VISA TO KYRGYZ REPUBLIC made easy with appointment of Salvia VFS
Salvia VFS, part of Salvia Group of Companies, has been in the business for 20 years, specialising in outsourcing visa processing services for international government clients in India. It offers 360-degree visa facilitation services, encompassing assistance with filling visa forms to doorstep delivery of documents and passports. They recently expanded its visa facilitation services in India on behalf of the Kyrgyz Embassy. Prashant Chaudhary, Managing Director, Salvia Group of Companies, while sharing more about the Kyrgyz Republic with TTJ, also assures that while the issuance of visa will be at the sole discretion of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in India, their responsibility will be to efficiently, and in minimal time, process visa application requests of Indian travellers.
Tell us about Salvia VFS operations in India?
Salvia Visa Facilitation Services (Salvia VFS) offers over 20 years of visa processing knowledge and expertise. We believe every traveller starts their journey with their visa processing procedure. Our goal is to make the start of their journey as memorial and effortless as possible.
We have previously worked as the outsourcing company for the Embassy of the Russian Federation in India, which led to an ease in the visa obtaining procedure for Indian travellers. We successfully made this process less time-consuming and easily available pan India, with offices in Delhi and Mumbai.
Recently, Salvia VFS partnered with the Kyrgyz Republic to process Kyrgyz visas and opened an office in Delhi. What does this development mean for Salvia VFS?
It is our proud privilege to extend visa facilitation services on behalf of Kyrgyz Embassy in India. Salvia, as a brand, has been a trusted travel partner of Kyrgyzstan in India for decades, facilitating the travel of Indian visitors to the country for a long time. Now, Salvia is extending its visa expertise to the beautiful country of Central Asia.
Kyrgyzstan visa is needed to enter the Kyrgyz Republic for all Indian passport holders. Salvia Visa Facilitation Services, the official Visa Centre for the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in India, is the end-toend stop for all visarelated queries and applications in India. We provide the most convenient and quickest service for Kyrgyzstan Visa applicants with round-the-clock support from our expert team.
There are several types of Kyrgyzstan visas. The most common Kyrgyzstan visas are the tourist visa, the business visa, and the student visa. As the official visa centre of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in India, we ensure hassle-free visa facilitation to make travel to Kyrgyzstan accessible and swift to all. We want to put Kyrgyzstan on every Indian’s travel bucket list, which would help increase the volume of business between both
countries and create stronger bilateral relations between India and Kyrgyzstan.
Have you noticed an increase in Indian tourists seeking to visit Kyrgyzstan? Do you have any records of Indian nationals visiting the destination before the pandemic?
There is an increase in demand and inflow of great queries for those travelling to Kyrgyzstan from India. Post pandemic, people would want to travel and discover new destinations with the rise in revenge tourism. Central Asia is on top of this list and is a short-haul destination for Indian Travellers. Kyrgyzstan also offers immense potential for the Indian leisure and MICE segments. While witnessing the significant potential, direct flights between Delhi and Bishkek are all set to resume in June twice-weekly after two long years! Before the pandemic, around 25,000 Indian nationals were visiting Kyrgyzstan annually. Now, we are planning to double this number by next year.
How easy would it be to obtain a Kyrgyz visa now? What are the current regulations for Indians visiting Kyrgyzstan?
With a four-day processing time, obtaining a Kyrgyz Visa is quick and convenient. Salvia Visa Facilitation Service, the official Visa centre of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in India, provides the best In-class services and round-the-clock support to make visa processing even more hassle-free. Our team is further there to ensure all needs and provide applicants with the best visa assistance.
The minimum period of stay for Indian tourists in Kyrgyzstan is one month. Tourists and business visa applicants can also apply for up to two months’ stay. With no COVID restrictions, an RT-PCR test or vaccine certificate is also not required at arrival.
Post pandemic, do you think India will be an important market for the Kyrgyz Republic in both leisure and MICE segments?
The Kyrgyz Republic undoubtedly has great potential in both leisure and MICE segments with premium hotels and other world-class facilities to offer, combined with a quick visa processing time of four days and soon to be resuming twoand-a-half-hour flight connectivity between Delhi and Bishkek. We are already receiving queries from travel companies and corporates about Kyrgyzstan as we speak.
What are the USPs of Kyrgyzstan? What are the major attractions, connectivity options, ideal time to visit, and the days required to see the best of Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan has some of the most striking landscapes, from high altitude alpine lakes to velvet, green hills; 7,000-meterhigh snow-covered peaks, and huge, wide valleys with plenty of wildflowers. These unique topographic features earned it the nickname “Central Asia’s Switzerland.”
Some 80 per cent of its territory is covered by the mountainous region of the Tian Shan, whose name means “Mountains of Heaven.” The top attractions that we believe would be a hit in the Indian market include the Issyk Kul Lake, the world’s second-largest mountain lake with the unique feature of not freezing even during cold Kyrgyz winters. Another majestic lake that cannot go missed is the Song Kol Lake, which is at an altitude of 3000m. Osh market, one of the oldest markets globally, and Karakol are some of the many popular attractions in Kyrgyzstan.
Summers in Kyrgyzstan are pleasant and ideally considered the best time to travel and discover the country. It’s also ideal weather for horse riding, cycling, rafting, hiking, and sightseeing. However, in winter, Kyrgyzstan makes the best destination for those interested in skiing and other winter sports or those who want to enjoy the snow and relax at the stunning ski resorts Kyrgyzstan offers. Simply put, Kyrgyzstan makes for a year-round destination. We would recommend travellers to go for a minimum of four nights or a week. Travellers can plan for even longer, given the destination has so much to offer, and the minimum Travel visa duration is one month.
Tell us about the role of Salvia VFS and the Kyrgyz Embassy in India in promoting and marketing the destination?
Salvia VFS is working closely with the Kyrgyz Embassy to facilitate ease, promptness, and efficiency in the Visa processing procedure. We collectively want to increase the cross-border movement between both India and Kyrgyzstan.
Soon, we have roadshows planned out pan India to create more awareness amongst travel agents and organisations about the destination and how quick and convenient the visa process has become. We are also planning to undertake social media marketing to reach out to keen Indian travellers and promote the beautiful country of Kyrgyzstan and all that it has to offer.
From a tourism business point of view, is Kyrgyzstan looking at investments from the India market?
The Kyrgyz Republic has implemented much export promoting and facilitating schemes, including free economic zones. Further, signing the new Bilateral Investment Treaty in 2019 and the India-Kyrgyz Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) are important steps toward strengthening bilateral relations.
We see an increasing interest among Indian entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities with Kyrgyzstan in mining, agrofood, construction, ecotourism, pharma, gems and jewellery, IT, etc. Moreover, the Kyrgyz landscape offers excellent destinations for Bollywood productions with its beautiful lakes and peaks. Kyrgyzstan can surely be an upcoming avenue for Bollywood film shootings.
What are your views on the resumption of international flights to/from India?
This came as great news! After a wait of two years, Delhi to Bishkek connectivity is all set to resume. With a flight duration of around two and a half hours, Kyrgyzstan offers the feel of Switzerland so close to home. People seem very keen to travel, especially to shorthaul destinations, seeing the current market trend. With such great potential, we might be seeing connectivity to Bishkek from other cities in India very soon.