All about the Consulate General of India in Dubai
- Overview
- Services Offered By The Consulate General of India in Dubai
- Other Services
- Location, Contact and Timings
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Consulate General of India in Dubai offers various government services and guidance for expats of Indian origin living in Dubai. They are also the go-to authority for travellers seeking an Indian visa to travel to the country. If you’re a UAE resident holding Indian citizenship or a PIO card and looking to learn about the services they offer, our guide is here to help. Let’s walk through all the services the Consulate General of India in Dubai offers, their role and how you can get in touch with them
About the Consulate General of India in Dubai
The Consulate General of India in Dubai offers a range of consular services to Indian expats in the UAE. These include issuing new passports and renewals, registering births and deaths and assisting with legal matters such as arrests, detention and repatriation. This particular consulate’s jurisdiction extends to Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Now let’s dive into the key services the Consulate General of India provides.
Services by the Consulate General of India
Visa and Passport Services
If you want to travel to India and require a visa (or are eligible for an e-visa), check out the Visa Services page on the Consulate General of India’s site.
Once you apply for a visa (via BLS, where the visa services have been outsourced), the processing is done at the Consulate General of India. If you’re applying for a medical tourism visa (for a medical procedure in India), the Indian consulate in Dubai can assist you with applying for a 6-month e-visa and walk you through the process.
The Consulate General of India is also responsible for providing passport services to Indian citizens in the UAE. Please note that the processing and submission are done through BLS. So, you do not have to visit the consulate. For a detailed walkthrough of the process, check out our guide to renewing your Indian passport in the UAE.
The consulate can handle services such as police clearance certificates, birth and marriage certificates, emergency certificates, and applications for background verification for GEP (US Visa).
A key passport service provided by the Consulate of India in Dubai facilitates Indian citizenship for children under one year old whose parent (or parents) are Indian nationals. In addition, they assist with surrendering or renunciating Indian citizenship and converting PIO cards to OCI cards.
Attestation services
CGI Dubai handles the attestation of documents for Indian citizens in the UAE. The processing is outsourced to an agency called IVS, where one submits the necessary documents. Attestation is usually done for documents such as family member residence visas, death certificates, degree certificates, power of attorney, etc.
Marriage Registration
The Consulate General of India facilitates marriage registration for Indian citizens holding UAE residency or if one party in the couple is an Indian national. Please note that marriages where either the bride, groom, or both are Muslim cannot be registered at the Consulate of India in Dubai.
Couples must bring documents, including their passports (self-attested passport copies), passport-sized photos and ‘Notice of Intended Marriage’ forms filled by both parties. Both bride and groom must also submit a ‘singleness certificate’, which can be obtained from IVS Global.
Suppose the couple gets married at a church, gurudwara in Dubai or the Hindu Temple. In that case, they can also register their marriage at CGI by submitting a marriage certificate issued by these places of worship.
Marriage registration at CGI Dubai is specifically for couples who marry in the UAE. If the wedding takes place in India, the couple should register their marriage there.
Labour and welfare wing
The labour and welfare wing of the Consulate General of India in Dubai works with the UAE authorities to ensure that the needs of semi-skilled category workers are met. They help with safety and welfare, ensure that dues are paid promptly and fulfil the employment contract terms.
CGI Dubai operates an Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) for the welfare of Indian workers in the UAE. They offer various services, including translation, emergency certificate issuance, organising prison visits, running a women’s shelter, death compensation and legal, psychological and financial counselling. Once in a while, they organise health camps and medical clinics for Indian nationals.
The Consulate General of India Dubai oversees the e-migrate project in the UAE, a project by the Ministry of External Affairs that streamlines recruitment for (registered) blue-collar workers to foreign countries. The CGI Dubai assists with the UAE employer registration on the e-migrate portal to allow easy and legal hiring of workers through the system.
You can download any recruitment-related forms, such as for housemaids looking to exit the UAE, click on the ‘Labour, Welfare & E-Migrate’ menu and select ‘download forms’.
Other services offered by the Consulate of India, Dubai
CGI Dubai provides a range of services to Indian nationals in the UAE. They are as follows:
- Creating and attesting a will
- Assistance for death services (transportation of remains, death certificate, local cremation)
- Emergency certificates (for Indian nationals who have no travel documents or are illegal residents)
- Police clearance certificates
- Execution of court summons (the Consulate initially receives original judicial documents from Indian courts)
- Assistance for NRIs with filing a complaint against an individual or organisation in India
- Reporting missing people
Marital Counselling
In addition to the government services, the Consulate General of India offers marital counselling to Indian nationals facing issues in their relationship. This is provided at the PBSK (Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra) or the diplomatic enclave of the CGI Dubai building, where couples can meet a marriage counsellor for couples counselling. You can contact them at 800-46342 to book a session.
For NRIs facing marital disputes, such as wanting to file a complaint against a spouse while living in India or requesting custody of a child, CGI Dubai offers all the details on the legal path. On the CGI Dubai website, select ‘Consular’ from the main menu and click on ‘FAQ on Marital disputes involving NRI/PIO spouses’. This page shares common dispute scenarios and how one can complain to the authorities.
Location, Contact and Timings
The Consulate General of India Dubai location and contact details is as follows:
- Location: 4, 8th St, Al Hamriya, Diplomatic Enclave, Umm Hurair 1, Dubai
- Contact: +971-56-546-3903
- PPBSK Toll-free number: 800-46342
- Timings: Monday to Friday – 08:00 am to 04:30 pm |Lunch Break: 01:00 pm to 01:30 pm
- For passport services: 08:30 am to 12:30 pm and 02:00 pm to 04:30 pm
- For visa: 08:30 am to 12:00 pm and 02:30 to 04:00 pm
- For OCI: 08:30 am to 12:00 pm and 02:00 pm to 04:30 pm
- For labour and welfare: 08:30 to 12:00 and 02:00 to 04:00 pm
- Death registration: 24/7
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fee for a visa to India?
The fee depends on the purpose of your trip and whether you’re applying for a single- or multiple-entry visa. Single-entry tourist visas cost AED 295, while multiple entry costs AED 475. If you plan on travelling for business, journalism or medical reasons, you can refer to the visa fee costs list by the CGI, which is available on the CGI website.
How can I move from India to the UAE?
If you’re an Indian national looking to live in the UAE, it is essential to have a UAE residence visa. Your options include an Employment Visa, Property Owner Visa, Investor Visa, etc. Do your research and make your decision accordingly.
Once you attain UAE residency, you can start looking for a home. Top Dubai residential area for Indian expats will ensure you are not home sick. You can refer to our checklist for moving from India to the UAE for a detailed guide on the process.
Where can I download the forms for any of the services mentioned here?
You can head over to the download forms page on the Consulate General of India Dubai site, where all the forms are available for download in a PDF format. Depending on the service, this form can later be submitted at BLS or IVS.
How can I contact BLS?
We recommend scheduling an appointment with BLS for passport and visa services. Their address in Dubai is as follows:
507, Habib Bank AG Zurich Al Jawarah Building, Bank Street, Next to ADCB Bank, Bur Dubai.
You can contact them on their toll-free number, +971-4-387-5777
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