Dubai: Latvia Opens New External Visa Centres in UAE in Partnership with VFS Global
Bellevision Media Network
Dubai, 05 Feb 2018: The Embassy of Latvia, here, on Saturday, February 3, announced the opening of new external visa application centres in the UAE – in Abu Dhabi and Dubai - in partnership with VFS Global bringing in enhanced convenience to travellers from the UAE in processing Schengen entry permits to the Baltic nation.
The new centres, which are operational from today will be managed and operated by VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for diplomatic missions worldwide. Visa applicants from the UAE need not henceforth approach the Embassy of Latvia for their visa requirements as VFS Global is mandated to handle the applications as well as biometric enrolment.
Speaking at the inauguration, Astra Kurme, Ambassador of Latvia to the UAE said: ‘It is important step towards facilitating contacts between people and nations. The possibility to apply and receive visa to visit Latvia will significantly improve tourism and business exchange not only between Latvia and the United Arab Emirates, but also the whole Gulf region as Embassy’s consular mandate covers all GCC region.’
The VFS Global Latvia visa application centre in Abu Dhabi is located at Level 25, Shining Tower on Mubarak bin Mohammed Street next to Khalidiya Mall. In Dubai, the VFS Global centre is located at Wafi Mall, Level 2, Umm Hurair. Visa applicants from the UAE can direct their queries and appointment requests to the call centre number +971 4 2055910 or communicate with the centre atinfo.latviauae@vfshelpline.com
Commenting on the launch, Vinay Malhotra, COO – Middle East & South Asia, VFS Global, said, ‘The new visa centres are opening at a high point in the context of potentially increasing travel requirements from the UAE, be it for leisure, tourism or business purposes. We are honoured to be part of this growing relationship between the two countries and are confident to bring enhanced level of efficiency in services and a seamless, delightful customer experience to the visa applicants from the UAE.’
The opening of the visa centres in the UAE follows VFS Global winning the outsource mandate from the Government of Latvia for various countries including in the UK, China, India, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Lebanon and South Korea.
The VFS Global centres for Latvian Schengen visa applications are managed by professionals who are trained to provide secure and time-efficient processing of entry permit requirements in a friendly ambience. Applicants can also opt for the comfort of a Premium Lounge for more personalised service.
Some of the key features of the centres 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-list and applicable fees. Apart from these, VFS Global staff is well trained in 100 percent secure handling of passports, documents and personal information. Door-step delivery of passport is also yet another service VFS Global offers.
About VFS Global
VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 2469 Application Centres, operations in 129 countries across five continents and over 161 million applications processed as on 31 December 2017, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 58 client governments. VFS Global’s worldwide operations are certified ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, ISO 27001:2013 for Information Security Management System and ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management System.