Belgium and VFS Global extends its visa service delivery to Southern India

The Belgian State extended its Visa Application Centre services to Southern India with two new centres in Chennai and Hyderabad, in collaboration with its commercial partner VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for diplomatic missions and governments. Catering to the growing demand of Belgium bound travellers in the region; this strategic move is aimed at offering new services, facilities and benefits to visa applicants, and boost tourism, trade and investments, and bilateral ties with India.
The announcement was made at a press conference held on the occasion of opening the new Belgium Visa Application Centre in Chennai. Mr Karl Van den Bossche, Consul General of Belgium in Mumbai and Mr Vishal Jairath, Regional Head - South Asia, VFS Global made the joint announcement at the conference. Also present at the conference was Mr Koen Gabriels, Consul and Head of Visa Operations at the Consulate General of Belgium in Mumbai. Similar facilities also extended in Ahmedabad and Pune in Western India.

Speaking on the occasion, the Consul General said: “We are bringing our service closer to the public and business community, to enhance the user friendliness. We recognize the importance to open Visa Application Centres in Southern India, together with VFS Global who has been our trusted partner for many years. These centres will offer a high quality and expedient service to our applicants. We strive to return passports within 3 working days. With this initiative, Belgium further intensifies its cultural and economic ties with India. Next steps are the opening of a Consulate General in Chennai and the visit of a large business delegation headed by HRH Prince Philippe, Crown Prince of Belgium, to New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai on November 23-29. Also Belgium’s festival Europalia, one of Europe’s largest cultural events, will focus on India this year.”
In 2012, nearly 34000 visa applications were received from travellers in Southern and Western India by the Belgian Consulate in Mumbai. This increase over the last few years in Belgium bound travellers has encouraged the new initiative for expansion in the regions.
Mr Jairath said, “It is our privilege to partner and provide services to the Consulate General of Belgium in Mumbai to facilitate visa application process for travellers in India. We are committed to provide highly efficient and convenient services to all applicants applying for a Belgian visa in the region. VFS Global is privileged to be associated with the Government of Belgium in India since 2006, apart from nine other countries globally. This extension of our association with the Belgian Government reflects their faith in our abilities, and we are sure this will go a long way in forging a longstanding partnership with VFS Global.”
The VFS Global operated Schengen Visa Application Centres (SVACs) at Chennai and Hyderabad will accept visa applications for Belgium from applicants in the region. Similar services are also offered in Mumbai and Bengaluru by the Consulate General of Belgium in Mumbai, and will now accept visa applications from applicants residing in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, apart from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, through its extended network operated by VFS Global.


The key features of the new centres are:

• Conveniently located and easily accessible state-of-the art Visa Application Centres
• Longer operating hours allowing applicants to visit at a time of their convenience
• Professional and responsive staff dedicated to handle visa queries and applications
• Automated queue governance for smooth flow of applicants, providing better crowd management
• Dedicated counters for applicants and travel agents/ tour operators
• Dedicated website for easy access to information including visa categories, requirements and check-list, applicable fees and application status
• Dedicated call centres and email support to answer queries and status of application
• 100% secure handling of passports, documents and personal information
• In-VAC feedback kiosks and forms, and online feedback services for applicants to share their recommendations and feedback about the services
• Tracking of application status
• SMS alerts for visa status update on mobile phones
• Door-step delivery of passports

All applications will continue to be assessed and processed by respective Consulate General of Belgium, Mumbai. The Belgium Visa Application Centres will remain open from 08:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs from Monday to Friday, keeping in mind the convenience of the applicants.
For more information about the visa application centre, please visit www.vfs-be-in.com