Portugal joins VFS Global Schengen Visa Application Centres in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Embassy of Portugal in Riyadh has outsourced its visa application process to VFS Global. People who want to apply for Schengen visas to Portugal can now do this at the centre managed by VFS Global in Riyadh. While VFS Global will accept visa applications, the Embassy will continue to make the assessment and decisions regarding all visas. Soon this service will be extended to Jeddah and Al Khobar, for much greater convenience for applicants from those two cities and neighbouring areas.

The Ambassador of Portugal to the Saudi Arabia, Dr Manuel Carvalho, along with Mr Ajit Alexander, COO – Middle East and Africa, VFS Global, today inaugurated the Portugal Visa Application Centre at the Joint Visa Application Centre in Riyadh.

While inaugurating the centre, Ambassador Manuel Carvalho said, “we have been working with VFS Global in other countries and we understood that synergies could be drawn from a partnership in KSA. We expect that this new service, especially when it is extended to Jeddah and Al Khobar will facilitate travelling to Portugal for Saudi residents, be they tourists, businesspeople, investors or students. We are a peaceful, welcoming, beautiful country that we hope many more Saudis will soon discover.”

Mr Ajit Alexander, COO Middle East and Africa, VFS Global commented, “It is an honour and our privilege to serve the Embassy of Portugal in the region to provide better service and shorten the handling time for Schengen visa applications. This launch of Portugal visa application process will offer a convenient visa application submission experience to the residents in the country. We are committed to delivering a professional and high-quality service to all applicants and travel agents in the KSA. VFS Global started operations for the Government of Portugal in 2008, and now serves the client in India, China, Colombia, Russia and South Africa.”

The Centre in Riyadh will accept applications for visas to Portugal from applicants and travel agents residing in the area. The service would attract a nominal service fee, payable at the Centre at the time of submitting applications. The Centre will remain open from 0900hrs to 1700hrs for enhanced convenience to applicants and travel agents.

The key features of the Application Centre include:

Priority facilitation for disabled, senior applicants and pregnant women
Premium Lounge for comfortable and personalised service
Professional staff with local language capability dedicated to handle visa queries and applications
Automated queue governance for smooth flow of applicants, providing better crowd management
Dedicated website for easy access to information including visa categories, requirements, check-list and applicable fees
Dedicated call centres and email support to answer queries and status of application
100% secure handling of passports, documents and personal information
SMS alerts for visa status update
Door-step delivery of passports
Dedicated visa enquiry desks in English and Arabic

Since 2009, VFS Global jointly with its local partner M/s Al Etimad Modern Business Solutions Co. (ETIMAD) has been successfully operating visa application services and VACs for diplomatic missions of 11 sovereign governments in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Portugal Visa Application Centres:
Riyadh – Address: Schengen Visa Application Centre, Office @ 1st floor, Dove Plaza (Hyper Panda), Omm Al Hamam street, Omm Al Hamam, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Business Hours: 0900hrs to 1700hrs (Sunday to Thursday)
Email: info.portugalksa@vfshelpline.com   Website:  www.vfsglobal.com/portugal/saudiarabia

Acceptance of Applications (all applicants): 0900hrs to 1500hrs from Sunday to Thursday (Except Holidays as declared by the Embassy of Portugal, Riyadh)
Return delivery of Applications: 0900hrs to 1700hrs from Sunday to Thursday (Except Holidays as declared by the Embassy of Portugal, Riyadh)
Additional SMS/Courier/Premium Lounge charges as applicable to be borne by the applicant.
VFS Global will be responsible only for accepting and processing applications for the Embassy of Portugal, Riyadh.  Timelines for turnaround of visas are as per the discretion of the authorities.

About VFS Global
VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 1546 Application Centres and operations in 120 countries across five continents as at 28 February 2015, VFS Global serves the interests of 45 client governments. The company has successfully processed over 95 million applications since its inception in 2001.VFS Global worldwide operations are certified ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, ISO 27001:2005 for Information Security Management System and ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management System. For more information, please visit www.vfsglobal.com or download the VFS Global Mobile app, available for Apple or Android mobile devices via App Store or Google Play.