Since 22 July 2026, Indian passport, visa, OCI, Police Clearance Certificate, and attestation applications in the UAE are no longer handled by BLS International or SGIVS Global. A single new operator, Alhind Tours & Travels LLC, now runs every one of these services through 16 new centres across the country. The handover sounds routine — a contractor swap — but it survived a Delhi High Court ruling that voided the contract outright, and a Supreme Court appeal that only narrowly kept it alive. Here's what's actually settled, and what still isn't.
What Actually Changed on July 22
Alhind Tours & Travels LLC is now the sole outsourced service provider for Indian consular services across the UAE, operating through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) spread across all seven emirates. It replaces:
- BLS International — previously handled passport and visa applications, since 2011
- SGIVS Global, popularly known as IVS — previously handled attestation and other consular services
Both providers' contracts expired on 30 June 2026. Applicants can no longer submit these applications directly at the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India, Dubai — everything now routes through an ICAC. Services covered include passport renewal, new passport applications, passport reissue, OCI services, Police Clearance Certificates, visa services, birth and marriage registration, Power of Attorney, and document attestation.
Why It Took Three Weeks Longer Than Planned
Alhind actually won this contract back in April 2026, submitting the lowest bid at Dh19 per transaction and beating VFS Global, DU Digital Global, and SGIVS Global itself. It built all 16 centres and was ready to open on 1 July, the day BLS and SGIVS's contracts lapsed. That's not what happened:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2026 | Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi awards the UAE contract to Alhind (lowest bid) |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Supreme Court orders status quo, freezing Alhind's planned 1 Jul launch |
| 30 Jun 2026 | BLS International's and SGIVS Global's contracts expire |
| 1–21 Jul 2026 | Embassy & Consulate run a limited, walk-in-only service directly from their own premises |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Delhi High Court quashes the tender's technical evaluation; orders a fresh RFP within a month |
| 21 Jul 2026 | Supreme Court declines to intervene, but allows a temporary arrangement |
| 22 Jul 2026 | Alhind opens all 16 ICACs across the UAE |
Two of the bidders that lost the tender, E Trav Tech and Verasys, challenged the Ministry of External Affairs in the Delhi High Court, arguing the technical evaluation was arbitrary and its scoring never explained. On 15 July, the court agreed — it quashed the evaluation and voided the contract awards tied to it, not just for the UAE but for three other missions covered by the same tender (Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra). The government appealed; on 21 July the Supreme Court declined to overturn that ruling, but let the Ministry make interim arrangements so services wouldn't collapse entirely. With its centres already built and staffed, Alhind was cleared to open on 22 July under that interim cover.
Same services, new counter. Nothing about what you're applying for changed — only who processes it, and where you go to submit it.
How to Book: Fees, Hours, Walk-Ins
- Book online at the official Consular Seva in UAE portal — new slots release daily at 9am and 9pm.
- Centre hours: 8am–6pm daily. Arrive no more than 15 minutes before your slot — entry isn't allowed earlier.
- Fee: a flat Dh19 service charge (incl. VAT), on top of the Government of India's own consular fees — which were separately revised from 1 July 2026. The Dh19 covers form-filling, photo, document typing, courier, printing, and photocopying.
- Walk-ins still accepted without an appointment for: Tatkal passport applications, newborn passports, Emergency Certificates, and applicants aged 60 and above.
What This Doesn't Touch
This is a change of who processes Indian government paperwork — nothing more. It does not affect UAE residence visas, UAE tourist visas, Emirates ID, or UAE immigration rules generally. Those are UAE government matters, entirely separate from which contractor India uses to process its own citizens' passport and consular applications.
Is Alhind's Contract Actually Final?
Worth being precise here, since the headlines make it sound more settled than it is. Alhind is operating the ICACs right now — that part is confirmed. But the three-year contract meant to make this permanent is exactly what the Delhi High Court voided on 15 July. What's running since 22 July is a temporary arrangement the Supreme Court allowed so applicants weren't left with nowhere to go, not a validated long-term award. The Ministry of External Affairs still owes a fresh tender for the Abu Dhabi mission (alongside Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra) within a month of that ruling. Alhind, having already built and staffed the infrastructure, is a strong favorite to keep it — but "who runs this in six months" is genuinely unsettled. "Where you go to submit your passport application right now" is not.
Before booking an appointment, cross-check current instructions on the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi or Consulate General of India, Dubai websites — not a social media post or a forwarded message. Both missions have separately warned residents to rely only on official channels given how much scam activity this kind of transition attracts.
FAQ
Is BLS International still handling Indian passport applications in the UAE?
No. BLS International's contract expired on 30 June 2026 and it is not part of the current arrangement. All applications now go through Alhind Tours & Travels' 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs).
Does this change affect my UAE residence or tourist visa?
No. It only changes who processes Indian passport, OCI, PCC and attestation paperwork. UAE residence visas, UAE tourist visas, Emirates ID, and UAE immigration rules are unaffected.
Is Alhind's contract to run these services permanent?
Not confirmed yet. The Delhi High Court voided the original tender award on 15 July 2026 over how bids were evaluated. Alhind is operating under a temporary arrangement the Supreme Court permitted on 21 July while the government reruns the tender.
How do I book a passport or visa appointment in the UAE now?
Through the consularsevainuae.com portal. New slots are released daily at 9am and 9pm. Tatkal passports, newborn passports, Emergency Certificates, and applicants aged 60+ can still walk in without an appointment.