Outbound mobility planners in Ireland woke up to an important operational alert on 11 January: VFS Global will move its flagship New Delhi Visa Application Centre (VAC) from the Shivaji Stadium Metro complex to a larger facility on Kasturba Gandhi Marg on 12 January 2026. The change affects Indian nationals applying for Irish short-stay “C” visas, employment permits and re-entry stamps, as well as UK and 11 Schengen destinations. Corporate mobility teams with India-based talent pipelines must now ensure that appointment letters, courier-return labels and biometrics instructions reference the new address. VFS says all existing bookings will be honoured at the new site without extra fees, but premium-lounge upgrades and passport-courier services must be re-purchased if travellers wish to use them at the relocated centre. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/in/vfs-global-to-shift-new-delhi-visa-centre-affecting-uk-and-schengen-applicants/))
According to the outsourcing company, the Kasturba Gandhi Marg hub doubles processing capacity, adds 20 biometric booths and introduces end-to-end document-scanning kiosks—features designed to cut average applicant time on site from 45 to 25 minutes. The timing is far from accidental: January traditionally sees a spike in Schengen and UK summer-travel bookings, and Irish universities begin issuing admission letters for the September intake this month. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/in/vfs-global-to-shift-new-delhi-visa-centre-affecting-uk-and-schengen-applicants/))
For those seeking an end-to-end solution, VisaHQ’s Dublin-based team can revise appointment letters, generate courier labels and pre-book premium-lounge slots that reflect the new Kasturba Gandhi Marg address. Their Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) also tracks real-time biometrics schedules, giving companies and travellers early warning of any further venue changes.
![Ireland-Linked Visa Applications Redirected as VFS Global Shifts New Delhi Centre]()
For Irish multinationals rotating staff from India, the practical implication is two-fold. First, travel managers need to update “travel packs” and intranet pages that still map routes to Shivaji Stadium. Second, any pending visa files lodged through third-party agents must be tracked; VFS warns that automated SMS reminders may still carry the old venue, risking no-shows and rescheduling fees. Companies should circulate the new GPS coordinates and advise travellers to arrive 30 minutes early during the first week of operations while local traffic patterns stabilise.
Industry analysts see the expansion as further evidence that outbound demand from India has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with Schengen states alone issuing more than 850,000 visas to Indian citizens in 2025. Ireland’s share of that market—driven by ICT assignments and the country’s booming tech sector—rose 18 per cent last year. A smoother VAC experience could bolster Ireland’s attractiveness just as employment-permit salary thresholds rise in March 2026. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/in/vfs-global-to-shift-new-delhi-visa-centre-affecting-uk-and-schengen-applicants/))
From a compliance perspective, Irish sponsors should remind applicants that biometrics captured at VFS feed directly into the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) database; any missed appointment effectively freezes a file until fresh biometrics are provided. Companies may wish to pre-pay walk-in lounge fees to guarantee priority access while queues at the new centre stabilise.
According to the outsourcing company, the Kasturba Gandhi Marg hub doubles processing capacity, adds 20 biometric booths and introduces end-to-end document-scanning kiosks—features designed to cut average applicant time on site from 45 to 25 minutes. The timing is far from accidental: January traditionally sees a spike in Schengen and UK summer-travel bookings, and Irish universities begin issuing admission letters for the September intake this month. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/in/vfs-global-to-shift-new-delhi-visa-centre-affecting-uk-and-schengen-applicants/))
For those seeking an end-to-end solution, VisaHQ’s Dublin-based team can revise appointment letters, generate courier labels and pre-book premium-lounge slots that reflect the new Kasturba Gandhi Marg address. Their Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) also tracks real-time biometrics schedules, giving companies and travellers early warning of any further venue changes.
For Irish multinationals rotating staff from India, the practical implication is two-fold. First, travel managers need to update “travel packs” and intranet pages that still map routes to Shivaji Stadium. Second, any pending visa files lodged through third-party agents must be tracked; VFS warns that automated SMS reminders may still carry the old venue, risking no-shows and rescheduling fees. Companies should circulate the new GPS coordinates and advise travellers to arrive 30 minutes early during the first week of operations while local traffic patterns stabilise.
Industry analysts see the expansion as further evidence that outbound demand from India has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with Schengen states alone issuing more than 850,000 visas to Indian citizens in 2025. Ireland’s share of that market—driven by ICT assignments and the country’s booming tech sector—rose 18 per cent last year. A smoother VAC experience could bolster Ireland’s attractiveness just as employment-permit salary thresholds rise in March 2026. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/in/vfs-global-to-shift-new-delhi-visa-centre-affecting-uk-and-schengen-applicants/))
From a compliance perspective, Irish sponsors should remind applicants that biometrics captured at VFS feed directly into the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) database; any missed appointment effectively freezes a file until fresh biometrics are provided. Companies may wish to pre-pay walk-in lounge fees to guarantee priority access while queues at the new centre stabilise.
