Four Indian consular application centres cease operations from 22 October, with passport, visa and attestation services continuing through 12 designated centres across the Emirates.
ABU DHABI: The Indian Embassy has announced changes to passport, visa and consular services across the UAE, effective Thursday, October 22, 2026.
Four Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) will close due to administrative reasons. The remaining 12 centres will continue operating normally.
The changes affect Indian residents seeking passport renewals, visa assistance, document attestation and other consular services.
The Embassy issued the announcement on October 21, advising applicants to use the designated centres operated by Al Hind Tours & Travels.
Four centres closing from October 22
The following centres will discontinue services:
- Abu Dhabi: Musaffah and Al Reem Island
- Dubai: Dubai Investment Park 1
- Sharjah: Al Majaz
Applicants who previously used these locations must visit another operational centre.
Where can applicants go?
The 12 remaining centres are located across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
These include Al Danah, Al Ain, Madinat Zayed and Ghayathi in Abu Dhabi emirate.
In Dubai, services will continue at Bur Dubai.
Sharjah residents can visit the Indian Association centre, while other operational locations include Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Kalba and Khor Fakkan.
Working hours and walk-in services
All 12 centres operate from 8am to 6pm.
Applicants with appointments can enter only 15 minutes before their scheduled time.
However, the Embassy permits walk-in applications for Tatkal passports, newborn passports, Emergency Certificates and senior citizens aged 60 and above.
These requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Impact to expect
Indian residents may need to travel farther to access services following the closures.
Applicants should verify their centre and appointment before travelling to avoid inconvenience.
Passport, visa and attestation services will remain available across the UAE through the 12 operational centres.
