Tag Archives: VFS

VFS Global, in association with the Embassy of Japan in the UAE and Consulate-General of Japan in Dubai, has opened Japan Visa Application Centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on 1 August 2024. IMANISHI Jun, Consul General of Japan to Dubai and the Northern Emirates inaugurated the Visa Application Centre in Dubai. VFS Global’s Japan Visa Application Centres will accept document submission for short-term and long-term visas to Japan, by prior appointment. Appointments will be available online at https://visa.vfsglobal.com/are/en/jpn/ at no charge. Speaking at the inauguration, Mr. IMANISHI Jun, Consul General of Japan to Dubai and the Northern Emirates said, “It gives me great pleasure to announce the opening of the VFS Global Japan Visa Application Centre here in Dubai. The Government of Japan has set a target to increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan to 60 million by 2030. In recent years, partly due to the depreciation of the yen, the number of visitors to Japan has continued to increase, with more than 3 million foreigners visiting Japan each month since March this year. “The urgent task is to respond to the ever-increasing number of visa applications. The Consulate General of Japan in Dubai has therefore decided to partner with VFS Global. With the opening of the Japan Visa Application Centre, VFS Global and the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai will work closely together on visas to encourage more people to visit Japan. “We hope that those wishing to travel to Japan will benefit from more convenient and faster visa services and that this centre will serve as a base for promoting people-to-people exchanges between Japan, the UAE and Dubai and further develop bilateral relations between …

VFS Global opened France visa services for the residents of Qatar through its new France Visa Application Centre in Doha. Focused on providing exceptional customer service, ensuring convenient and seamless experiences, the premises feature a spacious waiting area, state-of-the-art biometric facilities, and a dedicated space to promote France as a destination, providing applicants with key information ahead of their travels. Travellers visiting this centre can also choose from a range of our optional services, such as courier return service to receive processed passports at home, and form filling assistance from trained professionals, among others. Those looking for a more personalised service can also opt for the Premium Lounge to receive end-to-end assistance throughout the process in a plush ambience. The centre was inaugurated on 08 February 2024 by Patrick Poinsot, First counsellor at the French embassy in Qatar. France visa applicants can now visit this centre located in Level 2, Al Nuaimi Building, Oqba Ibn Nafie Street, Airport Road, Doha, Qatar, to submit their applications for short and long stay visas. Prior appointments are mandatory and can be booked on www.vfsglobal.com. Mr. Patrick Poinsot, First counselor at the French embassy in Qatar said, “We care about the quality of the welcome of our Qatari friends and residents of Qatar who want to go to France. We are very pleased to see that, each year, more and more people are travelling to France, especially for touristic reasons and, with our new partner VFS Global, we will endeavor to process their visa applications in the best possible and efficient way” Mr. Atul Marwah, Chief Operating Officer – Middle East & Egypt, VFS Global said, “We are excited to embark on this new journey with …

VFS Global launched its first sign language contact centre for people of determination in the Middle East. This innovative service not only underscores VFS Global’s steadfast commitment to foster an inclusive environment but also highlights the company’s dedication to ensuring that all customers have equal access to their services, as part of our Diversity Equity and Inclusion programme of our Sustainability Strategy. The sign language contact centre is now available for our applicants in nine countries – Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. It provides information for visa services to Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands as part of the first phase of this projects’ implementation plan. How to access the sign language contact centre: Step 1 – Visit www.vfsglobal.com Step 2 – Navigate to the Contact Us page Step 3 – Click on the sign language widget Atul Marwah, Chief Operating Officer – Middle East & North Africa, VFS Global, expressed his enthu-siasm for the new service, stating, “We are truly excited to be bringing this solution to applicants, making information on our services and processes more accessible to all. Technology-backed solutions are the cornerstone of our operations, and this innovation, which makes our services and solutions more acces-sible, is amongst our proudest achievements. The service will be extended to provide visa service infor-mation for a further 17 destinations in the second phase, slated to be rolled out later in the year.” By introducing the sign language contact centre, VFS Global aims to bridge the communication gap for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, empowering them to access visa service information more easily and independently. This initiative is a …

The Estonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has mandated VFS Global to provide visa services on their behalf to the residents of the United Arab Emirates. The contract was signed on 05 December 2022 by Mr. Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General Estonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Chris Dix, Head – Business Development, VFS Global. The Estonia Visa Application Centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which opened their doors to applicants on 19 December 2022, will accept short stay visa applications to Estonia for tourism, business, visiting family and friends, and applications by family members of EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, who exercise the Right of Free Movement. Sherif Shazly, Chief Operating Officer – Middle East & North Africa, VFS Global, said, “We are excited to be bringing Estonia visa services closer to home for UAE residents through our centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. We have been associated with the Estonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs for since 2015, and appreciate their continued faith in us.” Applicants can also choose from a range of conveniences when applying for their visa to Estonia, including completing the visa application process from home by opting for VFS Global’s Visa At Your Doorstep service, or from a plush lounge ambience at the Platinum Lounge at the centres in both Emirates. There is also a range of additional services to choose from such as Prime Time service to submit applications outside business hours, courier return of processed documents, form filling assistance, among others. VFS Global currently offers Estonia visa services in 13 countries through a network of 100+ Visa Application Centres.

Effective 1 August 2022, residents of the UAE can apply for their Israel visas at the VFS Global Visa Application Centre in Abu Dhabi. The centre accepts applications for tourism, business, student, conference, medical, relatives and family visit categories. The contract was signed by H.E. Mr. Danny Gadot, Ambassador of Administration and Consul Affairs, Israel Embassy in the UAE, and Mr. Atul Marwah, Head – Middle East & North Africa, VFS Global, earlier this year. This is the first time the Israel Embassy in the UAE has outsourced its visa application pro-cess. Atul Marwah, Head – Middle East & North Africa, VFS Global, said, “We are excited to embark on this new partnership with the Israel Embassy in the UAE, bringing in VFS Global’s domain expertise to provide a smooth and efficient visa application journey. In February 2022, the Israel Ministry of Tourism signed a partnership with VFS Global as their tourism representation agency in the UAE. This new asso-ciation is another feather in the cap for VFS Global’s association with this beautiful country.” Applicants will benefit from a range of optional services offered by VFS Global, including passport withdrawal service, video conferencing for child applicants, form filling assistance, SMS updates, and courier return, among others. Applicants can also opt to submit their applications from VFS Global’s Premium Lounge, enjoying end-to-end personalised assistance throughout the submission process.

VFS Global has successfully completed the highest level of the KPMG People Maturity Model (PMM) assessment at Level 5 (Innovative), becoming the first visa services company to reach this milestone. The certification was awarded following a rigorous assessment conducted by KPMG. The PMM certification represents the organisation’s commitment to continuously improving people process maturity and practices in consonance with the organisational business objectives. KPMG’s PMM takes various elements that cover the latest trends in HR system process maturity and practices, focusing on enterprise-level improvements. VFS Global had already achieved the  People Capbility Maturity Model (PCMM)  Level 5 appraisal in 2019. In 2018, VFS Global achieved the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Service Excellence maturity level 3, reflecting the organisation’s importance on the quality of work produced. The PMM Level-5 certification is a testament to the well-established set of human capital management practices at VFS Global, ensuring we attract, develop, motivate, organise and retain the required talent, guiding and assisting them in establishing a culture of excellence. The newly achieved PMM certification further reinforces the organisation’s commitment to sustainability, backed by a strong workforce and expansive network. VFS Global employs over 8,000 people at its Visa Application Centres and offices in more than 140 countries worldwide. Globally, 116 nationalities work with VFS Global, bringing the benefit of a wide variety of world views. At VFS Global, we have also maintained our gender balance with an overall female: male ratio of 58:42 at the end of 2021. The company remains dedicated to engaging, upskilling and improving its workforce policies, practices and capabilities in alignment with its business performance and objectives. Nirbhik Goel, Chief Human Resources Officer, VFS Global, said, “Our people are …

In a move to enhance destination awareness and foster market visibility, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has appointed VFS Global to promote Zimbabwe as a preferred tourism destination in both India and GCC region, through a collaborative relationship. The agreement was officially signed by Karikoga Kaseke, Chief Executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Office Boardroom, Harare in the presence of other eminent dignitaries from VFS Global, travel and trade fraternity. A world of wonders, Zimbabwe prides itself to being home of the Majestic Victoria Falls; one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a World Heritage Site that is the biggest curtain of water in the world in the Zambezi River. As part of the agreement, VFS Global would support ZTA to build a unique identity of Zimbabwe as a potential tourist destination by educating and spreading awareness to tour operators, travel agents, MICE planners and the general traveller based in India or GCC region.

Residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can now apply for visas to Belgium at a new visa application centre launched at the VFS visa center in Abu Dhabi. The centre was inaugurated by H.E. Dominique Mineur, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United Arab Emirates. VFS Global currently serves the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium in 10 countries from 45 visa application centres, globally. The new centre in Abu Dhabi is located at the Joint Visa Application Centre, Level 25, Shining Tower, Mubarak Bin Mohammed Street, Adjacent to Khalidiyah Mall, Abu Dhabi. H.E. Mineur said, “The launch of the new Visa Application Centre is a step forward in Belgium’s goal to serve our clients in a better and quicker way. Abu Dhabi is the first step and Dubai will follow. Our collaboration with VFS Global is also part of a more global plan to promote Belgium as an interesting country for tourism and business. Our collaboration with VFS Global is a long lasting and based worldwide, and I am convinced that together we can achieve these goals.” Vinay Malhotra, COO – Middle East & South Asia, VFS Global, “We are honoured to partner with the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium and further extend visa services in Abu Dhabi. It is also a great privilege to be a part of the journey towards advancement of travel between the beautiful country of Belgium and the UAE. We are confident the centre will help us achieve our common goal of providing added convenience and accessibility to UAE residents applying for a visa to Belgium.”

Residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can now apply for visas to Belgium and Luxembourg at a Visa Application Centre launched for the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium for the first-time in the Middle East. Services at the centre commenced on December 12, 2016. Visa applicants can visit the centrally located VFS Global centre located on the First Floor at Dove Plaza, Umm Al Hamam Street, Umm Al Hamam, Riyadh, to submit their visa applications and enrol for biometrics. The well-appointed centre caters to the growing needs of outbound travellers from the country. With Belgium and Luxembourg emerging as popular travel destinations, the new centre will offer applicants greater convenience and enhanced quality of services when applying for their visas. Since commencing visa processing operations for the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium in 2006, VFS Global serves the client government in 10 countries from 51 visa application centres across the globe. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the company currently serves 21 client governments, from 67 visa application centres located across the country. Some of the key features of the centre include convenient and centrally-accessed location, professional staff with local language capability to handle queries and applications, well-appointed centre for enhanced comfort of applicants, automated queue governance for smooth flow of applicants, dedicated website for easy access to information including visa categories, requirements, check-list and applicable fees, 100 per cent secure handling of passports, documents and personal information, door-step delivery of passports and Premium Lounge for personalised and comfortable service.