CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Qatar

Germany opens Visa Application Centre in tie-up with VFS Global

Published: 19 Feb 2018 - 09:13 am | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 06:20 am
Image of The Reichstag, seat of the lower house of Parliament in Germany, used for representation. Reuters

Image of The Reichstag, seat of the lower house of Parliament in Germany, used for representation. Reuters

The Peninsula

Doha: The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany inaugurated its new Visa Application Centre in Qatar which will be operated by VFS Global, a leading outsourcing and technology services specialist for diplomatic missions worldwide.

In a joint statement, the German Embassy and VFS Global said the new visa centre will bring, due to the broad opening hours, enhanced convenience in visa processing services and biometric enrolment formalities to residents of Qatar applying for Schengen visa to Germany as well as to Austria, Finland, Norway and Slovenia. 

These countries are represented by Germany regarding the issuance of Schengen visa. The processing time for Schengen visa is maximum 15 days; visa can be applied for up to 3 months before the planned date of travel. The VFS Global German Visa Application Centre in Doha is located at Level 1, Abdul Jaleel Business Center, Airport Road, Al Matar Street, Doha.  Visa applicants can direct their queries and appointment requests to the call centre number +97444069001 or communicate with the centre at [email protected]

Commenting on the new visa application centre, Hans-Udo Muzel, Ambassador of Germany to Qatar, said: “Germany is a great business and tourist travel destination for Qatari nationals and foreign residents of Qatar.

The new centre will help enhance travel preparation to Germany as well as to Austria, Finland, Norway and Slovenia for residents in Qatar, and in general will complement the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries. We encourage applying early for visa to avoid any delays during the peak season beginning May.”

In the Middle East region, VFS Global will be handling for Germany annually approximately 200.000 visa applications including collecting biometric data across 10 countries under the terms of the contract valid up to 2023.

Apart from the Middle East, the company already operates visa application centres for Germany in nine countries across the globe.

Vinay Malhotra, COO – Middle East, VFS Global, said, “The opening of the Qatar Visa Application Centre is based on a contract awarded to VFS Global by the Federal Foreign Office to operate VISA Application Centres in 10 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. VFS Global receives the applications whereas the decision about the applications is taken by diplomatic staff of the German Embassy. The new German Visa Application Centre will be run by well trained professionals. We make sure that the application process in our centre takes maximum 40 minutes and we are confident that Qatari and non-Qatari travellers will be delighted at the convenience, efficiency and ease of access VFS Global offers to its customers.”

The VFS Global Visa Application Centre for Germany will provide secure and time-efficient processing of entry permit requirements in a friendly ambience. 

Applicants can also opt for the comfort and privacy of a Premium Lounge. Some of the key features of the centre include convenience in terms of location, automated queue governance for smooth flow of applicants and a dedicated website for easy access to information including visa categories, requirements, check-lists and applicable fees. Apart from these, VFS Global staff is well trained in secure handling of passports, documents and personal information. Door-step delivery of passport is also yet another service VFS Global offers.