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DOHA: The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany has issued an advisory to Qatari citizens and expatriate residents to plan their travel itinerary and visa application early enough to avoid delays in processing entry permits to Schengen countries during peak season.
The embassy statement said that prospective travellers to Germany and Austria, Finland, Norway and Slovenia are recommended to prepare their visa applications as early as three months prior to planned departure date at the German Visa Application centre operated by VFS Global. Germany represents Austria, Finland, Norway and Slovenia for the issuance of Schengen visa.
A spokesperson for the German embassy said: “The Embassy’s endeavour is to process visa applications promptly to issue Schengen visa within a maximum 15-day time frame. However, it is prudent for travellers to take into account that the increase in the number of applicants, particularly during the peak season from May to September has an impact on the procedures.”
“It is in this context that we recommend to prepare application forms and supporting documents in line with the requirements listed on the official website and to ensure that they adhere to the checklists for the different visa types. Early travel planning helps seamless processing.”
The advisory also recommended travellers to avoid using ”service providers” for preparing visa applications and supporting documents.
The German Visa Application Centre operated by VFS Global in Doha is located at Level 1, Abdul Jaleel Business Center, Airport Road, Al Matar Street, Doha.
Visa applicants can direct their queries and appointment requests to the call centre number +97444069001 or communicate with the centre at [email protected]
