The Consulate General of Italy in Bengaluru and visa services firm, VFS Global, have jointly inaugurated a new Visa Application Centre in Vasant Vihar, Bengaluru, exclusively dedicated to processing visa applications for Italy. 

In a press statement, VFS Global says that the new facility is part of Italy’s ongoing efforts to address the increasing demand for visas from Indian nationals, a trend that has surged significantly following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yummi Talwar

“VFS Global shares a long-standing relationship with the Government of Italy since 2004 and we are excited to expand our partnership further. We currently operate 11 Italy Visa Application Centres in India and this new and upgraded centre in Bengaluru will play a crucial role in effectively catering to the growing demand for travel to Italy, one of the most popular destinations in the world. We are confident that this visa application centre will enhance customer experience by making the visa application process even more smooth, thereby helping us serve travellers better,” says Yummi Talwar, Chief Operating Officer, South Asia, VFS Global.

VFS Global states that the inaugural event of the new centre was attended by representatives from the public sector and other Consulates and by selected professionals from the travel and tourism industry.

Alfonso Tagliaferri

“We are very satisfied to inaugurate today the new Bengaluru Visa Application Centre, dedicated exclusively to Italy. The new Centre will allow us to significantly increase the quality of the service provided to the public, which will enjoy a less-crowded experience, tailored for their Italian trip. At the same time, through this new application centre we will be able to better meet the ever- increasing demand for Italy as expressed by Indian citizens. A demand that will grow even further, with the implementation of the Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement recently signed by Italy and India,” says Alfonso Tagliaferri, Consul General of Italy in Bengaluru.

“The Bengaluru Consulate has been opened since only a year, serving the population of four large Southern States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The new VFS centre, together with a more pleasant experience for the public, will allow us to better streamline our procedures, in order to process more visas, faster,” he adds.

In 2022, the Italian Visa Offices across India processed a total of 67,000 visa applications. The new Consulate General of Italy in Bengaluru, which was inaugurated last year, processed about 54,200 visa applications from different parts of the country in the first six months of 2024.  The consulate may potentially cross the target of 100,000 visa applications in India by the end of the year.

The statement adds that the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi and the Italian Consulate Generals in Mumbai and Kolkata increased their collective output by 36 pc, reaching a total of 91,600 visa applications processed across India in 2023.