[REVISION HISTORY]

UAE visa-on-arrival & Indian consular outsourcing

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-09 14:06 UTC → 2026-08-17 13:11 UTC · added ~~removed~~

UAE ~~visa‑on‑arrival~~ visa-on-arrival & Indian consular outsourcing

In June 2026, the UAE launched a visa-on-arrival programme for several nationalities holding residence permits from the US, EU, UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada. By late June, the programme expanded to include citizens of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya, and South Africa. Simultaneously, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced that Al Hind Tours and Travels would become the sole outsourced provider for Indian consular services, with a handover scheduled for 1 July. Following the termination of previous contracts with BLS International and SGIVS Global, the embassy and Dubai consulate activated an online appointment portal, restricting walk-ins to narrow windows for emergencies and newborns. On 20 July, the Supreme Court of India declined to intervene in a Delhi High Court ruling that halted the outsourcing tender for Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra, citing a lack of transparency. The court ordered a fresh tender within three months while allowing interim arrangements. Following a three-week period of in-house processing, passport, visa, and attestation services resumed on 22 July at 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) across the UAE under Al Hind Tours. As of August 2026, the mission is working to clear appointment backlogs, with the flagship Dubai facility aiming to accommodate up to 8,000 applicants daily. A revised fee schedule for passport renewals, including a Dh19 administrative charge from Al Hind Tours, also took effect. By mid-August, the mission aimed to clear backlogs by 15 August, coinciding with India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations. To further assist the expatriate community, the Embassy introduced walk-in appointment slots from 9 am to 1 pm at all 16 ICACs on a first-come, first-served basis, though online booking remains encouraged.

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