LUCKNOW: Five months after Lucknow got a visa facilitation services (VFS) centre, it will now be possible to apply for visas to Netherlands and Austria from the state capital itself.
The Austria and Netherlands Visa services started in Lucknow from Monday, making it much simpler for people from the city and other places from UP, to apply for visas without having to travel to Delhi, the nearest VFS centre till February.
The VFS Global Joint Visa Applications Centre in Lucknow was inaugurated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on February 4. It is located on the first floor of the Interstate Bus Terminal at Alambagh. Applications can be made from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm. A prior appointment, booked through the VFS Global website, would be required.
Prabuddha Sen, the Chief Operating Officer for VFS Global South Asia, said: “We are delighted to bring Austria and Netherlands visa services to Lucknow, a move which will benefit the citizens of UP who till now had to travel to other cities like Delhi to submit their visa applications. We are confident that these newly opened Visa Application Centres will offer applicants a convenient and seamless visa application process.”
The Centre also offers optional services such as Premium Lounge. One availing such a facility would be able to carry out submission for application without having to wait in queue. Other services which can be availed for an additional fee include form-filling assistance, courier service, courier assurance, photo service, printing and photocopy, and SMS alerts.
VFS Global offers Austria visa services in 15 cities and Netherlands visa services in nine cities across India.
The VFS Centre in Lucknow offers the facility to apply for visas to Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with Austria and Netherlands. Switzerland and Estonia were the first countries to start visa services from Lucknow. The centre, spread across an area of 24,000 sq feet, has a capacity to process around 1.2 lakh applications in a year.
