Indian citizens applying for passports and visas have told of their relief after the launch of 16 centres across the UAE to process consular enquiries.
Thousands of people flocked to the Indian Consular Application Centres on Wednesday as the outsourcing of operations to Al Hind Tours and Travels came into effect.
The centres, spread across all seven emirates, have taken up the slack following a legal battle in India over the tender process for the service. The dispute resulted in the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai handling passport renewals directly, causing huge delays.
The 4.3 million-strong Indian diaspora makes up about a third of the UAE's population.
Madeen Shaikh, from Mumbai, was excited to renew his passport in Al Ghaith Tower in downtown Abu Dhabi and said the service was seamless.
“The experience was very easy and very fast,” Mr Sheikh told The National. “It took 15 or 20 minutes. I did not wait too much.”
Imran Khan, from Mumbai, works at an Abu Dhabi supermarket. He was applying for his newborn's passport and said the location was very convenient.
“We are just very happy because it's near to us. We can come and get the information we need. I thought the staff were very good. They assisted us well,” Mr Khan told The National.
Legal battle
India's Ministry of External Affairs originally named Al Hind as the preferred operator in April, before competitors challenged the process, prompting the Delhi High Court to quash the tender process.
The Supreme Court of India stepped in on Monday to permit an interim arrangement. This granted the ministry a three-month window to conduct a new tender process and validated the immediate use of Al Hind to manage the current workflow.
All 16 application centres will operate from 8am to 6pm, with six locations in Abu Dhabi, including Mussaffah and Al Ain. While standard applications will require online appointments, walk-ins will also be permitted on a first-come, first-served basis for Tatkal passports, newborn cases, emergency certificates and senior citizens.
Despite the high demand, Saheer Kizhakkam Kunnath, head of sales at Al Hind, said the company was prepared for the rush, with the overall capacity for the 16 centres at over 8,000 applications.
“The embassy announced on Tuesday night that the service would be starting and we got almost 1,800 applications for appointments across all the 16 locations,” he told The National.
“In all of these locations we have centres, so all the Indians can go there really easily.”
Well-trained and well-equipped
Mr Kunnath said the past few weeks, when only the embassy and consulate were open for appointments, had been hectic. But he added that everything had now changed and it only took 30 minutes to complete the paperwork.
“People were waiting a long time in the heat before,” he said. “Here, counters are fully staffed, so people can very easily come and finish their work.
“We also got the best opportunity to work with the embassy and consulate people, so our staff are very well trained and well equipped, so no issues.”
When asked whether the Indian government would continue using Al Hind as its service provider, Mr Kunnath was confident.
“Of course, because we are giving the best service for our Indian nationals, for our people, so we are expecting that,” he said. “We are charging only 19 dirhams, including the photos and application form. Everything is included.”
The new system, albeit temporary, also acts as a centralised one-stop service for all consular tasks. For over a decade, Indian expats had to travel to one company (BLS) for passports and a different company (SGIVS Global) for document attestations.
The new online portal at consularsevainuae.com allows people to book appointments, track their applications and offers guidance through the process. New slots are made available at 9am and 9pm.
“With improved navigation, enhanced accessibility, and a modern interface, applicants can now complete their requests more efficiently and stay informed throughout the process,” it said on the website.
The transition coincides with a steep global increase in Indian passport fees that took effect on July 1 and saw a standard passport renewal jump to Dh450 from Dh285.
