VFS Global opens Chinese visa centre
dubai — The first-ever Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in the Middle East was launched at Wafi Mall in Dubai, making China visa application facilities more accessible to residents in the UAE.
The centre was inaugurated by Ms. Li Lingbing, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, Chen Xiongfeng, Deputy Director – General, Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wei Xiaodong, Deputy Director – General, Department of Services for the Foreign Ministry Home and Overseas Offices, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Zubin Karkaria, Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global Group, at a ceremony held on September 12.
The inauguration was also attended by other key members from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, and VFS Global.
The new centre is distinguished by enhanced levels of customer service, efficient visa submission processes, professionally trained staff fluent in local languages and Mandarin, and an exclusive Premium Lounge for personalised comfort of applicants.
Applicants for visas to P.R. China are no longer required to apply at the Consulate General in Dubai. At
The opening of this centre will be another boost for uplifting peopleto-people exchanges Li Lingbing, Consul General of China in Dubai
the new centre, applicants will benefit from longer operational hours, aimed at ensuring a more convenient application experience. Also launched at the centre is the exclusive ‘China in Luxury’ retail offering, which offers ultra-premium travel experiences to aspiring travellers to China. Through a unique arrangement, VFS Global will offer customised tourism experiences that open up a world of exclusivity and one-of-a-kind travel in China to the residents of the UAE.
Speaking at the launch, Li Lingbing said: “The new Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Dubai will ensure visa applicants enjoy a service with higher quality, faster processing, and more convenience. I believe that the opening of this centre will also be another boost for further uplifting people-to-people exchanges, cultural communication and practical cooperation between China and the UAE.”
Karkaria said: “It is a privilege to launch the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in partnership with the Government of the People’s Republic of China. With the advancement of trade and tourism ties between the UAE and P.R. China, we are confident this new centre will be effective in meeting the rising demand of China visas for UAE travellers. For greater convenience to applicants, the new centre will provide services during longer operating hours and offer applicants the option of Premium Lounge services in a beautifully designed private lounge that echoes the magnificence of Chinese art and culture.”
Over the next few weeks, China Visa Application Service Centres will be launched in Nigeria, in the cities of Abuja and Lagos, in Algeria in the city of Algiers, and in Lebanon, in the city of Beirut.
VFS Global has been serving the Government of the People’s Republic of China since 2008, and currently manages visa services for the client government in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, the UAE and India.
In the Middle East, VFS Global currently provides visa application processing services on behalf of 33 client governments in 29 cities based in 11 countries across the region.