The Indian Embassy in the UAE announced that Alhind Tours and Travels LLC will become the sole outsourced service provider for passport, visa, and consular applications across the country from July 1.
In an update on their social media channels, the embassy conveyed this information, adding that detailed information about working hours and procedures would be conveyed later through official channels.
The transition will affect consular services for more than 3.5 million Indian expatriates in the UAE. Current service providers, BLS International Services Ltd. and SGIVS Global, will continue to operate until June 30. Applicants have been advised to complete pending submissions with the existing providers before the changeover.
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As Khaleej Times reported earlier, Alhind is preparing a massive operational overhaul to cater to the Indian community, which forms nearly 40 per cent of the UAE’s population. The group plans to launch 16 dedicated centres across all seven emirates, including major hubs in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Fujairah.
The largest centre is expected to be in Bur Dubai, spanning around 12,000 square feet with more than 45 service counters. To streamline services and reduce waiting times, the new provider has also pledged an affordable pricing structure, with an all-inclusive service fee of Dh19 in addition to mandatory government charges.
Alhind has reportedly hired over 400 staff to support operations. The embassy and consulate have urged applicants to rely only on official sources for updates, warning against misinformation. The Embassy said that it remained committed to ensuring a seamless handover of services to the new provider.
The decision followed a tender issued in November 2025 for outsourcing a wide range of services at the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India, Dubai. According to the embassy, financial bids from four shortlisted companies- Alhind, DU Digital Global Ltd, SGIVS Global LLC and VFS Global- with Alhind giving the lowest bid.
Alhind Tours & Travels Pvt Ltd is part of the Alhind group of companies which has interests in IT software, luxury rentals and foreign exchange among others. Founded in the southern Indian state of Kerala in 1992, the company began its operations in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries in 1995.
Source: Khaleej Times