Bengaluru sees surge in visa applications mainly for Europe travel

BENGALURU: Backlog and surge in fresh applications following India lifting ban on international flight operations are delaying processing time for Europe and Canadian visas. Visa facilitator VFS Global has advised applicants, mainly from Bengaluru, to plan accordingly.
Jaya Amit Mitra, head of VFS operations for South India, Sri Lanka and Maldives on Wednesday, said visa applications and processes to various countries picked up pace in recent months with many opting to travel overseas for both work and leisure.
“From January to March, there is a 50% increase in visa applications, mainly in Bengaluru. There is indeed a bit of backlog of applications due to Covid-19 and at present, the surge in fresh applications has become challenging. But we are working to provide swift services,” she said.
Admitting that there has been a surge in applications for Schengen visa, Jaya asked applicants to avoid booking tickets before receiving the visa. “Unlike pre-Covid times, visa processing period has now become unpredictable for many countries and, therefore, applicants must plan accordingly and not lose out on their air ticket money by booking tickets without anticipating the visa processing time,” she added.
The pandemic situation saw many Bengaluru applicants opting for Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) service offered by VFS, for visas to the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France.