COVID-19: UK visa centers in India reopening

IMPACT – HIGH

Eleven U.K. visa centers in India are set to open next week.

Key Points:

• The following U.K. visa centers in India are reopening from July 6:
  • Ahmedabad
  • Bengaluru (Global Tech Park)
  • Chandigarh
  • Chennai (see note below)
  • Cochin
  • Hyderabad
  • Jalandhar
  • Kolkata
  • Mumbai (South)
  • New Delhi
  • Pune.
• Individuals will not be able to visit the Chennai application center until local lockdown restrictions in Tamil Nadu are lifted.
• The VFS booking system should be available this week for scheduling appointments. It should be possible to rebook appointments that were canceled when the centers closed initially because of the pandemic by logging into the system.
• The remaining Indian Visa Application Centres may not be open for some time. Applicants who had previously booked appointments at these centres may be able to arrange appointments at the locations that are now reopening.

Analysis & Comments: The reopening of the 11 U.K. visa centers in India is good news for employers who have employees in India needing to submit visa applications to the U.K. However, companies still need to consider other related strategic factors such as relocation availability, quarantine requirements and travel out of India. It should also be noted that visa processing times will be potentially delayed due to the backlog. Your Deloitte professional can support you navigating this complex landscape.

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