A major restructuring effort aims to streamline consular services for over 40 lakh Indians in the UAE
The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi is set to replace its current passport and attestation centres with 14 new Indian Consular Application Centres (ICAC) across the UAE. The move is part of a broader initiative to centralise consular services, making the process more efficient and accessible for Indian nationals and foreigners seeking Indian visas, reported mathrubhumi.com.
New service centres to consolidate passport, visa, and attestation services
The Embassy has reopened the tender process for service providers to manage these new centres, with plans to launch them by the second quarter of 2025. The ICAC will merge services currently handled by BLS International and IVS Global, bringing all consular assistance under one roof.
Enhanced facilities and real-time tracking system
The Embassy has outlined several improvements, including a dedicated website for appointment bookings, a real-time application tracking dashboard, and strict deadlines for processing applications. These changes are expected to reduce waiting times and enhance service efficiency.
Locations of new centres across UAE
The 14 service centres will be strategically located across key cities in the UAE, including:
-
Abu Dhabi: Al Khalidiya, Al Reem, Musaffah
-
Dubai: Al Ain, Ghayathi, Bur Dubai, JLT/Marina
-
Sharjah: Al Majaz
-
Ajman: Al Jurf
-
Fujairah: City Centre
-
Umm Al Quwain: Central Hub
-
Khor Fakkan: Corniche/Subara, Kalba
-
Ras Al Khaimah: Nakheel/Khujan/Mareed
With over 40 lakh Indian expatriates in the UAE, this initiative is expected to significantly enhance the accessibility and efficiency of consular services, benefiting a large section of the community.
***********************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken a small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, running a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will make a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com
