The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi has issued a new tender to outsource passport, visa and consular services across the UAE, seeking a single provider to run operations for both the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai under a three-year contract.
Under the tender's terms, the winning contractor will be required to operate 15 Indian Consular Application Centres spread across the Emirates, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. The scope of work covers passport applications, visa processing, OCI card services, police clearance certificates, surrender certificates, Global Entry Programme verification, document attestation, appointment scheduling, document collection, digitisation and delivery. bids must be submitted by October 26, the successful bidder will be announced on November 27, and the new provider must begin operations within 45 days of signing the contract.
The fresh tender follows a legal dispute that previously caused delays in passport renewals for Indian nationals in the UAE, during which Alhind Tours & Travels has served as the interim service provider. India's Supreme Court had ordered that a new tender process be completed within three months.
The outcome matters significantly for the roughly 4.3 million-strong Indian community in the UAE, since the speed and quality of passport and visa services directly affect their daily lives, from renewing travel documents to processing OCI cards for their children. If the published timeline holds, the new operator should be in place before the end of the calendar year.