VFS Global, one of the world's largest providers of visa and consular services, is considering opening additional visa centers in the regions of Uzbekistan. The initiative was discussed during a working meeting on July 7 between representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the company's management, including Regional Director for Eastern Europe and the CIS Shweta Mishra and head of the representative office in Uzbekistan Timur Tuichiev.
The negotiations focused on measures to improve the availability of visa services for Uzbek citizens, especially those living outside of Tashkent and Samarkand. In the near future, it is planned to launch a paid exit service: the company's employees will be able to issue visa documents for group applications locally. This step is aimed at reducing the time and money required for applicants from remote areas of the country.
One of the key issues was the issuance of visas to countries that do not have diplomatic missions in Uzbekistan. Currently, citizens who want to get a visa to countries such as Australia, Canada and Argentina are faced with the need to travel abroad to complete interviews and submit biometric data. In this regard, the possibility of transferring part of the procedures to the territory of the republic was discussed, with the organization of online interviews and biometric identification in the offices of VFS Global.
The Ministry expressed interest in expanding the partnership and technical integration of VFS Global services into the national visa infrastructure. It is expected that such initiatives will not only increase convenience for citizens, but also have a positive impact on the development of business and tourist mobility between Uzbekistan and a number of foreign countries.
VFS Global already serves the interests of a number of foreign consulates in Uzbekistan and plans to consistently increase the range of services offered, making the visa system more accessible and digitalized. Promising steps include the development of online services and localization of key stages of visa procedures, which is especially important in the context of the growing need for international mobility of the population.
