Indian nationals living in the United Arab Emirates must use alternative locations for passport, visa and document-attestation services after four Indian Consular Application Centres discontinued operations from October 22.
The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi announced the changes on October 21, saying the four centres were being discontinued for administrative reasons. The remaining 12 centres continue to provide services under the outsourced arrangement managed by Al Hind Tours & Travels.
The closures affect applicants who previously used centres in Musaffah and Al Reem in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Investment Park I in Dubai, and Al Majaz in Sharjah. Those applicants will need to book appointments at another operational location.
The change reduces the network from 16 centres to 12, a 25% reduction in the number of locations. It does not mean that India’s consular services have been suspended across the UAE: the embassy says services remain available through the 12 operating centres.
However, the immediate practical question for residents is whether the alternative centre is convenient, whether appointments are available and how much additional travel may be required.
Which four centres have closed?
The four locations that stopped providing services from October 22 are:
- Musaffah, Abu Dhabi: Capital Mall, Mohammed Bin Zayed City.
- Al Reem, Abu Dhabi: Offices WSO 157, 158 and 159, Level 1, Wafra Square Offices, Al Reem Island.
- Dubai Investment Park I, Dubai: Rooms 601–02, Bayan, Dubai Investment Park I, Green Community Village.
- Al Majaz, Sharjah: Rooms 902–03, Bell Rashid Towers, Corniche Street, Al Majaz 1.
The embassy’s October 21 update cited administrative reasons for the discontinuation but did not provide further details in the information available publicly.
The announcement does not establish that the closures resulted from a security issue, a reduction in demand or a change in India’s overall consular policy. Those explanations should not be assumed without further confirmation.
For applicants who used the four centres, the operational change is straightforward: they must select an alternative location and follow the appointment process applicable to that centre.
Where can Indians access services now?
The 12 remaining centres are distributed across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra region
- Al Danah, Abu Dhabi
- Al Ain
- Madinat Zayed
- Ghayathi
Dubai
- Bur Dubai
Sharjah and the Northern Emirates
- Indian Association Sharjah
- Ajman
- Umm Al Quwain
- Ras Al Khaimah
- Fujairah
- Kalba
- Khor Fakkan
The continued operation of these locations means that Indian applicants can still access consular, passport, visa and attestation services. But the practical effect of the closures will differ by residence.
For example, an applicant who previously visited Musaffah may need to travel to another centre in Abu Dhabi emirate. Someone who used Dubai Investment Park I may need to travel to Bur Dubai or another location appropriate to the service and appointment available.
Residents should check the current official list before travelling rather than rely on older directories, maps or appointment confirmations for discontinued centres.
The embassy has not published a quantified estimate of how much the closures will increase travel time or waiting periods for applicants. Those effects will depend on the applicant’s location, the centre selected and the availability of appointments.
The outsourcing arrangement began in July
The closures come roughly three months after the embassy shifted outsourced Indian consular, passport, visa and attestation services in the UAE to Al Hind Tours & Travels, effective July 22, 2026.
In its July 21 announcement, the embassy said the services would be provided through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres across the UAE.
The notice also said that appointments could be booked through the designated online portal, with appointment slots released at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily. It listed service hours at the centres as 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The embassy further stated that the services would no longer be available at the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai premises under that arrangement.
The October reduction from 16 centres to 12 therefore changes the network established under the July outsourcing model. The available announcement does not establish whether the reduction is temporary or permanent.
Applicants should verify whether the appointment portal, opening hours and service-specific procedures have changed since the July announcement. The earlier schedule is useful background, but the latest instructions for a particular appointment should take precedence.
Which services are affected?
The discontinued locations handled consular, passport, visa and attestation services. Applicants should therefore confirm the availability of the specific service they require at their chosen centre before travelling.
This is particularly important for people who need to renew passports, submit supporting documents, obtain attestations or complete time-sensitive paperwork.
A centre’s continued operation does not necessarily mean every service can be completed there in the same way or within the same period. Applicants should check the applicable requirements, fees and appointment category before making a booking.
The embassy’s outsourcing announcement instructed applicants to provide correct details when booking and select the appropriate service category. It also said entry would be permitted only 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time.
Those instructions matter because an applicant who chooses the wrong category or arrives at a discontinued location could lose time even though the wider service network remains operational.
Applicants should retain appointment confirmations and any relevant application references, and contact the official service provider or consular authorities if an existing booking refers to one of the closed centres.
Will waiting times and costs rise?
The closure of four out of 16 centres reduces the number of available locations by one-quarter. That is a measurable reduction in physical access points, but it does not by itself prove that waiting times will rise by 25% or that service fees will increase.
The outcome will depend on how demand is distributed across the remaining centres, their staffing and appointment capacity, and whether applicants can be accommodated at alternative locations without significant delays.
The embassy’s publicly reported notice cited administrative reasons for the closures but did not provide a detailed breakdown of capacity, expected waiting times or any change in the fee schedule.
Applicants should therefore distinguish between the confirmed change in the number of centres and possible consequences that have not yet been quantified.
For residents who need urgent documentation, the practical priority is to check the nearest operational centre, confirm the next available appointment and establish whether the requested service can be handled there. Anyone with an approaching travel date or an employer deadline should avoid assuming that an existing booking or a previously familiar location remains valid.
What UAE-based Indians should do now
Applicants who used any of the four discontinued centres should take five steps:
- Check the Embassy of India’s latest consular-service announcement and the official appointment portal.
- Identify the nearest of the 12 remaining centres that provides the required service.
- Confirm appointment availability, the applicable fee and the documents required.
- Check whether an existing appointment needs to be rebooked following the closure.
- Contact the official service provider or embassy if the instructions are unclear, especially where passport validity or urgent travel is involved.
The four closures are a change in service delivery, not a nationwide suspension of Indian consular assistance. But for residents who relied on the affected locations, the new arrangement may require additional planning and travel.
The key unanswered questions are whether the closures are temporary or permanent, whether appointment capacity at the remaining centres will be sufficient and whether the embassy will publish further details about the administrative decision.
Until those details are confirmed, applicants should rely on the latest official instructions rather than assume that the service network or appointment arrangements remain unchanged.
Srinivas Chakravarty