Category Archives: Visa

To take it’s customer experience a level up, VFS Global has revealed that it is toying with the idea of offering its customers the option of picking up their passports without entering its visa application centre. Speaking about this is Belson Coutinho, chief marketing officer, VFS global, who said, “We are exploring a feature in Mumbai where it is like a drive-through concept where people who want to pick up their passport can drive through and collect it without entering the vac. We hope we get thhis opportunity because it largely depends upon the infrastructure and space we are able to get at the VAC but that’s a concept we want to adopt. ” He added that 2020 is going to be the year of customer experience for VFS Global. It had also recently Upgraded its VACs.

VFS Global is increasing its manpower and visa handling capacity by 40 per cent across its centres in South Asia region ahead of the peak season rush. Sharing the news, Sanjeet Joher, Head- South Asia, VFS Global, said that they are working to enhance the visa appointment system as well, apart from extra operational hours. “We are increasing the size of our team to provide better services to our customers. We want to ensure that they have a seamless experience when they visit VFS with the help of our customer relationship managers across our centres. In our efforts to educate the trade about our services and initiatives, we will organise more training sessions and roadshows with travel agents. We also want to debunk myths around visa application and procedures,” he said.

VFS Global is soon going to open an exclusive Visa Application Centre (VAC) dedicated only for travel agents and tour operators. Sharing details, Sanjeet Joher, Head- South Asia, VFS Global, said that the VAC will provide visa assistance to travel agents for non-Schengen countries and visas that don’t require biometric data. He also shared that VFS Global will also have dedicated helpline number for travel agents apart from special weekend visit to arrangements for large groups. He briefed that there will also be dedicated counters/time slots for travel agents across VFS Global facility location across India.

The UAE Cabinet has approved the issuance of a five-year multi-entry tourist visa for all nationalities visiting the country. The decision was made during the Cabinet’s first meeting during 2020 the Year of Preparation, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The move comes in a bid to support the UAE’s tourism economy and affirm the country’s position as a global tourist destination. The decision is one of the first policy changes in line with the mega event -Expo 2020 planned in the UAE this year. Another key decision made during the meeting includes the introduction of a visa waiver for Mexican citizens travelling to the UAE. The two decisions will be implemented during the first quarter of 2020. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid emphasised that 2019 was a year full of achievements across multiple areas, adding, “We are leaving this year behind and we are proud of our government working teams, and we are full of excitement and positive energy for the year of preparation for the next fifty years to come.”

Holders of US, UK or Schengen visas can now obtain a visa on arrival in Saudi Arabia, it has been announced recently. The move comes in line with the kingdom’s recent implementation of tourist visas. While holders of American, UK and Schengen visas will now be able to obtain a tourist visa on arrival, they are not eligible for the electronic visa system. However, the visitor must have already used his US, UK or Schengen visa to visit the respective countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia.

VFS Global has launched mobile biometrics service for customers applying for Italian tourist visa across India, enabling them to submit applications, documents, and enrol biometrics from any location of their choice. This ‘doorstep’ service can be delivered to individuals and groups living in all cities in India. A team of VFS Global staff will visit the customer at the location to collect their visa application and enrol biometric data. They will also be available to assist with any visa application queries. Submissions from large tour groups, business delegates and school trips wishing to travel to Italy, will especially benefit from this  new service, as applicants will not be required to visit a Visa Application Centre to submit their applications. The documents, once processed with the visa decision will be returned by courier to the customer’s desired location. The mobile biometrics service is optional and applicants will have to pay an additional fee. According to the Embassy of Italy in India, 555,000 travellers from India visited Italy in 2019, which indicated a 15 per cent increase over the previous year.

Russia is set to offer e-visa facility to all regions of the Russian Federation by 2021, after offering free e-visa to Indians tourists travelling to four regions of the Russian Federation including St. Petersberg, Leningrad, Kaliningrad and Far East region. The Federal Agency for Tourism expects that introducing electronic visas for Indian citizens is an effective way to provide an increase in the flow of both group and individual tourists form the country by more than 20 per cent. The topic of e-visa and the mechanism for obtaining them was the key aspects in the framework of the presentation event, ‘Russia 2020, EURO as a gift’, organised in Delhi by the Federal Agency to present the main tourist products of Russia in the Indian market. India is placed third in terms of growth in tourist flow from the Asian region with 47.8 per cent growth.

Indian residents can now apply for a Polish visa through VFS Global with the inauguration of Visa Application Centres in New Delhi and Mumbai. VFS Global will soon offer Polish visa services in 8 other cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Kolkata. The centre in New Delhi was officially inaugurated by H.E. Adam Burakowski, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan.

Residents of Mumbai and New Delhi travelling to Bulgaria can now apply for their visas through VFS Global at the new Bulgaria Visa Application Centres launched in the cities. In the coming months, VFS Global will commence Bulgaria visa services in 14 additional cities across India, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Goa, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kolkata, Puducherry, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. The wide network of operations will also be leveraged to promote Bulgaria as an ideal destination for Indian travellers. Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO, Middle East, South Asia and China, VFS Global said, “VFS Global has been working closely with Bulgaria, offering visa services in other regions, and is honoured have this trust reinforced through this extension of services to India. Bulgaria has been rapidly climbing every Indian traveller’s wish list, and we look forward to providing our best-in-class visa services to them.”

During the month of October, 2019 total of 2,77,062 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 2,22,134 during the month of October, 2018 registering a growth of 24.7%, reveals Ministry of Tourism. During January- October 2019, a total of 21,75,727 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 17,99,552 during January- October 2018, registering a growth of 20.9 per cent.