Alhind Tours and Travels, now responsible for passport renewal and other consular services for Indian expats in the UAE on an interim basis, has committed to fast-track services for all applicants and has eliminated premium services previously offered at an additional cost.
“We want to offer the same level of service to everyone,” said Mohammed Haris T, chairman and founder of Alhind Tours & Travels. “Our aim is that people should be able to enter our centre, finish their applications and exit within 30 minutes.”
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He addressed the media on Wednesday at the company’s flagship centre in the UW Mall, Bur Dubai. The 12,000-square-foot facility features 75 counters and is the largest outsourced consular service centre outside India. Dedicated counters are available for people of determination.
The takeover, announced Tuesday evening, follows several weeks of uncertainty during which Indian missions managed consular services directly after previous contracts expired, affecting many expatriates.
Uniform charges for all consular services, attestation
As previously stated, Alhind charges a nominal fee of Dh19 in addition to government-mandated fees and Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) charges. The total cost for a standard 36-page passport renewal is Dh477, while a Tatkal (fast-track) application costs Dh927.
Within minutes of the announcement, Alhind received over 1,900 bookings across its 16 centres in the UAE. “At UW Mall alone, we had over 600 bookings,” said Haris. “We expect a significant increase in applications during the first week due to the recent backlog.”
Haris stated that the company can process up to 8,000 applications daily. However, the number of available slots is determined by the Indian missions. Currently, nearly 2,000 slots are released each day, with new slots made available at 9am and 9pm. Haris anticipates this number will increase soon.
Currently, only applicants with a valid appointment may enter the centre, and entry is permitted within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. Applicants with a Tatkal appointment, parents of newborns, and senior citizens may walk in without an appointment.
Source: Khaleej Times