India’s inbound tourist numbers are surging again as new figures show that foreign tourist arrivals to India increased by 64% last year compared to 2022, and both business and independent travel have seen a spike. The UK is the third largest source of tourists to India, with over 617,77 tourists visiting in India in 2022. This has also witnessed an uptake in new services, making getting visas for group and business travel more accessible.
When UK-based television production company South Shore Productions had to visit India to produce their documentary on cricket legend Freddie Flintoff, they decided to apply for a Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) – an optional service that allows applicants to complete their visa application process where they are, instead of having to visit a VFS Global visa centre in select locations. This is a time-saving solution for businesses and production houses that must apply for visas for several people simultaneously.
A company spokesperson said, “Visa At Your Doorstep” services was used for a group of 14 of our staff ahead of a trip to India. VFS Global staff came to our office to process these rather than our team having to go to the visa office in person, which was helpful. The passports were returned with the visas in good time.”
Anirudh Singh, COO of Europe and CIS region at VFS Global said, “The Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) service has recently experienced a significant surge in demand. The demand for convenient and personalised services is rising, and our VAYD service is perfectly positioned to meet this growing need.
“Equipped with mobile kits for biometric capture, our staff visit the preferred location of applicants, whether at their workplace, their hotel or their home. This seamless and convenient approach significantly enhances the travel experience, allowing travellers to focus on their plans rather than administrative paperwork.”
Form-filling is another optional service ensuring that forms are not rejected because key details have been missed. In the UK, VFS Global also provides its VAYD services to countries including Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Malta, Croatia, Ireland, Cyprus, and South Africa.
