Category Archives: Visa

The US embassy has revealed that due to a backlog of applications, Indians will have to wait until 2024 to successfully book a visitor visa appointment. The US State Department website reveals the average waiting for a visa appointment in the US consulate at New Delhi is 522 days for visitor visas and 471 days for student visas. In Mumbai, it is 517 days and 10 days respectively.

Speaking about the current visa delays, Ajay Prakash, TAFI President, says, “Business has been hampered by the current visa challenges for almost every country. It is easier to look at an Asian destination. So while the Indian travel trade and the traveller is suffering, the destination is also suffering. So it is in everyone’s interest to get this back on track.”

Russia has introduced a universal single-entry electronic visa for 52 countries, including India that will simplify the process of obtaining a permit, allowing a foreign citizen to stay in Russia for up to 16 days in a period of up to 60 calendar days. In order to apply for an electronic visa, a tourist will only need to fill out an online application, which will be reviewed by the Foreign Ministry within four days.

Atlys, a new travel app, condenses the visa application process to just a few minutes. Travelers can now use Atlys to get visas to travel freely to 232 countries and territories. The app starts its simplified process with a few easy questions. Once answered the app processes all the paperwork, payments, and other required documents for international travelers to 232 countries and territories. 

Malaysia has announced Visa on Arrival (VOA) to Indian Travellers. However, this opportunity can be availed only if the traveller is arriving from selected entryways like Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, or Indonesia.    

In a major development Central Asian nation Kyrgyzstan, officially known as Kyrgyz Republic, has appointed Salvia Visa Facilitation Services (Salvia VFS) as the India partner to process Visa applications of Indian travellers to the country. The new Visa Processing Centre was inaugurated by Kyrgyzstan’s ambassador to India, Asein Isaev along with the announcement of the appointment of Salvia VFS as the Indian office to process Kyrgyz Visa applications of Indian travellers seeking to visit Kyrgyzstan. Salvia will initially roll out the Visa facilitation services in Delhi. Commenting on the latest development, H.E. Isaev said, “Kyrgyzstan and India have shared history and culture spanning over a thousand years. The appointment of Salvia as a Visa facilitation centre is not only aimed at bringing greater ease and convenience to Indian travellers to apply for Kyrgyz Visa, but also improving services and facilities for the people seeking to visit our beautiful country and further strengthen our people-to-people relations that is centuries old.” Speaking on the occasion, Prashant Chaudhary, Managing Director, Salvia VFS said, “It is our proud privilege to extend Visa facilitation services on behalf of Kyrgyz Embassy in India. Salvia, as a brand, has been a trusted travel partner of Kyrgyzstan in India for decades, facilitating travel of Indian visitors to the beautiful country for a long time. As Kyrgyzstan’s Visa Facilitation Centre in India, our responsibility will be to efficiently, and in minimal time, process Visa application requests, while the issuance of Visa will be the sole discretion of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in India.”

VFS Global is organising a webinar for the travel trade today from 11am-12pm IST. The online session will give updates on VFS Global’s operations, latest visa guidelines for the summer travel season and all the convenient services on offer. Register for this informative webinar on https://event.webinarjam.com/register/394/xyo1rbr1 and hear senior executives from VFS Global speak about their services, solutions and what’s new.

VFS Global is organising a webinar for the travel trade on Thursday 28 April from 11am-12pm IST. The online session will give updates on VFS Global’s operations, latest visa guidelines for the summer travel season and all the convenient services on offer. Register for this informative webinar on https://event.webinarjam.com/register/394/xyo1rbr1 and hear senior executives from VFS Global speak about their services, solutions and what’s new.

The Saudi Arabian government has reopened the visa-on-arrival program for holders of valid visas for the US, UK and Schengen area, effective immediately. The move comes two weeks after the country lifted all COVID-related entry restrictions and returns Saudi to pre-pandemic levels of openness. Citizens of any country who hold one of the three visas and who are travelling on one of the country’s national carriers – Saudi, Flynas or Flyadeal – can now receive a 12-month tourism visa on arrival in Saudi Arabia without needing to apply in advance. Visitors holding a valid US, UK or Schengen visa must have used it at least once to enter the issuing country or region in order to qualify for a visa on arrival in Saudi. Visitors will also need to purchase COVID-19 insurance, which they can do at any of Saudi Arabia’s international airports. Citizens of any country eligible for the e-visa program, which was introduced in 2019, may also receive a visa on arrival, regardless of the airline they are travelling with. “Restoring the visa-on-arrival program marks the final step in returning Saudi to a pre-pandemic level of openness and makes it one of the most accessible destinations in the world for leisure, business and religious travel,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of STA. “This decision by the government will further support the many thousands of people who depend on tourism for their livelihoods while welcoming the world back to the destination with the warm hospitality for which the Saudi people are renowned.” On March 6, Saudi Arabia announced the lifting of all travel restrictions put in place …

A new e-visa portal that went live on March 30, 2022, is set to enhance the travel to Azerbaijan. The portal was developed as a part of a cooperation agreement signed between VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide and the E-GOV Development Center (EGDC) in the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been a chosen destination for a diverse segment of travellers globally. Currently travellers from 70 nationalities are eligible to travel to Azerbaijan with travel restriction likely to open for other markets. Fariz Jafarov Director of EGDC, said “We are delighted to partner with VFS Global in our endeavour to encourage seamless travel to Azerbaijan. We are confident that travellers across the globe would realise the advantages of e-visa service and leverage its benefits.” “Azerbaijan is the 64th client served by VFS Global. This mandate reiterates our proven record of nurturing trusted partnerships, excellence in business delivery and our approach on customer-centricity over the past two decades,” said Noel Swain, Business Head – Passport Services, eVisa & Tourism services, VFS Global.