While some diplomatic missions have increased staff to cut down on processing time, Sweden is allowing walk-in visa applications at the facilitation centres in India and Nepal to address the issue of long waiting periods.
Tour operator Thomas Cook said it has seen a 300 per cent jump in demand for summer holidays in Europe. Overall visa applications (including non-European countries) touched 73 per cent and 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2022 in Mumbai and Delhi, respectively, according to VFS Global — a visa outsourcing and technology company.
On their part, embassies say they have taken steps to reduce the turnaround time, while VFS Global said it has deployed robust security solutions after detecting fraudulent attempts to block appointments.
The Spanish consulate in Mumbai has increased its Schengen visa processing capacity by more than 55 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, compared with 2019, and applicants receive their passports and visas at home in 48-72 working hours after submission at BLS International (online visa application centre), said Consul General Fernando Heredia Noguer.
Four extra decision makers have been brought in from the Swedish migration agency as reinforcement in summer, in addition to four locally employed migration assistants in Delhi. The processing time is a maximum of 15 days, which is in accordance with the visa code, it said.
“We are expecting an increase in demand from 2022 of at least 20 per cent. VFS Global is responsible to give an appointment within three working days for all applicants applying for a visa to Norway. If the applicant is unable to get it, we encourage them to contact the visa section,” she added.
“The waiting time for a standard UK visa is currently within the normal service standard of 15 working days. This means customers can expect a decision to be made on their visa within approximately three weeks of attending an appointment at a visa application centre,” a spokesperson said.