Student visa application services in India: Visa Application Centre status update (July 2021) 

Student visa application services in India: Visa Application Centre status update (July 2021) 

As lockdowns and restrictions across India slowly lift and international borders start to reopen, VFS Global is resuming services in a phased manner for its client governments. Reopened Visa Application Centres are operating in keeping with health and safety guidelines, local government directives and mission requirements.

Information about Visa Application Centres offering student visa services listed in the below table is as of 28 July 2021. As this information is fluid and being updated regularly, please visit the country-specific websites on www.vfsglobal.com for the most updated information. Real time updates are also posted on our social media channels and the COVID-19 Customer Advisories page.

The table below is indicative of student visa categories currently being catered to at VFS Global centres in India. For more details or information, please visit the Embassy/Mission website, or visit www.vfsglobal.com and choose your country of origin and destination to be redirected to the relevant page.

Please note: 

1. Customers are advised to beware of fraudulent entities who charge fees from customers for scheduling appointments, using VFS Global’s name or independently. We do not accept any payment for scheduling appointments
2. Visa type and category terminologies may vary for different missions. Please visit the relevant Embassy/Consulate website for details
3. Air travel on all routes is subject to government advisories and permissions for air travel may be independent of the visa process

Health and safety precautions at the Centres

As an extra layer of caution to ensure the health and safety of customers and employees alike, VFS Global has established standardised protective measures to be followed across centres, including physical distancing and sanitisation, body temperature checks, use of masks and sanitizers, disinfecting high-contact surfaces, etc. Customers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including high fever, cough and difficulty in breathing will not be permitted to enter the centre.

COVID-19 test booking and health insurance services

VFS Global also manages online booking of COVID-19 RT PCR tests at government-approved medical laboratories or at home as well. This service has been rolled out in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Chennai, Pune and Kochi.

For greater convenience, health and travel insurances are also readily available for purchase for customers visiting VFS Global Visa Application Centres.

‘Visa At Your Doorstep’ service

As an optional service to customers wanting to complete their entire visa application submission process from the comfort of their home or office, VFS Global continues to provide the “Visa At Your Doorstep” service whereby a customer can submit the application, enrol biometrics, and get the passport couriered back to their his/her location of choice.

Please note: In light of suspension of our services in Bhopal, Coimbatore, Gurugram, Lucknow, Goa and Thiruvananthapuram, customer requirement can be serviced through Visa At Your Doorstep (V@YD) service. To learn more about V@YD please visit the mission-specific page on www.vfsglobal.com.

Courier service

As a precautionary measure, customers may also opt for our courier services to get their passports delivered to their preferred address, after adjudication by the concerned diplomatic mission. This service may also be made mandatory by certain countries. We are committed to sharing timely information on re-openings with our customers in all countries, on our social media channels and the COVID-19 Customer Advisories page that is updated in real time

About VFS Global

VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 3523 Application Centres, operations in 143 countries across five continents and over 230 million applications processed (since inception in 2001) as on 30 June 2021, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 62 client governments. The company manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa, passport and consular services for its client governments, enabling them to focus entirely on the critical task of assessment.

VFS Global is majority owned by the global investment organisation EQT. The Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation holds a minority stake in VFS Global.  EQT is a global investment organisation with offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and with a 27-year track-record of consistent investment performance across multiple geographies, sectors, and strategies. EQT AB Group is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange. EQT manages and advises a range of specialized investment funds and other investment vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to generate attractive returns and future-proof companies. EQT funds’ investors do not influence portfolio companies’ decision making or strategies. Nor do they have access to private and confidential business assets or client and customer data.