20 July 2015
VFS Global is pleased to announce the launch of Portugal visa application services at the Schengen Centre at Wafi Mall in Dubai.  Services for visa applicants from UAE for Portugal commenced on 02 July 2015.

People who wish to apply for Schengen visas to Portugal can now do this at two new centres managed by VFS Global - one in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi. While VFS Global will accept visa applications, the Embassy will continue to make the assessment and decisions regarding all visas.

Ajit Alexander, COO - Middle East and Africa, VFS Global, commented, "We are delighted to announce the launch of the Portugal visa application process in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Our aim has been to consistently offer a convenient visa application submission experience for UAE residents at all our centres. VFS Global started operations for the Government of Portugal in 2008, and now serves the client in 9 countries from 27 Visa Application Centres globally. We are honoured to extend the partnership to this region."

The Centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will accept applications for visas to Portugal from applicants 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 1600hrs for enhanced convenience to applicants.

The key features of the 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

·In-VAC feedback kiosks and forms, and online feedback services  for applicants to share their recommendations and feedback about the services

·SMS alerts for visa status update

·Door-step delivery of passports

·Dedicated visa enquiry desks in English and Arabic

Portugal Visa Application Centres

Address in Dubai: Wafi Mall, Level 2, Falcon, Phase 2, Umm Hurair 2, Dubai 

Address in Abu Dhabi: Level 25, Shining Tower, King Khalid Bin Abdel Aziz, 26th Street, Adjacent to Khalidyah Mall, Abu Dhabi

Email: info.portugaluae@vfshelpline.com

Website: www.vfsglobal.com/portugal/uae

Business hours: 0900hrs to 1700hrs (Sunday to Thursday)

Timings:

Submission Timings: 0900hrs - 1500hrs| Sunday - Thursday (except declared holidays)

Document Collection: 0900hrs - 1600 hrs | Sunday - Thursday (except declared holidays)

*Additional SMS/Courier/Premium Lounge / Prime Time / Photo booth / Photocopy 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, UAE. Timelines for turnaround of visas are as per the discretion of the authorities.

-Ends-

About VFS Global
VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With over 1709 Application Centres, operations in 121 countries across five continents and over 100 million applications processed as at 30 June 2015, VFS Global serves the interests of 45 client governments. VFS Global's worldwide operations are certified ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, ISO 27001:2013 for Information Security Management System and ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management System.

For more information, please visit www.vfsglobal.com.

Media Contacts
Shaily Vaswani
ShailyV@vfsglobal.com

VFS Global
Hina Bakht
h.bakht@mpj-pr.com

© Press Release 2015