How to book Indian passport, visa and attestation services in UAE under the new system
Everything to know about appointments, fees and walk-ins
DUBAI – Indian passport, visa and attestation services in the UAE have moved to a new nationwide system, with applications now handled through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs).
The change, which came into effect today (July 22), replaces the temporary appointment-only services previously offered directly by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai. For applicants looking to renew a passport, apply for a visa, obtain document attestation or complete other consular formalities, the process has also changed.
Here is everything you need to know before visiting one of the new centres.
Booking appointments
Appointments must be booked through the Consular Seva in UAE portal at consularsevainuae.com.
New appointment slots are released twice daily at 9am and 9pm, giving applicants two opportunities each day to secure a booking.
Once an appointment is confirmed, applicants should arrive only 15 minutes before their scheduled time, as entry into the centres is not permitted earlier.
All Indian Consular Application Centres operate from 8am to 6pm.
Walk-in services
Not every applicant needs to book an appointment.
The Indian Embassy has confirmed that the following categories can visit any ICAC without prior booking on a first-come, first-served basis:
- Tatkal passport applications
- Newborn passport applications
- Emergency Certificate (EC) applications
- Senior citizens aged 60 years and above
All other applicants must secure an online appointment before visiting a centre.
Available services
The new centres now handle almost all routine consular services previously processed by the Indian missions.
These include:
- Passport renewal and fresh passport applications
- Visa services
- Document attestation
- Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services
- Other Indian consular services
Applicants no longer need to submit these applications directly at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai.
Fees and centres
Applicants will pay the applicable Government of India fee for the service requested, along with a Dh19 service charge.
The Dh19 fee includes several facilities that applicants previously paid for separately, including photography, photocopying, document printing, application form assistance and other ancillary services.
Officials have also confirmed that there are no premium services, with every applicant receiving the same level of service.
The 16 centres are spread across all seven emirates.
Abu Dhabi has six centres located in Al Danah, Al Reem Island, Musaffah, Madinat Zayed, Ghayathi and Al Ain.
Dubai has two centres, including the flagship facility at UW Mall in Bur Dubai and another in Dubai Investment Park.
Sharjah has centres in Al Majaz and Rolla.
The remaining six centres are located across the Northern Emirates in Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Khorfakkan, Kalba and Ras Al Khaimah, providing easier access for residents outside Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Officials say the centres have been designed to make the application process faster and more convenient.
Provided applicants bring all the required documents, most application submissions are expected to be completed within 30 minutes.
The flagship Bur Dubai centre is among the largest Indian consular application facilities globally, with around 70 service counters and dedicated facilities for people of determination. Across all 16 centres, the network has the capacity to process up to 8,000 applications every day once operations are fully scaled up.
The new system follows months of legal uncertainty over the outsourcing of Indian consular services. While the Supreme Court of India has allowed the current arrangement to continue on an interim basis, it has also directed the Ministry of External Affairs to conduct a fresh tender process. Until then, passport, visa, attestation and other consular services for Indian residents in the UAE will continue to be delivered through the new network of Indian Consular Application Centres.