To day three brand new Visa Application Centres will start operating in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. For visa applicants with ordinary passports this means easier access to visa centres, longer opening hours, extended service and shorter processing time.
To meet the increasing demand for Schengen visas, Denmark will open three new specialized Visa Application Centres, operated by VFS Global and their local partners in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The centres are open to all nationals residing in China who wish to apply for a Schengen visa or a residence permit for Denmark.
The Visa Application Centres will offer comprehensive services and guidance for the convenience of the visa applicants. Chargé d’Affaires at the Royal Danish Embassy, Mr. Søren Jacobsen, explains:
“The most significant advantage for the visa costumers in the new Visa Application Centres is the high and attractive service level offered. The Danish Visa Application Centres will have long opening hours, are easily accessible and provide telephone hotlines and online tracking systems”
The Danish initiative follows other countries like the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Malta and Greece who have already introduced Visa Application Centres in cities around China.
The most common benefits at the Danish Visa Application Centres are:
– Easy and convenient access to the centres (central location, car park, subway, bus stop)
– Open 7 hours per day on all weekdays
– Devoted service personnel available to assist applicants
– No queuing and waiting lists
– Add-on services like copy, photo, postal and translation services
– Dedicated telephone hotline
– Online tracking system of your application
How does it work?
The Visa Application Centres receive all applications and provide information and service on procedures applicable to Chinese residents who wish to apply for a Schengen visa to travel to Denmark or a “residence & work permit” to Denmark. Likewise, the centres will hand out the passports after the applications have been processed by the Danish authorities.
All applications can be submitted without a prior appointment and will be charged a service fee of 230 RMB, not included in the visa-handling fee. In Shanghai and Guangzhou it is also possible to apply for a Schengen visa to Iceland.
