New France visa centre opens for Bangladeshis

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy has inaugurated the new visa application centre with the VFS Global to facilitate travel for Bangladesh residents.

"The Embassy of France is very happy to inaugurate this new visa application centre. The aim of outsourcing the collection of visa applications is to facilitate travel for Bangladesh residents," she said yesterday (16 September).

VFS Global today (September 17) started accepting short-term and long-term visa applications for France at the visa application center located at 118 Gulshan Avenue.

Appointment bookings have already started, and applicants can book them via VFS Global by visiting https://visa.vfsglobal.com/bgd/en/fra/.

This shift will increase the number of daily applications submitted, reduce the waiting time to get appointments, modernise payment options and generally improve applicant experience via a specialised centre, said the Ambassador.

She emphasised the fact that VFS Global's responsibility will be limited to welcome the applicants and collect their application files.

"The processing of visa applications will continue to be the sole responsibility of the Embassy," the Ambassador said.

At the inauguration event, VFS Global's spokesperson for Bangladesh said this visa application center will play an important role in meeting the growing demand for travel to France.

"The global experience of VFS Global will make France's visa services easier and hassle-free for the citizens of Bangladesh," he said.

Since 2004, VFS Global has been serving as a trusted partner of the government of France in visa processing services.

Currently, the organization provides France visa services in 29 countries through 70 dedicated Visa Application Centres worldwide.

This spacious, state-of-the-art facility will be supported by well-trained customer service representatives who will guide applicants through every stage of the visa process.

Designed for convenience, the centre offers multiple benefits, including flexible payment options (cash, card, and online), easy appointment booking, and extended operating hours for both application submission and passport collection.

"We are excited to expand our partnership further. We are confident that these visa application centers will support the rising demand for travel between the two nations by making the application submission process even smoother and seamless thereby enhancing customer