India’s Embassy in Abu Dhabi has awarded a landmark outsourcing contract to Kerala-based Alhind Group, ending BLS International’s decade-long run as the sole service provider for the UAE’s four-million-strong Indian community. Starting 1 July, Alhind will operate 16 one-stop centres across all seven emirates, with a 12,000-sq-ft flagship facility in Bur Dubai featuring 45 counters. For the first time, there will be dedicated Arabic-language counters for Emiratis applying for Indian visas—an upgrade expected to reduce errors and repeat visits.
![UAE to open 16 new Indian passport & visa centres, pilot home-delivery renewals]()
VisaHQ’s self-service and concierge options can provide an additional layer of convenience during this transition. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), travelers and HR teams can verify document requirements, complete electronic forms, and book courier pickups, reducing the likelihood of missing paperwork before visiting the new Alhind centres.
The most eye-catching innovation is a pilot “passport-at-your-doorstep” programme. Applicants submit basic details online and Alhind dispatches staff to capture biometrics and collect documents at home or the workplace, eliminating the need to queue at visa centres. If the roll-out proves successful, the embassy is considering extending the model to OCI card renewals and police-clearance certificates. Flat-fee pricing capped at AED 19 above the embassy schedule aims to end complaints about opaque add-ons for photographs and courier services. Alhind says it has hired 400 trained staff and will publish real-time appointment slots, addressing the chronic shortage that forced many UAE-based Indians to fly home for urgent passport work. For corporate mobility teams, the expansion promises faster turnaround on passport renewals, surrender certificates and Indian visa applications for non-Indian colleagues posted in the Gulf. Companies should update relocation handbooks with the new centre addresses and note that Bur Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah branches will offer walk-in counters for newborn-passport issuance—critical for employees on tight maternity timelines.
VisaHQ’s self-service and concierge options can provide an additional layer of convenience during this transition. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), travelers and HR teams can verify document requirements, complete electronic forms, and book courier pickups, reducing the likelihood of missing paperwork before visiting the new Alhind centres.
The most eye-catching innovation is a pilot “passport-at-your-doorstep” programme. Applicants submit basic details online and Alhind dispatches staff to capture biometrics and collect documents at home or the workplace, eliminating the need to queue at visa centres. If the roll-out proves successful, the embassy is considering extending the model to OCI card renewals and police-clearance certificates. Flat-fee pricing capped at AED 19 above the embassy schedule aims to end complaints about opaque add-ons for photographs and courier services. Alhind says it has hired 400 trained staff and will publish real-time appointment slots, addressing the chronic shortage that forced many UAE-based Indians to fly home for urgent passport work. For corporate mobility teams, the expansion promises faster turnaround on passport renewals, surrender certificates and Indian visa applications for non-Indian colleagues posted in the Gulf. Companies should update relocation handbooks with the new centre addresses and note that Bur Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah branches will offer walk-in counters for newborn-passport issuance—critical for employees on tight maternity timelines.
