change. Indian companies sending staff to client sites in the Emirates should note that visa-stamping processes at Al Hind centres will be fully digital, aligning with the UAE’s e-residence permit system and India’s new chip-enabled e-passport rollout. The embassy says the transition is designed to create a “seamless one-stop shop” capable of scaling to future volumes and biometric upgrades. Employers are urged to brief travelling employees early to avoid last-minute issues during the hand-over week.
Source: Gulf News
