Indian court ruling could worsen UAE passport delays

By Danielle Reed 16/07/2026 3 min read 40 views

Indian expats in the United Arab Emirates are likely to encounter longer waits for passport and visa services after a Delhi High Court ruling forced a re‑tender of the contract that currently handles those consular functions.

Court decision overturns existing tender

The High Court found that the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi had not fully disclosed how it awarded marks to the original bidder, Alhind Tours & Travels. Two companies that lost at the technical evaluation stage challenged the award, prompting the court to order a fresh retendering process.

Alhind had secured the contract in November 2025, promising to take over services on July 1. The firm was selected because it submitted the lowest financial bid and was expected to manage 16 centres across the UAE.

Because the court ruled the original award invalid, the Ministry of External Affairs must now issue new request‑for‑proposal notices for all affected missions within a month. The judgment notes that “existing incumbents” may temporarily continue their work to avoid a service gap.

Impact on consular operations

Since the contract was nullified, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai have been providing passport, visa, and attestation services from their own premises. This arrangement marks the first time since 2009 that these diplomatic posts have directly handled the full range of consular duties.

The services include passport issuance, visa processing, Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) applications, police clearance certificates, surrender certificates, verification for the Global Entry Programme, and related attestments.

With the original private operator unable to step in, the diplomatic missions are shouldering the workload while the retendering proceeds. Officials anticipate a backlog as the new bidding process unfolds and the ministries coordinate the transition.

Compared with previous cycles, this situation resembles earlier contractual disputes where delays in awarding tenders led to temporary extensions of existing providers. In those cases, the interim period was usually brief, but the current legal challenge adds uncertainty because the court explicitly ordered a fresh competition rather than a simple extension.

For Indian residents in the UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Australia, the immediate effect may be longer processing times for essential documents. The embassy’s staff have already reported increased queues, and applicants are being advised to plan ahead for potential delays.

While the court’s decision aims to ensure transparency in public procurement, the practical outcome is a pause in the handover that was meant to streamline services through a private partner.

Officials have not disclosed a timeline for when a new contractor might be selected, but the requirement to issue fresh RFPs within a month suggests the process could extend into the latter half of the year.

In the meantime, the embassy and consulate continue to operate under the same staffing levels they had before the contract was awarded, which may strain resources as demand for passport and visa renewals climbs during peak travel seasons.

Travel agencies and community groups have started to inform members about the situation, urging them to submit applications early and to verify required documents before attending the embassy or consulate.

Overall, the High Court’s ruling shows the importance of clear procurement practices, but it also reveals how legal disputes can ripple through expatriate communities that rely on timely consular assistance.