A dedicated online portal has been launched for Indian expatriates in the UAE to book appointments for consular services, including passport and attestation. The new booking portal - book.passportindiauae.com - was announced on Sunday as part of the temporary administrative changes being made to their office premises by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
Appointments can be booked on book.passportindiauae.com, the Embassy and the Consulate said. Appointment slots will be available for booking between 9am and 1pm, reports added.
This comes amid the delay in the operation of the new Unified Indian Consular Application Centres allocated to Al Hind Tours and Travels due to legal proceedings. In a press release issued on Friday, the company said the commencement of its Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) services on behalf of the Embassy of India has been "deferred until further notice due to administrative reasons communicated by the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi." The company said it had received official communication from the Embassy advising that CPV services would begin "only upon further instructions from the Mission."
The transition came to a halt after other bidders approached the Delhi High Court, alleging irregularities in the technical evaluation.
The embassy also announced revised guidelines for limited walk-in services introduced at their premises. Walk-in services are available at the Abu Dhabi embassy and Dubai consulate from 9am to 11am. Authorities said priority will be given to emergency cases, including newborn documentation and emergency certificates.
It has also instructed applicants with prior appointments to enter 15 minutes before their scheduled time. To avoid crowding, only applicants are allowed inside the Embassy and Consulate, except minor applicants, for whom both parents must be present.
The Embassy has also outlined entry points and service counters for different applicant categories, urging visitors to follow instructions carefully to avoid delays.
