Sixteen new Indian consular centres to open in the UAE; To be operational from July 1

Millions of Indian expatriates, including Keralites, residing in the UAE can now avail themselves of passport and visa services easily and quickly. The authorities have revealed the locations of the 16 new Indian consular services that will be opened across the country. Noted travel group Al Hind Tours and Travels, which acquired the new contract, has officially signed the contract in a function held at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. The new consular centres would start functioning in full swing from July 1 onwards.

Al Hind Tours and Travels will take over from BLS International, which has been providing visa services until now. They will handle various consular services, including passports and visas, as well as attestations for more than 4.3 million Indian expatriates and foreigners who wish to visit India. The new offices are located in prime locations, as per the instructions of the Indian missions, and are easily accessible to Indians.

Of the 16 new offices, Abu Dhabi will have the most centres. The offices will be opened at Al Khalidiyah, Al Reem Island, Mussafah, Madinet Zayed, Ghayathi and Al Ain in Abu Dhabi. Besides, extensive office spaces with more counters will be opened in Bur Dubai and the Dubai Investment Park to cater to Indian expatriates based in the metropolis. Meanwhile, centres are also opened in Al Majaz and Rolla in Sharjah, as well as in Al Jurf in Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. Besides these places, new offices will be opened at the Cornish and Kalba in Khorfakkan. The authorities will release the complete addresses of these centres later.

The expatriates are relieved that they can now avail themselves of passport and visa services at extremely affordable rates. They could complete a transaction for just 19 AED, which includes services like taking a biometric photo. Al Hind Group presented the lowest tender rates, surpassing noted companies like VFS Global to secure the contract. These centres will provide services such as passport renewal, visa processing, OCA card applications, police clearance certificates, surrender certificates, Global Entry program verification, and attestations. The company, meanwhile, is busy recruiting more than 350 employees and arranging all the facilities, including modern technical upgrades, before July 1.

Although the tenure of BLS International, which had been offering these services for years, was extended for a few years, the Ministry of External Affairs has now banned it from participating in tenders for two years. The ministry took swift action following persistent complaints from the applicants and several court cases.