Starting October 22, the Indian Embassy in the UAE has officially streamlined its operations by closing four consular application centres. Previously operated by Al Hind Tours & Travels, the network has been reduced from 16 locations down to 12. The affected branches include those situated in Musaffah, Al Reem, Dubai Investment Park-I, and Sharjah Al Majaz, with officials citing administrative reasons for the consolidation.

Despite these closures, the remaining 12 centres across the UAE will continue to provide standard passport, visa, and attestation services during their regular operating hours of 8 am to 6 pm. To ensure a smooth process, applicants are reminded to arrive no more than 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time. The Embassy has also maintained flexibility for urgent situations, allowing walk-in access for emergency certificates, newborn applications, Tatkal services, and citizens over the age of 60.

This shift follows a recent update to the passport fee structure implemented by the Indian government this past July, which marked the first price hike in over a decade. While standard 36-page passport renewals now cost Dh450, Al Hind continues to manage the service delivery, charging a nominal additional fee of Dh19 to cover administrative extras like photography and document photocopying.