Eng. Mohammed A. Al. Alwaily, Deputy Minister for Shared Services, Ministry of Commerce (sixth from left) and Sumanth Kapoor-Business Head KSA, Oman and Bahrain, VFS Global (fifth from left) with other dignitaries at the signing ceremony

VFS Global has entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Commerce, Saudi Arabia, to provide visa application services through a centre operated within the premises of the Ministry of Commerce headquarters in Riyadh. The agreement was signed in the presence of Eng. Mohammed A. Al. Alwaily, Deputy Minister for Shared Services, Ministry of Commerce.

Through this partnership, VFS Global will cater to about 8000 employees and delegates, as well as personnel of subsidiary government institutions under the Ministry.

Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO, VFS Global said, “It is an honour to have entered this strategic partnership with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Commerce. We are very pleased to offer this dedicated Visa Application Centre service to the employees and associates of the Ministry, to further enhance their visa application experience in a seamless, convenient and secure manner. This partnership further strengthens our commitment to this great nation.”

Ahmad Al Mheiri, Senior Vice President – Business Services, TECOM Group (right) and Pranav Sinha, Head – Passport Services, Attestation & Verification Services and Citizen Services, VFS Global (left) at the contract signing in Dubai on 25 January 2024

TECOM Group PJSC, the creator of specialised business districts and vibrant communities in Dubai, UAE, has partnered with VFS Global to offer visa processing and document attestation services exclusively to customers and professionals working with its 10 business destinations across Dubai.

axs, TECOM Group’s smart online platform for corporate and government services, will facilitate access to these services for more than 11,000 customers and 120,000 professionals, including entrepreneurs and freelancers, as well as their dependents, in the Group’s communities.

The agreement was signed by Ahmad Al Mheiri, Senior Vice President – Business Services, TECOM Group, and Pranav Sinha, Head – Passport Services, Attestation & Verification Services and Citizen Services, VFS Global. As part of the agreement, axs will facilitate document attestation services through VFS Global, for documents from over 70 countries, including those in the Schengen Area, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, China, Australia, and Canada. The service will provide a 90-day entry permit to applicants to commence employment in the UAE while their attestation process is completed. VFS Global will also provide ‘Visa At Your Doorstep’ services to customers at TECOM Group’s districts.

Commenting on the agreement, Ahmad Al Mheiri, Senior Vice President – Business Services, TECOM Group, said, “Ensuring a robust digital infrastructure to make operating in our 10 business districts seamless and efficient is essential as a strategic business enabler of Dubai. We are continuously building strategic synergies and implementing innovative solutions that enable our thousands of customers to succeed. Our partnership with VFS Global reflects TECOM Group’s commitment to digital transformation and enhancing the ease of doing business. Digitally enabled platforms like axs are key to attracting more investment, businesses, and talent, to the emirate, in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’.”

Pranav Sinha, Head – Passport Services, Attestation & Verification Services and Citizen Services, VFS Global said, “We are pleased to partner with TECOM Group to provide this unique solution to the residents of UAE. Being a digitally led company that continuously transforms its business model with secure and efficient processes, market offerings and advanced technologies, we are confident that this new service will provide enhanced convenience to TECOM Group’s community members and business owners alike.”

H.E. Eric GIRAUD-TELME- France Ambassador to Bahrain (centre); Thibault HOUSPIC- Consul and Adeline Pascal- Head of visa section (second from left) and Sumanth Kapoor- Business Head KSA, Oman and Bahrain, VFS Global (left) at the inauguration

H.E. Eric GIRAUD-TELME, France Ambassador to Bahrain and Thibault HOUSPIC, Consul, inaugurated the new France Visa Application Centre in Manama, Bahrain, on 31 January 2024.

M. Marco Silvi, Consul General of Italy in Morocco (second from left) and M. Johan Virassamynaick, Regional Head - North Africa, VFS Global (first from left) at the inauguration

M. Marco Silvi, Consul General of Italy in Morocco, inaugurated our Italy Visa Application Centre in Marrakesh on 2 February 2024, in the presence of M. Johan Virassamynaick, Regional Head - North Africa, VFS Global.

H.E. John Busuttil, Ambassador, Head of Mission, The Embassy of Malta in China (second from left); H.E. Bruno Angelet, Ambassador, Head of Mission, The Embassy of Belgium in China (third from left); Dorthe Lange, Deputy Head of Mission, The Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Beijing (fourth from left) and Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia, VFS Global (first from left), at the launch

We inaugurated our newly renovated Malta, Belgium and Denmark Joint Visa Application Centre in Beijing, China. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on 31 January 2024. It was attended by H.E. John Busuttil, Ambassador, Head of Mission, The Embassy of Malta in China; H.E. Bruno Angelet, Ambassador, Head of Mission, The Embassy of Belgium in China; Dorthe Lange, Deputy Head of Mission, The Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Beijing; Lionel Assant, Board member of VFS Global, Franz Julen, Board member of VFS Global, Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO, VFS Global, and Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia of VFS Global, in the presence of other distinguished dignitaries.

H.E. Ambassador Giovanni Pugliese (fourth from left) and the Consul Omar Appolloni, Embassy of Italy in Algeria (second from left) at the launch

H.E. Ambassador Giovanni Pugliese and the Consul Omar Appolloni, Embassy of Italy in Algeria, attended the launch of the visa appointment booking mobile application on 7 December 2023.

Ken Igawara, Ambassador of Japan in Mongolia (second from left; Khulan Odgerel, Honorary Consul for Poland in Mongolia (first from left); Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia, VFS Global (second from right) and Lloyd Dsouza, Deputy Regional Head – P.R. China (North) & Mongolia (first from right) at the inauguration

Khulan Odgerel, Honorary Consul for Poland in Mongolia; Ken Igawara, Ambassador of Japan in Mongolia; Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia, VFS Global and Lloyd Dsouza, Deputy Regional Head – P.R. China (North) & Mongolia inaugurated the Japan Visa Application Centre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 4 December 2023.

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VFS Global launched its first sign language contact centre for people of determination in India on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Through this initiative, the organisation 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 innovative service not only underscores our steadfast commitment to foster an inclusive environment but also highlights our dedication to ensure that all customers have equal access to our services, as part of our diversity, equity and inclusion programme of our Sustainability Strategy.

The sign language contact centre provides information for visa services to Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland (including Finland Residence Permit), Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland as part of the first phase of this project’s implementation plan. Last year, we had launched our first sign language contact centre for people of determination in the Middle East.

Prabuddha Sen, Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, VFS Global, said, "After the MENA region, we are truly excited to bring this solution to visa applicants in India as well, making information on our services and processes more accessible to all. Technology has been at the core of VFS Global’s journey since inception and this innovation, which will aid in fuelling an accessible and equitable world, is a step ahead in delivering inclusive and enhanced customer experience. While this service is being launched for 16 destination countries in the first phase, more destinations will be added gradually in phases.”

Philippe Collin, Consul General of France in Ivory Coast (second from right); Sebastien Jondot, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France, Liberia (first from right); Christophe Hemmings, Chief of the Consular section at the Consulate General of France in Ivory Coast (first from left) and Vivek Anandh, Regional Manager, VFS Global, (second from left) at the inauguration

On 17 November 2023, the France Visa Application Centre was inaugurated in Monrovia, Liberia, by Philippe Collin, Consul Général of France in Ivory Coast, in the presence of Christophe Hemmings, Vice Consul of France in Ivory Coast, Sebastien Jondot, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France in Liberia, and other distinguished dignitaries including representatives from the senior team of VFS Global.

Commenting on the launch of the new Centre, Hariprasad Viswanathan, Head–Sub-Saharan Africa, VFS Global, said, “We are pleased to expand our France visa services presence across Sub - Saharan Africa with the launch of this new Visa Application Centre in the city of Monrovia. The opening of this new centre will efficiently cater to the growing travel needs from Liberia by offering visa applicants a hassle-free and seamless experience as their first step to travel to France.”

Gilbert Perrot, Consul, Embassy of France in Qatar (first from left), and Patrick Poinsot, First Counsellor, Embassy of France (second from right) in Qatar at the inauguration

Gilbert Perrot, Consul, Embassy of France in Qatar, and Patrick Poinsot, First Counsellor, Embassy of France in Qatar, inaugurated our France Visa Application Centre in Doha on 8 February 2024.

Soumya Zelmat, Consul of France in Abu Dhabi (right) and Monaz Billimoria, Regional Head, VFS Global (left) at the inauguration

Soumya Zelmat, Consul of France in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated our first stand-alone France Visa Application Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 18 December 2023, in the presence of Monaz Billimoria, Regional Head, VFS Global, and other distinguished dignitaries.

Anthony Preston, HM Consul-General to Chongqing and South West China (right) and Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia of VFS Global at the inauguration

On 17 January 2024, Anthony Preston, HM Consul- General to Chongqing and South West China, Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia of VFS Global and other distinguished dignitaries inaugurated the newly renovated UK and Ireland Visa Application Centre in Chengdu, China.

H.E. Marco Clemente, Ambassador of Italy to The Philippines (right), and Kaushik Ghosh, Head - Australasia, VFS Global (left) at the inauguration

H.E. Marco Clemente, Ambassador of Italy to The Philippines, and Kaushik Ghosh, Head - Australasia, VFS Global, inaugurated our Italy Visa Application Centre in Taguig, The Philippines, in the presence of Antonio Gallo, Head of the Consular Chancery, Embassy of Italy in Manila, on 7 December 2023.

Consul General Tania Berchem (top) and H.E. Roland Reiland, Ambassador of Luxembourg to China (above) with Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia at the contract signing ceremony

We signed a contract with the Embassy of Luxembourg to provide visa services in China. The contract was signed between H. E. Roland Reiland, Ambassador of Luxembourg to China and Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Mainland of China, Hong Kong & Mongolia in Beijing on 18 December 2023 and with Consul General Tania Berchem in Shanghai on 22 December 2023.

H.E. Margers Krams,Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Commonwealth of Australia (third from left); Vineta Freimane, Second Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Latvia (second from left); Harpreet Singh, Head – Australia and New Zealand, Account Management Team, VFS Global (first from left) and Harish Bhojwani, Regional Head – Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, VFS Global (first from right) at the contract signing ceremony

We signed a contract with the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Canberra, Australia to provide efficient and seamless Latvia visa services in six Australian cities. The contract was signed on 6 March 2024 between H.E. Margers Krams, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Commonwealth of Australia, and Harpreet Singh, Head – Australia and New Zealand, Account Management Team, VFS Global.

H.E. Jean Francois Pactet, Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and Maldives (right), and Sujoy Majumdar, Country Manager-Sri Lanka, VFS Global (left) at the contract signing ceremony

We signed a contract with the French Embassy in Colombo to provide France visa services on its behalf to the applicants in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The contract was signed between H.E. Jean Francois Pactet, Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and Maldives, and Sujoy Majumdar, Country Manager-Sri Lanka, VFS Global, on 22 November 2023.

H.E. Paolo Dionisi, Ambassador of Italy to Thailand, (second from right) and Andrea Conti, Consul, Embassy of Italy (first from left) with other dignitaries at the contract signing ceremony

We signed a contract with the Embassy of Italy in Bangkok, Thailand, to provide visa services on its behalf to Italy visa applicants in Thailand and Cambodia. The contract was signed between H.E. Paolo Dionisi, Ambassador of Italy to Thailand, and Sachin Verma, Head of Operations - Thailand, Laos, & Singapore, VFS Global, in the presence of Andrea Conti, Consul, Embassy of Italy, on 24 November 2023.