Category Archives: Visa

VFS Global has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in CiX Citizen Experience, a leading provider of digital and physical citizen services based in Brazil. This strategic acquisition marks a pivotal step in VFS Global’s expansion journey—particularly across Latin America (LATAM)—as it continues to broaden its capabilities and deepen its impact in the public service delivery space. With nearly two decades of pioneering innovation in citizen services, CiX has established a strong presence in Brazil. This success will be further scaled across LATAM and other global markets, leveraging VFS Global’s international reach and operational excellence. This acquisition is centred on driving transformation through advanced digital technologies, including AI and data-driven platforms. By uniting CiX’s cutting-edge digital capabilities with VFS Global’s extensive global infrastructure and expertise in managing complex service ecosystems, we are positioned to deliver next-generation, integrated solutions to public and private sector clients around the world. For both companies’ client governments and partners, this will lead to enhanced, tailored solutions that improve citizen engagement, access, and satisfaction. Sergio Rodrigues, CEO of CiX Citizen Services, said, “Partnering with VFS Global will supercharge our growth. With access to their capital, technology, talent, and global reach, we can rapidly expand across Latin America, and beyond. This collaboration is about scaling CiX Citizen Experience, delivering even more intuitive, efficient, and accessible government services. Our goal is to simplify citizens’ lives with a combination of physical and digital solutions that also bring agility, and savings for governments worldwide.”   Zubin Karkaria, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global, added, “We are very pleased to have concluded this strategically important acquisition which will be value accretive for both companies – for CiX Citizen Experience …

VFS Global will now leverage SAP software to help it develop leading-edge AI-powered digital solutions for cross-border mobility and citizen services. Cross-border mobility and citizen services are becoming increasingly digital, and governments are looking into the use of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence to drive efficiency and sovereign security. To accelerate its innovation road map and help governments meet the increasingly complex needs of travelers and citizens, VFS Global is adopting SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and other SAP solutions. “We take great pride in partnering with SAP as a leading and trusted technology and AI company,” said Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO of VFS Global. “By combining our deep expertise in visa, consular and citizen services with SAP’s world-class solutions, we empower governments to enhance efficiency, strengthen security and enable seamless mobility for millions of travelers around the world.” “With SAP solutions at its core, VFS Global will be able to leverage the latest innovations to become an even stronger partner for governments, travelers and citizens worldwide,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE. In line with its vision to embrace technological innovation to support governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, VFS Global has also chosen SAP Business Technology Platform and the SAP Business Data Cloud solution to deliver leading-edge and AI-powered solutions to its customers and to drive operational excellence across its global operations. “By combining the strengths of VFS Global and SAP, we are elevating cross-border mobility and citizen services to the next level”, said Michael Nilles, member of the VFS Global Executive Board and Chief Digital and Technology Officer. “Strategically, this positions us as a leading force in shaping the future of GovTech and TravelTech, powered by …

Speaking about the woes of Indian travel agents, Tarun Malhotra, Managing Director, InOrbit Tours, said, “China embassy and consulate are rejecting 98 per cent visa application without any reasons. Passports are returned to applicants without any reason ? Please be careful and inform your guests accordingly.”

VFS Global successfully concluded its six-city roadshow, attracting an overwhelming response from the travel trade community. More than 750 travel agents participated in the events held across Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chandigarh, and New Delhi. Organised ahead of the peak travel season, the roadshow aimed to strengthen VFS Global’s engagement with travel agents – key partners in supporting visa applicants. The initiative was supported by leading travel trade associations such as the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), and the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), whose leadership echoed the importance of collaboration between industry stakeholders. “The response to our roadshows across cities has been truly heartening, and the positive feedback from the travel trade means a great deal to us,” said Yummi Talwar, Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, VFS Global. “Travel agents are an essential part of India’s travel ecosystem, often being the first point of contact for visa-related guidance. It’s important for us to remain connected with them, understand their concerns, and do all we can within our remit to support both them and the travellers. These roadshows reflect our continued commitment to working closely with travel trade.” During the roadshows, VFS Global introduced a dedicated referral programme for travel agents, designed to encourage closer collaboration and improve the overall visa application experience for its customers. Travel agents were also encouraged to advise customers to apply early for visas to avoid peak season delays. VFS Global reminded attendees that most countries accept visa applications up to 90 days in advance, with Schengen countries accepting applications as early as six months prior to travel. UK visa applications can be submitted …

This summer, Indian travellers are opting for destinations that provide an escape from the ominous heat while offering visa-free travel. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head, Holidays, MICE & Visa, Thomas Cook India, said, “Visa-free destinations are fuelling outbound travel demand. Countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Maldives and Mauritius have seen robust growth due to ease of access.”

Outbound travel from India remained strong, with visa application volumes increasing by 11% Year over Year in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 4%. This increase indicates a recovery and a rise in the number of Indian travellers visiting international destinations. Yummi Talwar, COO—South Asia, VFS Global, said, “India continues to show a strong demand for international travel, and it’s clear that this robust momentum will persist in 2025.”

The UK Government has launched the ‘Visa Fraud Ton Bacho’ campaign to help protect Indian citizens from the physical, financial, and emotional risks of visa fraud and irregular migration. The campaign encourages those travelling to the UK to check facts and stay safe. Visa application guidance is freely available on gov.uk, and via a new WhatsApp support line.

VFS Global has launched a new Generative AI-powered chatbot to enhance customer support for travellers to the UK. The AI-Powered Chatbot not only utilises advanced Generative AI technology to offer human-like, conversational support, but does so through both voice and text commands, providing instant, accurate, and accessible information for customers travelling to the UK. Developed by VFS Global’s AI team, headquartered in Dubai, the AI-Powered Chatbot addresses the increasing demand for efficient customer support, allowing users to easily access the information needed to navigate the application process. Jen Vidler, Deputy Director, Cross Cutting Service Operations, Visa, Status and Information Services, Customer Services Group, UK Visas and Immigration, said, “The rollout of VFS Global’s AI-powered chatbot demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all customers. Providing instant access to accurate information about the visa application process will ensure we continue to offer the best service to our customers.” Zubin Karkaria, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global, added, “Technology and innovation have always been the cornerstones of our operations at VFS Global, and we are pleased to launch this AI-powered information solution which will significantly enhance the visa application experience for our customers travelling to the UK from across the globe. We are developing a range of AI and digital technology driven products to drive the next transformation in visa and consular services for our Client Governments and customers. We remain deeply committed to the responsible development of AI in accordance with the policies and requirements of our client governments.” The AI-Powered chatbot was developed using advanced Generative AI technologies, each trained exclusively on publicly available data from their respective VFS Global …

UAE expanded visa-on-arrival programme for Indians by including travellers with valid visas, residence permits, or Green Cards from 6 more countries including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand & Canada. The move permits more Indian passport holders to access the facility at UAE entry points.

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs’ ground-breaking digital platform for the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) has gone live. This platform will drive increased tourism from the major source markets of India and China by enabling vetted and approved tour operators to submit group applications for large tour groups from these two countries. This addresses a long-standing obstacle to tourism growth, whereby long queues, red tape and the inability to process group applications timeously led to inefficiency in the issuing of visas for tourists from these countries. To illustrate the scale of the change: before TTOS was created, there were only two South African missions in China, and only two missions in India, to serve the 2.8 billion people living in those two countries who wanted to come as tourists to South Africa. But under the new TTOS digital-first system, tourists from India and China who use approved tour operators will no longer have to visit a mission, will no longer fill in a single form, will not need to stand in a single queue, and will receive their visas digitally within three days. In 2023, South Africa only received 37 000 tourists from China and only 79 000 from India. By enhancing visa efficiency and security through TTOS, Home Affairs looks forward to enabling much faster tourism growth from these two burgeoning source markets. The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said: “The fact that Home Affairs took the TTOS from conceptualisation to implementation in less than six months demonstrates our commitment to embracing digital transformation and to playing our role as an economic enabler to create jobs. Research has shown that for every twelve new tourists attracted by TTOS, we …