Four Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) across the UAE have stopped operating as of October 22, and applicants with passports pending collection at these locations must now pick them up from one of two alternative centres, according to a fresh service advisory.
The closed centres are located in Dubai Investment Park (DIP) in Dubai, Al Majaz in Sharjah, and Musaffah and Al Reem in Abu Dhabi. Alhind, one of the companies handling Indian consular services in the UAE, confirmed that all pending passport collections from these four non-operational centres have been redirected elsewhere.
Applicants whose passports were processed at the DIP or Al Majaz centres should now collect them from UW Mall in Bur Dubai. Those whose documents were handled at the Musaffah or Al Reem centres in Abu Dhabi need to head to the Al Danah Centre in the capital instead.
Despite the closures, twelve Indian consular centres remain fully operational across the UAE, continuing to process both new and existing applications without disruption. The change affects only the administrative and logistical side of passport distribution rather than signalling any broader reduction in Indian consular services in the country.
Given the size of the Indian community in the UAE — one of the largest expatriate populations in the country — applicants who submitted passport applications at any of the four affected centres in recent weeks are advised to check the exact current collection point with the relevant centre, either online or by phone, before travelling in person, to avoid an unnecessary trip.