
VFS renews contract for Germany visa services
Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said,
'Our longstanding association with the German Federal Foreign Office is a testament to their faith in our service, and we are excited to continue this journey in the Middle East. With the growing demand for international travel from the region, and Germany's popularity as a destination for travellers across segments, we look forward to welcoming even more applicants at our centres in the coming years.'
VFS Global has been providing visa services on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office since June 2005, through a global network of 68 Visa Application Centres across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The new mandate will bring VFS Global's Germany Visa Application Centre network to 72 locations worldwide.
VFS said it is recommended to apply for visas as early as booking flights, and stay particularly this year, with higher demand and limited appointment slots available, we urge applicants to
apply for their visa as early as possible. You can apply for a Schengen visa up to 6 months before your date of travel.
Visa applicants are advised to beware of fraudulent entities that charge fees from customers for scheduling appointments or providing any other services using VFS Global's name or independently. VFS Global does not charge any fee for booking appointments on vfsglobal.com, which is the official website catering to visa applications. However, some governments require pre-payment of the service fee at the time of booking the appointment. This step is only to ensure genuine travellers use appointment booking and the system is kept safe from misuse by fraudulent entities.

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6 days ago
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Stay away from intermediaries, Embassy of Italy in Oman tells visa applicants
Muscat: The Italian Embassy in the Sultanate of Oman has urged visa applicants to stay away from intermediaries offering paid services to submit or facilitate visa applications. "We recommend being particularly wary of anyone claiming to have preferential access to visa applications. Unclear application procedures will result in visa denial," the embassy said. Notify the Embassy if any individuals or companies other than VFS Global ( the only authorized agency to receive visa applications) offer services to facilitate visa applications for a fee. Booking an appointment is free, the embassy said. To ensure adequate processing of visa applications, it is recommended to apply well in advance of the planned departure date, preferably at least one month before, it added. No local employee of the visa office of the Embassy or the VFS GLOBAL Application Center has any decision-making authority over visa issuance or decisions, the embassy said. Applicants must provide their personal information when booking an appointment. Any reservation without this information will be cancelled. " All decisions regarding requests are at the discretion of the Italian Embassy."


Observer
05-08-2025
- Observer
VFS renews contract for Germany visa services
The German Federal Foreign Office has renewed its contract with VFS Global in the Middle East for an additional seven years. Under this mandate, VFS Global will continue to provide Germany visa services through its centres in Algiers, Algeria; Manama, Bahrain; Erbil, Iraq; Amman, Jordan; Doha, Qatar; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Beirut, Lebanon; Muscat, Oman; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE, with additional operations in Nicosia, Cyprus; Yaounde, Cameroon; and Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria in the coming months. Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said, 'Our longstanding association with the German Federal Foreign Office is a testament to their faith in our service, and we are excited to continue this journey in the Middle East. With the growing demand for international travel from the region, and Germany's popularity as a destination for travellers across segments, we look forward to welcoming even more applicants at our centres in the coming years.' VFS Global has been providing visa services on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office since June 2005, through a global network of 68 Visa Application Centres across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The new mandate will bring VFS Global's Germany Visa Application Centre network to 72 locations worldwide. VFS said it is recommended to apply for visas as early as booking flights, and stay particularly this year, with higher demand and limited appointment slots available, we urge applicants to apply for their visa as early as possible. You can apply for a Schengen visa up to 6 months before your date of travel. Visa applicants are advised to beware of fraudulent entities that charge fees from customers for scheduling appointments or providing any other services using VFS Global's name or independently. VFS Global does not charge any fee for booking appointments on which is the official website catering to visa applications. However, some governments require pre-payment of the service fee at the time of booking the appointment. This step is only to ensure genuine travellers use appointment booking and the system is kept safe from misuse by fraudulent entities.


Times of Oman
02-08-2025
- Times of Oman
India expands consular services in US with eight new centres
Washington DC: The new Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) are located in Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edison, Orlando, Raleigh, and San Jose, bringing the total number to 16 nationwide. A 17th centre is planned to open in Los Angeles later this month. The expansion, announced jointly by the Indian Mission and VFS Global, aims to make essential services more accessible to Indian Americans and other applicants seeking India-related documentation. The centres will handle a comprehensive range of services, including India visa applications, overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) applications, Indian passport services, renunciation of Indian citizenship, police clearance certificates, Global Entry Programme applications and Document attestation services. To improve accessibility, the new centres will operate on Saturdays and include return courier services in standard fees. Additional services such as photographs, photocopies, and form assistance will be provided at no extra charge. "We are very happy to announce the opening of 8 new Indian Consular Application Centres," said Vinay Mohan Kwatra, India's Ambassador to the United States. "We firmly believe that people-to-people ties are the heart of India-US partnership." The centres are expected to benefit Indian communities under the jurisdiction of Indian consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. VFS Global, which has been the exclusive service provider for Indian consular services in the US since 2020, says the expansion responds to growing demand driven by increased business partnerships, tourism and trade between the two countries. Amit Kumar Sharma, Head - North America & Caribbean, VFS Global, said, "We are honoured by the continued trust the Government of India has placed in VFS Global to support its diplomatic mission in the United States. These ICACs will play a crucial role in effectively catering to the growing demand for visa and consular services to India, led by business partnerships, tourism and trade." VFS Global operates as the world's largest outsourced visa services company, managing over 3,900 application centres across 165 countries for 69 client governments. The company, headquartered in Zurich and Dubai, has processed more than 499 million applications since 2001. The expansion reflects the growing importance of India-US relations and the increasing need for streamlined consular services as travel and business ties between the two nations continue to strengthen.