Indian passport service will be made flawless
Don’t misuse Tatkal – Consul General
DubaiINobody abroad should charge unnecessary fees for Indian passport services, said the newly-appointed Indian Consul General in Dubai, Dr. E. Vishnu Vardhan. He was speaking at an informal meeting with journalists in Dubai. There are complaints that some typing centres are imposing unnecessary fees and unnecessary procedures. The primary mission is to make Indian passport services faster and flawless. This requires cooperation from various corners of the society.
Following the shift to a new outsourced service provider, work is being done to eliminate delays in urgent passport applications. After being appointed as an interim service provider for at least three months, the outsourced service centres are currently functioning through 16 ICACs across the UAE. These are official. Walk-in applications are allowed in the Tatkal category. Applications should be made with supporting documents such as confirmed air tickets or other proof of emergency.
He said that this service should be reserved for genuine emergencies and should not be misused.
All passport applications are as per the rules of the Government of India. Applicants are advised to check their eligibility themselves before opting for Tatkal.
We will cooperate with Dubai Police to combat cyber crimes and financial frauds. We are planning to have regular communication with NORKA, Kerala. There is a responsibility to strengthen trade relations between India and the UAE. We have had communication with the Indian business community ~ he said. Dr. M.M.D. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy took charge as the new Indian Consul General yesterday. This is a historic first for Telangana. Dr. Reddy has become the first officer from the South Indian state to head the Consulate of India in the emirate. Dr. Vishnu Vardhan is a native of Warangal district in Telangana and a 2008 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). He is an alumnus of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. Prior to this appointment, he served on deputation as Special Secretary for Investment Promotion and Foreign Engagement in the Telangana State Government. He had earlier held the post of Regional Passport Officer in Hyderabad.
In addition to his service in the United Nations, Dr. Reddy has held various posts in Europe and Latin America. This is expected to be helpful in Dubai, which has one of the largest and economically active Indian communities in the world.
Considering the scope of trade, remittances and community welfare activities overseen by the Indian Consulate in Dubai for the expatriates in the emirate and the Northern Emirates, the Indian Consulate in Dubai is considered one of the most important foreign missions in India. Consul Ankita Arvind Wadekar attended
CG Dr. E. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy briefed the media about the transition of the passport services of India to the new Indian Consular Application Centres (ICAC). The Consulate is working on priority basis to removed the pendency before Independence Day, specially in the Tatkal category, and bring it to the standard processing time as soon as possible.
Walk ins are available to people for Tatkal cases, new borns, emergency certificates.
He also spoke about the need to create awareness about the official portal (consularsevainuae.com) for getting appointments for the passport services and not fall prey to the fraudulent third party service providers. The applicable standard fee for all services is 19 aed. No additional charges are there.
On the occasion of the upcoming 80th Independence Day 2026 celebrations, he also spoke about the initiatives GoI will be undertaking. Starting with the
1) Har Ghar Tiranga campaign from 9th to 17th August 2026- participating through a selfie/ photo with the Tiranga,
2) Surya Path Tiranga- a symbolic global relay of Tiranga hoisting across India Missions and Posts abroad, following the path of the rising sun from east to west across different time zones.
3) 150 years of Vande Mataram- collective singing of the National Song and at patriotic cultural programs
4) Bharat ko Janiye Quiz – a special Independence Day edition encouraging all NRIs, PIOs and Foreign Nationals to participate and get to Know India. The top 5 winners will be felicitated at the Consulate on Independence Day 2026. Top winner will be given special prize.
