Northeast gets first visa centre in Guwahati, offers applications for 14 countries

Residents of the Northeast can now apply for visas to 14 countries without travelling to Kolkata or Delhi, following the inauguration of the region’s first visa application centre in Guwahati on October 15 by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday.

The new facility will process visa applications for visits to 14 countries, including Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malta (D-visa applications), Morocco, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

"The centre will fulfil a long-standing demand of people of the region. Earlier, people had to travel to Kolkata or Delhi for visas, but they can now get it at this centre," Sarma said in the presence of representatives from the diplomatic missions of Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Italy and France.

He said the centre will forward visa applications to the respective embassies for approval, and stamped passports will be collected from here.

With the opening of this centre by VFS Global, international travel becomes more accessible and convenient for people, he said.

VFS Global's South Asia chief operating officer Yummi Talwar said, "We are pleased to inaugurate our new visa application centre in Guwahati. It will strengthen access of people of the Northeast to visa services."

"We are grateful to the Assam government and our partner missions for bestowing confidence in us," Talwar added.

Assam ministers Ajanta Neog and Charan Boro also attended the event.