VFS Global’s Visa At Your Doorstep solution, which provides visa application services at the applicant’s home or office, has witnessed a 20% growth in demand from travellers, both from Middle East and within the UAE, in the first half of 2024. This year, VFS Global added Bulgaria, Croatia and Japan to the list of countries it offers the service for.
The service entails trained professionals visiting the applicant’s preferred location to accept the documents and enrol biometrics and has been popular globally among corporate and student groups, providing convenience to those applying with a higher number of co-passengers. However, this trend has recently been shifting towards families and individual travellers, with Dubai leading in demand from the UAE.
Monaz Billimoria, Regional Head, VFS Global, said, “The Visa At your Doorstep service witnessed an uptick in demand during the pandemic because of health and safety precautions, but today’s growing trend of families and individuals opting for Visa At Your Doorstep shows a shift in the traveller sentiment towards choosing comfort and convenience over cost. With demand for international travel ever-increasing, we look forward to providing all our customers best-in-class service.”
The Visa At Your Doorstep solution is an optional service and can be booked online on www.vfsglobal.com. Opting for this service does not have any bearing on the processing timeline or decision made on a visa application. This remains the sole prerogative of the respective client governments.
In the UAE, the service is available for Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine and UK visa services.
About VFS Global
As the world’s leading outsourcing and technology service specialist, VFS Global embraces technological innovation including Generative AI to support governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. The company manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa, passport, and consular services for its client governments, increasing productivity and enabling them to focus entirely on the critical task of assessment.
With a responsible approach to technology development, adoption and integration, the company prioritizes ethical practices and sustainability while serving as the trusted partner to 68 client governments. Operating over 3,400 Application Centres in 153 countries, VFS Global has efficiently processed more than 292 million applications since 2001.
Headquartered in Zurich and Dubai and backed by majority shareholder Blackstone, along with the Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation and EQT, VFS Global is committed to creating value for all stakeholders and leading in responsible, innovative solutions making government services more effective and efficient.