ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The Indian Embassy in the UAE has warned residents not to pay agents or unofficial intermediaries claiming to arrange passport, visa or attestation services.
In an advisory issued Friday, the embassy said BLS International and SGIVS Global are no longer the outsourced service providers for the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai. The change took effect July 1.
The embassy said members of the public should not hand over money to BLS, SGIVS, or any person or agency claiming to secure appointments on behalf of the embassy or consulate.
Passport, visa and attestation services are now being handled directly by the Indian mission from its own premises. Officials said any claim that a third party has authorization to act for the embassy or consulate is false.
The embassy also said all appointments can be booked directly through the official appointment portal at no charge. It emphasized that no third party is allowed to collect a fee for the service.
Residents who believe they were misled, overcharged or given false information by any individual or agency are being urged to contact the embassy in Abu Dhabi or the consulate in Dubai through official channels.
The warning comes as the Indian missions in the UAE continue handling consular services directly on an appointment basis. The system had earlier shifted from walk-in access to advance online booking.
The service transition itself remains tied to a legal dispute in India over the new outsourcing contract. Alhind Global Services had been selected earlier this year to take over consular services starting July 1 after a competitive bidding process, but the change has been delayed while the case moves through court.
Until the process is resolved, Indian residents in the UAE are being told to rely only on official embassy and consulate platforms for appointments and service updates.
