India has surpassed pre-pandemic levels of visa applications, with VFS Global reporting Monday that Jan to June 2024 saw 2% more requests than the same period in 2019.
This marked an important recovery for international travel, which has been steadily rising since late 2021 but had not returned to 2019 numbers until this year.
According to VFS Global, which handles visa applications for 51 countries from India, popular destinations for Indian travellers include Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, US, and UK.
On average, industry insiders reported that 65 lakh visa applications are filed annually in India.
The surge in 2024 means that over 33.1 lakh applications were processed in the first half of the year, up from 32.5 lakh during the same period in 2019.
"Outbound travel demand from India has remained robust, and it was a matter of time that pre-pandemic levels were restored," said Yummi Talwar, VFS Global's COO for South Asia.
However, visa processing delays continued to affect many Western countries.
The wait time for US visitor visa interviews remained at least a year in India, though this was a marked improvement from the nearly three-year backlog seen in late 2021.
Many Schengen countries also face delays, although their wait times are shorter compared to US.
The surge in visa applications has led to long queues at VFS Global centres, with many applicants opting for more expensive premium services due to limited availability of cheaper basic options.
Travel agents have voiced concerns about the massive rush, with some feeling that applicants are being nudged toward costlier services.
To address these concerns, VFS Global recommended applying for visas as early as possible.
"Most countries accept visa applications up to 90 days before travel," the company said. "...you can apply for a Schengen visa up to six months before your date of travel." "Appointments are free and are available through www.vfsglobal.com on a first-come, first-served basis."
The company explained that while some govts require pre-payment of the service fee at the time of booking the appointment, this sum will be reimbursed or deducted during the application process. This step ensures genuine travellers secure appointments and protects the system from misuse by fraudulent entities.
Source: https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/visa-application-numbers-beat-pre-covid-levels/ar-AA1ptnxP?ocid=BingNewsVerp
