UAE to get 16 new Indian passport and visa centers in key expatriate services / Image: File

Over four million Indians living in the UAE will see a major overhaul of passport, visa and consular services after India awarded a large-scale outsourcing contract to Kerala-based Alhind Group, which will launch 16 new service centers across all seven emirates from July 1, 2026.The move ends a long era for BLS International, which has handled Indian passport and visa support services in the UAE since 2011. Under the new arrangement, Indian residents in the UAE will now use Alhind-run centers for passport renewal, visa application, OCI card, Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), surrender certificate and other key consular services attached to the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai.The announcement is being closely watched across the Gulf as the Indian community in the UAE is the largest expatriate population in the country, estimated at over 4.3 million. Any changes to the passport and visa system directly impact the daily lives of workers, professionals, families and businesses in the emirate.

UAE passport and visa services to change in 2026

The contract was officially awarded by the Embassy of India after a competitive tender process involving four leading bidders, Alhind, VFS Global, DU Digital Global and SGIVS Global. According to the embassy, ​​Alhind won the deal after submitting the lowest financial bid.In an official notice, the Indian Mission confirmed that the contract includes:

The company says the change will officially begin on July 1, with the rapid expansion of operations across the UAE.Speaking to Gulf media, Mohammed Haris T said the goal is to make services “more affordable and accessible” to Indian residents. He confirmed that the company will introduce a unified all-inclusive service charge of Dh19 on top of the embassy fee, which will include services such as photography and photocopying.“We want to make this process as affordable as possible,” Harris said, outlining the company’s expansion plans in the emirate.

16 new Indian consular centers in UAE

One of the biggest changes for the Indian diaspora will be the expansion of physical service centres. Alhind says it plans to operate from 16 locations across the UAE, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Al Ain, Kalba and Khor Fakkan.For many Indian residents outside central Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the new rollout could significantly reduce travel time for routine paperwork and passport appointments.The company also plans to digitize backend operations in a big way. According to Arun Radhakrishnan, while the application process itself will remain widely familiar, the company intends to introduce advanced online systems and digital processing tools.“The website will change, the process will be the same, but we plan to make everything digital,” Radhakrishnan said.This change is also creating a huge wave of hiring in the UAE. Alhind has announced recruitment for over 300 new operational roles, including submission officers, operations officers, branch heads and front-desk staff. The company says that fresh graduates with a valid UAE residence visa are also being considered for a number of positions.

Alhind’s UAE expansion

founded in Kerala In 1992, Alhind began operations in the Gulf region in the mid-1990s and has since expanded into travel, foreign exchange, IT services and luxury transportation businesses. The company is also building a larger aviation presence in India after getting approval to launch a domestic airline project.Although Alhind is better known in travel circles than large-scale consular outsourcing, the company already operates authorized attestation and apostille collection centers across India and has experience in managing documentation systems.However, for the UAE’s Indian community, the focus is now on how smoothly the July transition goes. With millions of people relying on passport and visa services every year, the success of the rollout could shape the future of Indian consular operations across the Gulf for years to come.

Why is change big news?

This development is attracting huge attention among Indian residents as consular services are essential for almost every major life event in the UAE, from visa renewal and passport update to family sponsorship, newborn registration and emergency travel documents.Over the years, many Indian expatriates have been connecting to these services at BLS centers in UAE. The sudden switch to a new operator therefore represents one of the biggest operational changes to Indian consular services in the Gulf in more than a decade.The change comes after India’s Ministry of External Affairs barred BLS International from participating in new Indian mission tenders for two years due to allegations of complaints and legal matters involving applicants. BLS has previously said the action will not impact its existing global operations.Industry observers say the first few months after the changeover will be closely monitored due to the sheer scale of Indian expatriates in the UAE. Even small disruptions could potentially impact thousands of appointments, travel plans and document submissions every day, analysts say.Some concerns have also emerged over operational readiness, staffing and data security as consular systems contain sensitive personal documents, biometric details and financial information. Experts quoted in UAE reports have urged authorities to ensure strong monitoring during the rollout phase.Nevertheless, many residents hope that the larger network of centers and lower service fees may eventually make passport and visa services faster and more convenient.