Outsourced visa giant VFS Global issued an unusual public advisory on 2 March reminding applicants across the Middle East to re-check appointment availability before visiting its centres. The company cited “evolving local-authority guidelines” linked to the regional conflict as grounds for potential short-notice closures and staff redeployments.
The notice, posted on X and replicated by India’s business press, recommends using the ‘Track Application’ function and keeping email confirmations handy when travelling to a centre. Applicants whose biometrics appointments are cancelled will automatically be offered the next available slot, but VFS cautioned that premium-lounge surcharges are non-refundable.
For travellers who would rather avoid last-minute surprises altogether, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can track appointment openings across multiple missions and even complete the filing on your behalf, giving real-time alerts that help you sidestep any sudden VFS centre closures.
![VFS Global warns visa applicants of possible Middle-East centre closures and processing delays]()
The warning is particularly relevant to Indian citizens applying for Schengen, UK and Canadian visas from Gulf countries, many of whom have travel plans tied to the upcoming school holidays. Corporate mobility teams should build in extra lead-time: standard UK visitor visas from Dubai are already taking up to eight weeks, and any closure could push that past the end-March deadline for Easter travel.
Importantly, the advisory does not cover Indian visa services operated by VFS on behalf of New Delhi overseas. Those centres remain open unless separately notified by Indian missions. HR teams should monitor embassy feeds as individual missions may impose local suspensions that override VFS corporate policy.
Applicants unable to submit documents on a re-scheduled date should cancel online to avoid no-show flags that can affect future bookings.
The notice, posted on X and replicated by India’s business press, recommends using the ‘Track Application’ function and keeping email confirmations handy when travelling to a centre. Applicants whose biometrics appointments are cancelled will automatically be offered the next available slot, but VFS cautioned that premium-lounge surcharges are non-refundable.
For travellers who would rather avoid last-minute surprises altogether, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can track appointment openings across multiple missions and even complete the filing on your behalf, giving real-time alerts that help you sidestep any sudden VFS centre closures.
The warning is particularly relevant to Indian citizens applying for Schengen, UK and Canadian visas from Gulf countries, many of whom have travel plans tied to the upcoming school holidays. Corporate mobility teams should build in extra lead-time: standard UK visitor visas from Dubai are already taking up to eight weeks, and any closure could push that past the end-March deadline for Easter travel.
Importantly, the advisory does not cover Indian visa services operated by VFS on behalf of New Delhi overseas. Those centres remain open unless separately notified by Indian missions. HR teams should monitor embassy feeds as individual missions may impose local suspensions that override VFS corporate policy.
Applicants unable to submit documents on a re-scheduled date should cancel online to avoid no-show flags that can affect future bookings.
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