Hundreds queue as new Indian passport centres open across UAE
Nearly 2,000 appointments booked after portal opened
DUBAI – Hundreds of Indian expatriates arrived before sunrise on Wednesday as the UAE's new network of Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) officially opened, ending weeks of uncertainty over passport and consular services.
Long queues formed outside several centres, particularly the flagship facility in Bur Dubai, where applicants waited eagerly for appointments after months of disruption.
The launch marks the biggest overhaul of Indian passport, visa and attestation services in the UAE in years, with operations now shifting to a network of 16 centres across the country.
Early rush
Many applicants reached the centres hours before opening, with some arriving as early as 5.45am to ensure they did not miss their appointments.
The launch came as a relief for many Indian residents who had struggled to obtain passport renewals and other consular services during the peak summer travel season.
Officials said demand surged almost immediately after the online booking system went live.
The new network became operational after the Government of India outsourced passport, visa, attestation and other consular services in the UAE. The rollout follows a Supreme Court order allowing the Ministry of External Affairs to continue with the new arrangement while legal proceedings over the tender process continue.
Larger network
The new system replaces the temporary appointment-only services that had been offered directly by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai.
Across the UAE, 16 Indian Consular Application Centres are now handling passport applications, visa services, attestation, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) services and other consular requirements.
The flagship Bur Dubai facility, located at UW Mall, is among the largest Indian consular application centres worldwide. Spread across 12,000 square feet, it houses around 70 service counters, including dedicated counters for people of determination, and can process about 600 applicants each day.
The second-largest centre is located in Dubai Investment Park, while the complete network has the capacity to process up to 8,000 applications daily once fully operational. Around 350 employees have been recruited to support operations across all 16 locations.
Faster service
Officials said the centres have been designed to complete most application submissions in about 30 minutes, provided applicants arrive with all the required documents.
Applicants pay a flat Dh19 service charge, in addition to the Government of India application fee. The charge includes photography, photocopying, printing, form-filling assistance and other ancillary services that were previously paid for separately.
All centres operate from 8am to 6pm, while Tatkal passport applications, newborn passport requests, Emergency Certificates and applications from senior citizens aged 60 and above are accepted on a walk-in, first-come, first-served basis.
The opening of the nationwide network is expected to significantly ease pressure on Indian diplomatic missions while providing faster and more accessible passport and consular services for the UAE's large Indian community.