Visa-processing giant VFS Global has secured a five-year mandate from Slovakia’s Ministry of Foreign & European Affairs that will shift all Slovak visa applications in the UAE from the Hungarian Consulate to VFS centres in Dubai’s Wafi City and Abu Dhabi. Roll-out is slated for early 2026 and covers both short-stay Schengen and long-stay D-type visas.citeturn6view0
The outsourcing move responds to a 42 % year-on-year jump in UAE demand for Slovak visas, driven by medical-tourism packages in the High Tatras and growing student-exchange programmes. Appointment backlogs that can stretch to six weeks are expected to fall to three-to-five days once new counters open. Applicants will complete digital forms, pay fees online and submit biometrics on the same day; a premium “Platinum Lounge” will offer courier return of passports and same-day slots for senior executives.citeturn6view0
![VFS Global to Take Over Slovak Schengen Visa Processing in UAE]()
For global mobility managers, the change means Schengen biometrics captured in Dubai will be valid for 59 months across all 27 member states, reducing duplication for frequent travellers. Companies should update their visa matrices to include VFS’s AED 150 service fee and budget for optional lounge extras.citeturn6view0
The deal cements Dubai’s reputation as the Gulf’s one-stop visa marketplace: 14 Schengen states now outsource processing to private centres in the emirate. Analysts say the trend frees up consular staff for trade-promotion work but raises perennial data-protection questions. VFS maintains that all biometric and personal data will continue to reside on Slovak government servers, with transmission encrypted end-to-end.
The outsourcing move responds to a 42 % year-on-year jump in UAE demand for Slovak visas, driven by medical-tourism packages in the High Tatras and growing student-exchange programmes. Appointment backlogs that can stretch to six weeks are expected to fall to three-to-five days once new counters open. Applicants will complete digital forms, pay fees online and submit biometrics on the same day; a premium “Platinum Lounge” will offer courier return of passports and same-day slots for senior executives.citeturn6view0
For global mobility managers, the change means Schengen biometrics captured in Dubai will be valid for 59 months across all 27 member states, reducing duplication for frequent travellers. Companies should update their visa matrices to include VFS’s AED 150 service fee and budget for optional lounge extras.citeturn6view0
The deal cements Dubai’s reputation as the Gulf’s one-stop visa marketplace: 14 Schengen states now outsource processing to private centres in the emirate. Analysts say the trend frees up consular staff for trade-promotion work but raises perennial data-protection questions. VFS maintains that all biometric and personal data will continue to reside on Slovak government servers, with transmission encrypted end-to-end.
