VFS Global to begin limited operations at select Visa Application Centres in some cities

·  Visa applications to resume for specific visa categories for Belarus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Turkey, UAE, and United Kingdom

by Priya Jadhav

India,July 2020:VFS Global, the world's largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, is re-opening some Visa Application Centres in limited cities, with the approval of respective Embassies/Consulates in India, and with strict health and safety guidelines in place.

After specific Embassies/Consulates, as well as local authorities have given their approval, VFS Global’s centres will accept visa applications for select countries and visa categories in specific cities. Customers will have to mandatorily schedule an appointment online, through the website www.vfsglobal.com, prior to visiting the Visa Application Centre, The list of countries that will resume acceptance of applications are as below:

Country	Visa Categories	Cities	Restart Date
United Kingdom	All visa categories/ passport collection	10 cities: Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Cochin & Hyderabad, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Kolkata	6 July 2020
Ireland	Student and long-stay categories	10 cities (same as above for UK)	6 July 2020
Italy	Re-Entry Visa Only	New Delhi	3 July 2020
Belarus	All visa categories	New Delhi	1 July 2020
Denmark	Residence permit, Employment, Dependents, Approval cases	New Delhi	29 June 2020
Norway	Residence permit	New Delhi	29 June 2020
Portugal	E6 for holders of expired Portuguese residence card, D6 for holders of expired Family Reunification D6 visas	New Delhi	29 June 2020
South Korea	Long term applications only	New Delhi	29 June 2020
Dominican Republic	Work/Resident/Business visa	New Delhi	29 June 2020
UAE (DVPC – eVisas for Emirates passengers, only for travel from July 7)	All visa categories	Online	25 June 2020
Turkey	All visa categories	New Delhi	22 June 2020

Please note: Outbound international commercial flights have not yet resumed as of the date of this release. The above dates and information are subject to change at any time according to guidelines of the respective destination governments, as well as lockdown status in various States of India.

In order to ensure a safe, productive work environment for employees, while still protecting communities to the maximum extent possible from the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, VFS Global has established standardised protective measures to be followed across centres, including specific physical distancing and sanitation mandates.

All customers may be required to undergo body temperature checks at the entrance of the centre. Customers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including high fever, cough and difficulty in breathing will not be permitted to enter the centre. They will be requested to reschedule their appointment and return once their health improves. Additionally, all customers and VFS Global employees are required to wear a facemask and observe physical distancing within the centre.

Please find all other information with regards to re-start operations in the attached PDF on 'Widely asked visa queries' that is being shared along with this note.

Additional information on UK visa:

UK visa services to resume in limited locations in South Asia, including 11 cities in India

·       Travellers from 11 cities  in India, can submit their visa applications at the UK Visa Application Centres from 06 July 2020

·       From 06 July 2020, UK visa services to also resume in Sri Lanka (Colombo).

·       Optional Priority Visa, Super Priority Visa, and Walk-in services will not be offered initially

From 06 July 2020, UK Visas and Immigration is beginning a phased resumption of services at select Visa Application Centres in 10 cities in India, namely: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru (Global Tech Park only), Chandigarh, Chennai (subject to local lockdown regulations), Jalandhar, Kochi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai (Mahalaxmi only), New Delhi (Shivaji Metro Stadium only), and Pune.

From 06 July 2020, UK Visa Application Centres will also be operational in Sri Lanka (Colombo).

Centres that will remain closed:All other Visa Application Centres in South Asia remain closed until further notice. VFS Global will contact customers who had previously booked appointments at these centres to arrange for them to complete their application at a different location.

Centres in the following cities in India remain closed: Lucknow, Goa, Jaipur, Bandra-Kurla Complex Centre in Mumbai, Guragaon in Delhi, Electronic City and Whitefield centres in Bengaluru. Customers in these locations can book new appointments at the nearest available locations.

Passport collection: If a decision has been made on a visa application, VFS Global staff will contact customers to arrange for the delivery of the passport.

Existing customers: Customers who were unable to attend an earlier appointment will be able to log into their account to book a fresh appointment. Customers who completed their application on GOV.UK, but did not previously book an appointment at a Centre, can also do so for 06 July 2020 onwards.

Optional services: Some optional, premium services will currently not be offered, including: Super Priority Visa, Priority Visa (for visit visas), Priority Visa for settlement visas, Flexi Time Service, and Walk-in Service. The available premium services will be listed on the website for customers during their online customer journey, before visiting the Centre.

Health measures at the UK border

There are new rules in place for entering the UK because of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. We request you to please check the latest information before you travel at https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control.

For customers whose 30-day visa to work, study or join family has expired:

Customers whose 30-day visa to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family has expired, or is about to expire, can request a replacement visa with revised validity dates free of charge until the end of this year. Please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents#outside-uk for details.

Overseas British Passport Applications

For British nationals who wish to renew or apply for a British passport from India, please visit https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports for details on how to do this.

About VFS Global : VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. VFS Global has Swiss parentage and is a portfolio company of EQT, a leading global private equity firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. With 3390 Application Centres, operations in 144 countries across five continents and over 223 million applications processed (since inception in 2001) as on 31 May 2020, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 64 client governments.