The number of visa applications from Kolkata has reached only 85 per cent of the pre-Covid pandemic count in 2019, said VFS Global, an agency that processes visa applications for 53 countries in India.
Visa at Your Doorstep, a personalised service that allows an applicant to submit the visa documents from home for a fee, has seen a “two-fold growth” compared with 2019, the agency said.
VFS Global officials said the growth was driven by pent-up demand for travel during the pandemic, opening up of international borders and relaxation of Covid protocol. The agency said the post-pandemic rise in the number of visa applications in Kolkata was more than what has been witnessed nationally.
The number of visa applications that VFS Global had handled pan-India in 2022 was about 80 per cent of the figure in 2019. The 2022 figure was 140 per cent compared with 2021, when international travel was still rare because of Covid. In Kolkata, the growth was 160 per cent compared with 2021.
“We are confident that the volume will further grow and hence it is advisable for applicants to apply for their visas in advance to avoid last-minute surprises,” said Prabuddha Sen, chief operating officer (South Asia), VFS Global. According to VFS Global officials, visa applications for summer vacations started much earlier this year compared with pre-pandemic years.
Applications for visas for travel in May and June would come from the end of March earlier. But this year, the applications started pouring in towards the end of February. Tour operators said international airlines are bringing in wide-body aircraft to meet the increased demands from Kolkata. “Now more international seats are available from here as most airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Thai Airways are introducing wide-body aircraft. So fares are coming down,” said Manav Soni, chairman, eastern region, Travel Agents Association of India.
“Many people want to visit Europe. We will request the embassies and consulates to open more visa slots from Kolkata.” Another service which has seen a major growth is “Visa at Your Doorstep”, said VFS Global.
In Kolkata, the personalised service saw 2.5 times growth in 2022 compared with 2021. Compared with 2019, the growth has doubled. “Health considerations continue to be a key determining factor in the new normal. As a result, we see an increased number of travellers opting for such services,” said Sen of VFS Global.
Officials of the agency said on an average an applicant has to pay an additional amount of around Rs 10,000, along with travel charges, for the service, which was introduced in 2016. The service enables collection of the visa application and biometric details of the applicant from a location of his or her choice. VFS Global is offering the service for 16 countries, including the UK, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland and Austria.