The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has launched a new tender to appoint a single service provider to manage passport, visa and consular services for Indian nationals across the UAE. The three-year contract will require the winning bidder to operate 15 application centres spanning multiple emirates.
The fresh tender follows a legal dispute in India that disrupted the previous procurement process, causing significant delays in passport renewals for Indian residents in the UAE. India's Supreme Court ordered the government to conduct and complete a new tender process within three months, prompting the embassy's latest call for bids.
Alhind Tours & Travels has been running the services on an interim basis since July 2026 and will continue to do so until a new provider is confirmed. Under the published timeline, bids must be submitted by October 26, with the successful bidder to be announced by November 27. The new provider is expected to begin operations within 45 days of signing the contract.
The embassy has clarified that no changes apply to current procedures for now, and Indian nationals in the UAE should continue using Alhind's existing centres until further notice is issued. Once appointed, the new provider will take over passport applications, visa services, OCI applications, police clearance certificates, appointment scheduling, document collection and customer support across the country.
The move comes as India's large expatriate community in the UAE, one of the country's biggest overseas populations, has faced widespread delays in consular services in recent months, making this tender a bid to put the system on a more stable footing long-term.