08 6161 9239
info@redearthmigration.com.au
Good news for the Indian community across Australia. From 23 July 2026, Indian Consular, Passport and Visa services have officially resumed operated by VFS Global through six upgraded Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
If you were caught in the service suspension that ran from 1 July to 23 July 2026, or if you are planning to renew your Indian passport, apply for an OCI card, or lodge an Indian visa application in Australia, this guide covers everything you need to know about the new centres their locations, hours, services, what is new, and how to book your appointment.
What Happened? Why Were Services Suspended in the First Place?
Indian consular, passport and visa services in Australia were suspended from 1 July 2026 – right at the start of the school holiday travel period following a legal dispute that began not in Australia but in India.
The dispute centred on the Ministry of External Affairs’ tender process for outsourcing consular services overseas. The Delhi High Court ruled against the original tender process, and the Supreme Court of India subsequently upheld that decision, ordering that services be maintained during the transition to a fresh tender.
For the estimated 800,000 Indian nationals and diaspora members in Australia, this created weeks of uncertainty. Families planning school holiday travel were unable to get passports renewed. Students waiting for Police Clearance Certificates for visa applications were delayed. OCI cardholders needing renewals found themselves without access to services. Business travellers could not get visas processed.
On 22 July 2026, the High Commission of India in Canberra confirmed that interim arrangements had been put in place and that VFS Global would resume operations the following day 23 July 2026 through six new upgraded ICACs.
What Are the New VFS Global Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs)?
An Indian Consular Application Centre, or ICAC, is a facility operated by an authorised outsourced service provider on behalf of Indian diplomatic missions. In Australia, VFS Global operates these centres on behalf of the High Commission of India in Canberra and the Consulates General of India in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
Applicants use ICACs to submit documents, provide biometric data where required, pay fees, and collect processed passports and documents. The ICACs handle the administrative and processing functions. They do not make visa, passport, or citizenship decisions those decisions remain with the relevant Indian diplomatic mission. The centre’s role is document handling, customer service, biometric collection, and logistics.
The new centres launched on 23 July 2026 replace the previous network of centres, which permanently closed on 30 June 2026. The new locations are in upgraded facilities with enhanced infrastructure designed to handle current and growing demand for Indian consular services in Australia.
New ICAC Locations Across Australia: Full Address Directory
Below are the official addresses for all six new Indian Consular Application Centres, effective from 23 July 2026. These are the only authorised locations for in-person consular, passport, visa, and OCI services.
Perth ICAC: Ground Floor, 23 Barrack Street, Perth WA 6000
Adelaide ICAC: Suite 8.01, Level 8, 111 Gawler Place, Adelaide SA 5000
Brisbane ICAC: Suite 0201, Level 2, 127 Creek Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Canberra ICAC: Level 6, 40 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601
Melbourne ICAC: Ground Floor, 324 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004
Sydney ICAC: Level 9, 22–24 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Operating Hours and How to Book an Appointment
All six Indian Consular Application Centres operate on the same schedule:
| Detail | Information |
| Operating days | Monday to Friday |
| Operating hours | 8:30am to 4:00pm local time |
| Closed on | Australian public holidays AND holidays declared by the High Commission of India or the relevant Consulate General of India for that jurisdiction |
| Appointments | Mandatory must be booked online before visiting. Walk-in visits are not accepted. |
| Booking portal | services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/ |
| On-site services | Optional SMS tracking, photocopying, and passport photo capture available at centres |
Important: Appointment is mandatory – no walk-ins
All six ICACs operate a strict appointment-only policy. Walk-in visits are not permitted under any circumstances. If you arrive without an appointment, you will not be served. Book your appointment online at services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/ before travelling to any centre.
What Services Are Available at the New ICACs?
The new ICACs provide the full range of Indian Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) services. All services that were available through the previous centres are available through the new network.
| Service | What it covers |
| Indian passport services | New passport applications, passport renewals, emergency passports, and updates to existing passports |
| Indian visa services | Visa applications for travel to India including tourist, business, employment, student, medical, and other visa categories |
| OCI card services | New Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card applications, OCI card renewals, re-issuance on new passports, and miscellaneous OCI services |
| Police Clearance Certificates (PCC) | Indian PCC for applicants currently residing in Australia commonly required for Australian visa applications |
| Document attestation | Attestation of documents for use in India or for official purposes |
| Other consular services | Various consular services as provided by the relevant Indian mission check services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/ for the full current list |
| Postal lodgement (limited) | Non-visa consular services only. Must be routed through designated GPO Box addresses. Confirm availability for your specific service before posting. |
What Is New About These Upgraded Centres?
The new ICACs are described by VFS Global and the High Commission of India as upgraded facilities with improved infrastructure, and there are several concrete improvements that applicants will notice compared to the previous network.
| Enhancement | What it means in practice |
| More service counters | Increased counter capacity at each centre to handle higher application volumes designed to reduce processing times and appointment waiting periods |
| Higher staffing capacity | More staff at each centre to support improved service efficiency |
| Greater appointment availability | The expanded centre capacity means more appointment slots, which is important given the backlog that built up during the July suspension |
| Extended submission and collection hours | Within the 8:30am to 4:00pm window, the centres offer more flexibility for document submission and passport/document collection |
| Biometric collection capability | All centres are equipped with biometric collection infrastructure, which is now mandatory for visa and OCI applications |
| On-site support services | Optional SMS tracking updates, photocopying, and passport photo capture are available at the centres for applicants who need them |
Biometric Enrolment: What You Need to Know Before You Go
Biometric enrolment is now mandatory for all Indian visa and OCI card applications processed through the Australian ICACs. This applies to new applications, renewals, and re-issuances.
Biometrics include fingerprint scans and a digital photograph. These must be collected in person at the ICAC they cannot be provided by post, online, or through any other means. This means all visa and OCI applicants must attend the centre in person at their appointed time, regardless of their age or prior biometric history.
| Question | Answer |
| Who must provide biometrics | All applicants for Indian visas and OCI cards processed through Australian ICACs |
| What biometrics are collected | Fingerprint scans and a digital photograph |
| Can I post my biometrics? | No biometric collection must occur in person at the ICAC |
| Children | Confirm requirements for children at your relevant consulate or at services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/ requirements may vary by age |
| Repeat applicants | Even if you have provided biometrics before, you may be required to provide them again confirm at time of booking |
What If You Were Caught in the Suspension? What Happens to Your Application?
If you had an active application, a submitted document, or a scheduled appointment that was disrupted by the suspension between 1 and 23 July 2026, you are not alone. Thousands of applicants were affected including students waiting for Police Clearance Certificates, families with passport renewals pending, and OCI cardholders mid-process.
| What happened to you | What to do now |
| Passport renewal in progress | If your application was lodged before the suspension and is still in the system, the centres have confirmed they are processing existing applications. Check your application status through the VFS Global portal and contact the relevant ICAC if you have not received an update. |
| Appointment scheduled before July that was cancelled | Rebook through services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/. Due to the backlog, appointment availability may be limited in the short term book as early as possible. |
| Police Clearance Certificate needed for Australian visa | If your Australian visa application is being delayed because a PCC is pending, speak to your migration agent about whether the delay can be explained in your application. In some circumstances, a statutory declaration explaining the delay can support the file while the PCC is obtained. |
| OCI card application mid-process | Log into the VFS portal and check the status of your application. If your documents were physically at a centre during the suspension, contact VFS Global through the official portal to confirm they are being held safely. |
| Travel plans affected | If you needed a passport renewal or visa for travel booked during the suspension period and could not proceed, keep a record of the disruption dates and any costs incurred. This documentation may be relevant for insurance claims or airline rescheduling. |
How Does This Affect Indian Students and Skilled Workers in Australia?
For Indian students and skilled workers in Australia, the VFS Global service resumption is immediately relevant in two specific ways.
Police Clearance Certificates for Australian visa applications
Indian Police Clearance Certificates are required for a range of Australian visa applications including partner visas (Subclass 820/801 and 309/100), skilled visas (189/190/491), and employer-sponsored visas (482/186/494). PCCs must be issued within a specified timeframe and are typically required for all applicants over 16 who have lived in India for 12 months or more in the past 10 years.
If your Australian visa application is pending a PCC that could not be obtained during the suspension, speak to your MARA registered migration agent about how to address this in your application. In many cases, an explanation of the circumstances and the now-resumed service is sufficient to manage the delay.
Passport validity for student and skilled visa applications
Your Indian passport must have sufficient validity for the duration of your Australian visa application process. If your passport was due for renewal during the July suspension and you were unable to renew it, this may now be affecting the lodgement or processing of your Australian visa.
Renew your passport at the nearest ICAC as soon as possible. Perth applicants can attend the Ground Floor, 23 Barrack Street centre. Remember to book your appointment online first at services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/.
How Red Earth Education and Migration Can Help
Red Earth Education and Migration is a MARA registered migration agency based in Perth, Western Australia, with offices in India. We work specifically with Indian students, graduates, skilled workers, and families and we understand the specific compliance and documentation requirements that Indian nationals in Australia face.
Our team speaks Hindi, Punjabi, and Gujarati. If the VFS Global service suspension has created complications for your Australian visa application a delayed PCC, a passport renewal that is overdue, an OCI card that affects your proof of status we can help you work through the practical and compliance implications.
| How we can help | What we do |
| PCC delays and your Australian visa | We advise on how to manage PCC delays in the context of your specific Australian visa application and help you prepare supporting explanations where needed |
| Passport renewal and visa timing | We advise on the interaction between Indian passport renewal timelines and Australian visa lodgement and processing windows |
| Student visa compliance during document delays | We help students understand how document delays affect their enrolment and visa obligations and what steps to take |
| Partner and skilled visa applications | We prepare and review complete applications including PCC, health, character, and all other documentation for Indian applicants |
| Migration and identity document issues | We advise on cases where document inconsistencies across Indian and Australian documents name spelling, date of birth format, address history need to be addressed in a visa application |
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Indian visa and passport services resume in Australia?
Indian Consular, Passport and Visa services resumed in Australia on 23 July 2026, operated by VFS Global through six new upgraded Indian Consular Application Centres in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Services had been suspended from 1 July 2026 following a legal dispute over the Ministry of External Affairs’ tender process for outsourcing consular services.
Where is the VFS Global Indian visa and passport centre in Perth?
The Perth Indian Consular Application Centre (ICAC) is located at Ground Floor, 23 Barrack Street, Perth WA 6000. It operates Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm, excluding public holidays and holidays declared by the Consulate General of India in Perth. Appointments must be booked online at services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/ before visiting.
Do I need an appointment at the new VFS Global centres?
Yes. Appointments are mandatory at all six Indian Consular Application Centres. Walk-in visits are not accepted under any circumstances. Book your appointment online at services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/ind/ before travelling to any centre.
What services are available at the new ICACs?
The new ICACs provide the full range of Indian Consular, Passport and Visa services including Indian passport renewals and new passport applications, Indian visa applications, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card applications and renewals, Police Clearance Certificates, document attestation, and other consular services. Postal lodgement is available for non-visa consular services only through designated GPO Box addresses.
Is biometric enrolment required at the new centres?
Yes. Biometric enrolment fingerprint scans and a digital photograph is mandatory for all visa and OCI card applications. Biometrics must be provided in person at the ICAC and cannot be submitted by post or online. All visa and OCI applicants must attend the centre in person at their appointment time.
What happened to VFS Global Indian services in Australia between 1 and 23 July 2026?
Services were suspended from 1 July 2026 following a legal dispute over the Ministry of External Affairs’ tender process in India. The Delhi High Court ruled against the original tender, and the Supreme Court of India upheld that decision, ordering that services be maintained during the transition. VFS Global resumed operations on 23 July 2026 through six new upgraded ICACs.
Is VFS Global the only authorised provider for Indian visa services in Australia?
Yes. The High Commission of India has confirmed that VFS Global is the only authorised service delivery provider for Indian consular, passport and visa services in Australia. Any person or organisation claiming to provide these services through another channel is not authorised.
My Indian Police Clearance Certificate was delayed because of the suspension. What should I do for my Australian visa application?
Speak to a MARA registered migration agent about how to address the delay in the context of your specific Australian visa application. In many cases, an explanation of the circumstances and supporting documentation showing the service was suspended through no fault of the applicant can be included in the file. The VFS Global suspension between 1 and 23 July 2026 is a documented event that case officers can take into account when assessing applications.
