Indian Passport Renewal in Dubai: Al Hind, Fees and the Process (2026)

The short answer: Indian passport renewal in the UAE has gone through three operators in three months. BLS International's contract ended on 30 June 2026; the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai then ran the service themselves for three weeks while a tender dispute was in court; since 22 July 2026, a new outsourced partner, Al Hind Tours & Travels LLC, has run it through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) across the country, booked at consularsevainuae.com. Al Hind adds a flat AED 19 service charge on top of the government fee, which itself rose on 1 July 2026: a normal 36-page renewal is now AED 450 (Tatkal AED 900), and a 60-page booklet is AED 630 (Tatkal AED 1,080). Holidayys does not renew passports – that is the Consulate's and Al Hind's job – but once your new one is in hand, we can help with the UAE visa paperwork that follows.

Most people searching for this are trying to do one of three things: find out where to apply now that BLS has gone, work out what it costs under the new fee table, or track an application that already went in. This guide covers the current process end to end – booking, documents, fees, photo rules, police verification, minors, lost passports, tracking – and what a new passport means for a UAE visa that is still showing the old one.

Indian passport renewal in the UAE at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Who runs the service	Al Hind Tours & Travels LLC, through Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) – not BLS, not VFS
Since when	22 July 2026, per the Embassy of India's notice; BLS stopped on 30 June 2026
Where to book	consularsevainuae.com; new slots release at 9am and 9pm daily
Centres	16 across the UAE: 2 in Dubai, 6 in the Abu Dhabi emirate, 2 in Sharjah, and 1 each in Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Khorfakkan and Kalba
Hours	8am–6pm; entry only 15 minutes before your appointment
Government fee, 36-page renewal	AED 450 normal, AED 900 Tatkal
Government fee, 60-page renewal	AED 630 normal, AED 1,080 Tatkal
Operator's service charge	AED 19 per application, inclusive of VAT, on top of the government fee
Walk-in without a booking	Tatkal, newborn, Emergency Certificate and senior citizens (60+) only, first come first served
Embassy/Consulate counters	No longer take these applications directly

What changed: three operators since June

If a blog or forum post you have read describes booking through BLS, it is out of date. Here is the sequence, as the Embassy of India and news reporting describe it. The Embassy and Consulate issued a tender in November 2025 to replace their long-standing outsourced provider. Al Hind Tours & Travels LLC, a Kerala-based firm, won as the lowest bidder, at AED 19 a transaction. BLS International's and SGIVS Global's contracts expired on 30 June 2026 and they stopped taking bookings.

Al Hind's 1 July start was then blocked: two losing bidders challenged the tender award in the Delhi High Court. For three weeks, the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai ran passport, visa and attestation services themselves, through a temporary portal, appointment-only, with very limited walk-ins. India's Supreme Court then allowed an interim arrangement: a three-month window for a fresh tender, with Al Hind approved to run the ICACs meanwhile. The Embassy's notice, dated 21 July 2026, set the handover at 22 July 2026. Since then, applications go through Al Hind's 16 ICACs, booked at consularsevainuae.com; the Embassy and Consulate no longer handle them directly.

That three-month retender window opened in late July 2026 and runs out around late October 2026, shortly after this guide was checked, so the arrangement with Al Hind could change again soon. If a notice on the Embassy's or Consulate's website looks different from what is here, follow the notice.

Where to go: the 16 ICACs

The centres are grouped by emirate. Addresses for each can change, so confirm the exact one when you book at consularsevainuae.com rather than relying on a name alone.

Emirate	Centres
Abu Dhabi	Six centres, reported as Al Danah (also reported as Al Khalidiya), Al Reem Island, Musaffah, Madinat Zayed, Ghayathi and Al Ain
Dubai	Two centres: the flagship at UW Mall, Bur Dubai, and one at Dubai Investment Park
Sharjah	Two centres: Al Majaz and Rolla
Ajman	Al Jurf
Fujairah	Al Faseel
Umm Al Quwain	Al Ramlah
Ras Al Khaimah	Al Mamourah Road
Khorfakkan	Sheikh Khalid Road
Kalba	Indian Social and Cultural Club

All 16 run from 8am to 6pm, and you can only enter 15 minutes before your slot. Tatkal applications, newborn passports, Emergency Certificates and applications from anyone 60 or over are accepted as walk-ins, first come first served, at any centre, without a booking.

How to apply: two steps, not one

Renewing is a two-part process, and the order matters.

1. Fill in the application online first. The Government of India's own passport system for missions abroad has been migrating, mission by mission, to a newer version, generally referred to as Global Passport Seva 2.0. Use whichever online application link the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, or the Consulate General of India, Dubai, currently points you to on their own websites (both sites also link from indembassyuae.gov.in and cgidubai.gov.in), fill in the reissue form, upload your photo and documents, and keep the application reference number it gives you.
2. Book your ICAC appointment. Go to consularsevainuae.com, choose your category and nearest centre, and pick a released slot (new slots appear at 9am and 9pm each day, so if nothing is free, check again at those times). Bring your application reference number, your current passport, your Emirates ID and the other documents for your situation, below.

At the centre you submit the documents, pay the government fee plus Al Hind's AED 19 charge, and receive a submission receipt. Keep that receipt: you need it to track the application and to collect the finished passport, or to arrange courier delivery if that option is offered at your centre.

Documents for a normal adult renewal

The Consulate General of India, Dubai's own passport pages set out document lists for specific situations (lost passport, damaged passport, name or address changes) rather than one single checklist for a routine renewal. For a straightforward renewal where nothing on the passport is changing, applicants are generally asked for:

• Your current passport, original
• Your Emirates ID, copy
• A valid UAE residence visa page or equivalent proof of status
• Your application reference number from the online form
• Your uploaded or printed photograph, if the centre asks for a physical copy

If anything is changing – your address, your name after marriage, a spelling correction, adding or removing a spouse's name – the Consulate's website lists the extra paperwork for that specific change (for example, a marriage certificate or an Annexure J joint declaration for a surname change, or a DEWA/SEWA bill and title deed for a UAE address). Check the relevant page before your appointment rather than guessing, since an incomplete file is the most common reason an application gets held up.

Fees: what the July 2026 revision actually charges

India's Ministry of External Affairs revised passport fees nationwide, including for the UAE, from 1 July 2026. The adult 36-page normal fee rose from AED 285 to AED 450, roughly a 58% increase, and every other category moved up with it.

Service	Normal	Tatkal
Adult, fresh or reissue, 36 pages	AED 450	AED 900
Adult, fresh or reissue, 60 pages	AED 630	AED 1,080
Adult, lost or damaged replacement, 36 pages	AED 900	AED 1,350
Adult, lost or damaged replacement, 60 pages	AED 1,080	AED 1,530
Minor (under 18), fresh or reissue, 36 pages	AED 325	AED 775
Young child (up to age 8), fresh passport only, 36 pages – 10% discount, not on reissue	AED 295	AED 700
Police clearance certificate	AED 145	Not offered
Emergency certificate	AED 60	Not offered
Identity certificate	AED 180	Not offered

Add Al Hind's AED 19 service charge per application, and, where it applies, an Indian Community Welfare Fund contribution – the Consulate's notice mentions this without an amount, so confirm it when you book. We could not confirm the 60-page or lost/damaged fee for minors from an official notice; ask at the ICAC or check consularsevainuae.com's fee breakdown.

An adult passport is valid for up to 10 years; a minor's passport is valid for 5 years or until the holder turns 18, whichever comes first.

Normal or Tatkal, 36 or 60 pages

Tatkal is the expedited category, priced at roughly double the normal fee, and it is one of the categories Al Hind accepts as a walk-in at any ICAC without a booking. Choose 36 or 60 pages based on how much you travel and how many visa pages you tend to use; a 60-page booklet costs more but means fewer blank-page refusals if you hold several multi-entry visas. Neither official source we checked states a standard processing time for a UAE application; third-party guides suggest a normal renewal typically takes a few weeks once documents and any police verification clear, with Tatkal faster. Treat any specific day count you read elsewhere as unconfirmed and ask at booking.

The photo

Government guidance calls for a recent colour photograph against a plain white or off-white background, taken square to the camera with a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed, and no headwear except for a genuine religious reason, with the chin, forehead and both edges of the face visible. Since 1 September 2025 the Consulate General in Dubai has accepted only photos that meet the ICAO standard: a colour image of 630 by 810 pixels on a white background, with the face filling 80 to 85% of the frame and no glasses. That shape matches a 35mm by 45mm print. Some guides, including Khaleej Times' August 2026 guide to the new centres, still list two 51mm by 51mm prints, so ask the ICAC which it wants before you print, or let its photo counter take the picture. Our photo size guide and UAE visa photo requirements cover visa photos, which follow different rules from an Indian passport photo, so use them for comparison only, not as the passport spec itself.

Police verification: who actually needs it

Police verification is part of an Indian passport renewal from the UAE, but for most applicants it does not hold up the new passport. The Consulate General in Dubai sorts applications into two tracks: a verification completed before the passport is issued, and a verification carried out afterwards, with the passport issued first. The pre-issuance track applies if your last passport was not issued in the UAE, or if you have not held a continuous UAE residence visa for the last five years; most other UAE renewals go through on the faster, post-issuance track. The check itself confirms citizenship and whether a criminal case has been registered since your last verification; officials have said it does not involve verifying your UAE address. If the police report later raises a flag, the passport can still be cancelled, so it is not a formality to ignore.

Renewing a minor's passport

For a normal renewal, the Consulate's page for minors asks for the minor's UAE visa copy, and both parents present in person with their own original passports. Other situations have their own paperwork: if one parent is in the UAE and the other abroad, a self-attested Annexure D from the absent parent; if both parents are outside the UAE, a local guardian can apply with a joint sworn affidavit from the parents and a supporting affidavit (not needed if the guardian is a grandparent); if both parents are deceased, the legal guardian's passport, visa and a court order appointing them; for a single unwed mother, Annexures C and D; for divorced parents, a certified court order and Annexure C, with the detail depending on custody. A minor's passport is valid for 5 years or until they turn 18.

Lost or damaged passport, briefly

A lost passport needs a police report or FIR (or an English translation of one), a declaration in the Consulate's Annexure F format, and photocopies of every page of the old passport you can produce, including the visa page. A damaged passport needs the original damaged booklet itself, plus the same photocopies and Annexure F declaration. Both are more expensive than a routine renewal under the fee table above, and both are offered under Tatkal as well as normal processing. If your passport is lost or stolen in the UAE, also report it to the local police before you apply.

Tracking your application

Keep the file or reference number from your online application and the submission receipt from the ICAC; both are used to check progress. The government's passport status tracker (reachable from passportindia.gov.in, or through the mPassport Seva mobile app) takes your file number and date of birth and returns the current stage. Al Hind's consularsevainuae.com, as the current ICAC operator, also lets you monitor an application you booked through it. SMS tracking and the Indian national passport helpline are built around Indian mobile numbers, so we cannot confirm they work reliably for a UAE-registered phone; the portal and the app are the more dependable options from here.

Your UAE visa and the new passport

Since December 2022, the UAE has issued residence and most other visas electronically rather than as a sticker in your passport, so getting a new Indian passport does not, by itself, cancel or interrupt a UAE residence or visit visa already granted on the old one; day to day, your Emirates ID is what you present. ICP (the federal authority, for visas issued outside Dubai) and GDRFA Dubai (for Dubai-issued visas) do not require you to move the visa record to your new passport, and the move is optional, mainly useful if you want to travel on a single passport rather than carrying both. If you do want to transfer it, Dubai-issued visas are handled through GDRFA's Amer centres or its online smart-services system (sign in with UAE Pass); visas issued in the other emirates go through ICP. Either way you will need copies of both the old and new passport, and typing centres commonly cite a GDRFA rule that your passport needs more than 180 days of remaining validity for a visa transaction of any kind, including a renewal – one more reason not to leave your Indian passport renewal until the last few months.

If a visa change, a visit visa for family, or simply checking that your visa is still valid is on your list once the new passport arrives, that is where we can help: see our UAE visa services, or run a free check with reminders at UAE visa check.

Frequently asked questions

Who renews Indian passports in the UAE now that BLS has stopped?

Al Hind Tours & Travels LLC, through 16 Indian Consular Application Centres across the UAE, since 22 July 2026. BLS International's contract ended on 30 June 2026 and it no longer takes bookings. Book an appointment at consularsevainuae.com.

How much does it cost to renew an Indian passport in the UAE in 2026?

A normal 36-page renewal costs AED 450 (Tatkal AED 900), and a 60-page renewal costs AED 630 (Tatkal AED 1,080), under the fee revision that took effect on 1 July 2026. Al Hind adds a flat AED 19 service charge per application on top.

How do I track my Indian passport application from the UAE?

Use your file number and date of birth on the government's passport status tracker or the mPassport Seva app, or check through consularsevainuae.com if you booked your ICAC appointment there. SMS tracking is built for Indian mobile numbers and may not work reliably from the UAE.

Do I need police verification to renew my Indian passport in the UAE?

Possibly. Most UAE renewals go through on a faster track, with the passport issued first and the check completed afterwards; a slower, pre-issuance check applies mainly if your last passport was not issued in the UAE or you have not held continuous UAE residence for five years.

What size photo do I need for an Indian passport renewal?

A recent colour photo against a plain white or off-white background, face forward, neutral expression, no headwear except for religious reasons. Since September 2025 the Consulate in Dubai has accepted only ICAO-standard photos: 630 by 810 pixels, face filling 80 to 85% of the frame, no glasses. That matches a 35 by 45mm print; some guides still list 51 by 51mm, so ask the ICAC before you print.

Does my UAE visa automatically move to my new Indian passport?

No, and it does not need to. UAE visas have been issued electronically, not as a passport sticker, since December 2022, so your Emirates ID remains your day-to-day proof. Moving the visa record to the new passport number is optional and is handled by GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (other emirates) if you want it.

Where Holidayys fits in

We do not renew passports, issue police clearance certificates, or handle Indian consular paperwork – that is the Consulate General of India, the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and Al Hind's ICACs. Where we can help is on the UAE side: once your new passport is in hand, see our UAE visa services for a visa change, an extension or a visit visa for family, or run a free UAE visa check with WhatsApp and email reminders so nothing expires unnoticed. If the new passport is also the start of your next trip, see visa services for the 57 destinations we handle, or holiday packages for a ready-made itinerary. Message us on WhatsApp at +971 4 589 0001 or use our contact page.

Related guides

• Pakistani passport renewal in the UAE
• UAE visa status check: how to confirm your visa is valid
• UAE visa change: inside the country, by bus or by flight
• UAE visit visa for Indians: routes, fees, documents and the 5-year visa
• UAE visa photo requirements: ICP and GDRFA Dubai's rules, compared
• Visa photo size guide

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and Consulate General of India, Dubai's notices and fee circulars (indembassyuae.gov.in, cgidubai.gov.in), Al Hind's consularsevainuae.com booking portal, and reporting in Khaleej Times, Gulf News and The National. This guide is general information, not immigration advice, and the operator and process have changed twice in recent months. Confirm the current booking portal, documents and fees with the Consulate General of India, Dubai or the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi before you apply.