Visa-outsourcing giant VFS Global announced on 20 November that it has secured a five-year mandate from Slovakia’s Ministry of Foreign & European Affairs to process both short-stay Schengen and long-stay national visas in 159 cities across 83 countries—including the United Arab Emirates. New counters will open at the company’s flagship Wafi City centre in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi early next year.
Context: Slovak visa demand from the Gulf has risen 42 % year-on-year, propelled by medical tourism in the High Tatras and growing student exchange programmes. Until now, UAE residents filed Slovak applications through the Hungarian consulate—a bottleneck with appointment wait times of six weeks. Dedicated VFS slots promise a three-to-five-day document-submission lead time and optional courier-return services.
![VFS Global Wins Five-Year Contract to Process Slovak Visas—Benefits for UAE Residents Eyeing Europe]()
What changes: Applicants will complete digital forms, pay fees online and submit biometrics at Wafi City, then track cases via VFS’s mobile app. Premium ‘Platinum Lounge’ services—popular with C-suite travellers—will also be available. Decision-making remains with the Slovak consulate in Abu Dhabi but outsourcing typically trims processing by 20-30 %.
Why mobility teams should care: With Europe trips peaking over Christmas, the new pipeline could rescue employees who missed Schengen slots elsewhere. It also reflects a wider Schengen trend—14 member states now outsource visa intake in the UAE, signalling that Dubai’s mega-centre is becoming a one-stop shop for multi-country itineraries.
Advice: HR and travel desks should update internal visa matrices to reroute Slovak (and future Schengen) applications to VFS, budget for the AED 150 service fee, and remind travellers that biometric data, once captured, is valid for 59 months across the Schengen zone.
Context: Slovak visa demand from the Gulf has risen 42 % year-on-year, propelled by medical tourism in the High Tatras and growing student exchange programmes. Until now, UAE residents filed Slovak applications through the Hungarian consulate—a bottleneck with appointment wait times of six weeks. Dedicated VFS slots promise a three-to-five-day document-submission lead time and optional courier-return services.
What changes: Applicants will complete digital forms, pay fees online and submit biometrics at Wafi City, then track cases via VFS’s mobile app. Premium ‘Platinum Lounge’ services—popular with C-suite travellers—will also be available. Decision-making remains with the Slovak consulate in Abu Dhabi but outsourcing typically trims processing by 20-30 %.
Why mobility teams should care: With Europe trips peaking over Christmas, the new pipeline could rescue employees who missed Schengen slots elsewhere. It also reflects a wider Schengen trend—14 member states now outsource visa intake in the UAE, signalling that Dubai’s mega-centre is becoming a one-stop shop for multi-country itineraries.
Advice: HR and travel desks should update internal visa matrices to reroute Slovak (and future Schengen) applications to VFS, budget for the AED 150 service fee, and remind travellers that biometric data, once captured, is valid for 59 months across the Schengen zone.
