4 Indian Passport Centres Shut in UAE: Renewal Fees, Timings and New Rules
Four Indian Passport Centres Shut in UAE: What Applicants Need to Know
Four Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) in the United Arab Emirates have closed from October 22, 2026, following an announcement by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. The closures come amid an ongoing legal dispute and a fresh tendering process for outsourced consular services.
Despite the closures, Indian citizens in the UAE can continue to apply for passport renewals and other consular services at the 12 remaining operational centres.
Which Indian Passport Centres Have Closed?
The following four centres have been closed:
Musaffah, Abu Dhabi
Al Reem, Abu Dhabi
Dubai Investment Park-I, Dubai
Al Majaz, Sharjah
The total number of operational Indian Consular Application Centres has consequently fallen from 16 to 12.
Can Indian Citizens Still Renew Their Passports?
Yes. Passport renewal services remain available at the 12 operational centres managed by Alhind Tours & Travels. The remaining locations include Bur Dubai, Indian Association Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Kalba, Khor Fakkan, Al Danah, Al Ain, Madinat Zayed and Ghayathi.
Tatkaal passport applications, newborn passport applications, Emergency Certificate requests and applications from people aged 60 and above are accepted on a walk-in, first-come, first-served basis at the centres, according to the report.
Passport Centre Timings and Appointments
The 12 operational centres are reported to operate from 8am to 6pm. Applicants should arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment.
Appointments can be booked through the official portal:
Appointment slots are released at 9am and 9pm daily, according to the published report.
Updated Indian Passport Renewal Fees in the UAE
The revised passport service charges, effective July 1, 2026, include the following fees:
36-page normal passport: Dh450
36-page Tatkaal passport: Dh900
60-page normal passport: Dh630
60-page Tatkaal passport: Dh1,080
Replacement charges for lost or damaged passports are higher. An additional Dh19 service fee is also charged by the service provider for ancillary services, including form filling, photographs, typing, courier and photocopying.
Applicants should confirm the applicable charges before submitting their applications.
Why Were the Centres Closed?
The closures come during a continuing dispute over the outsourcing of Indian consular services. The previous service providers, BLS International and SGIVS Global, ceased operations after their contracts ended.
Alhind Tours & Travels subsequently began operating 16 centres from July 22, 2026, following interim permission from India's Supreme Court.
A fresh tendering process was initiated after legal proceedings concerning the evaluation and awarding of the contracts. The new tender invites companies to bid for providing consular application services across the UAE, with the reported submission deadline set for October 26, 2026, at 3pm UAE time.
What Should Applicants Do Next?
Indian passport holders in the UAE should check the list of operational centres, book an appointment through the official portal, prepare the required documents and verify the latest fees before visiting.
As the tendering process continues, applicants should monitor announcements from the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai for further updates.
The information in this report is based on the published news report dated October 23, 2026. Applicants should verify current arrangements through official consular channels before travelling to a centre.
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