Sweden Resumes Visa Operations in Several Third Countries
The Swedish authorities have started accepting visa applications in several locations in the Philippines, Morocco, Thailand, as well as in China, after asserting that the situation related to the Coronavirus pandemic has improved and allows to open visa application centre.
VFS Global, which is an outsourcing and technology services company that serves governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, and to which Sweden has outsourced visa services in several world countries, has announced the move through a notice, also listing the visa types for which applications will be received.
“The Sweden Visa Application Centre in Manila (Philippines) is currently accepting short stay (tourist, business, medical, seafarers) and long stay (student, work, resident permit) applications,” VFS Global announced.
It also noted that the visa application centre in Rabat (Morocco) is accepting short stay (tourist, business, medical, seafarers) and exceptional case visa applications.
At the same time, the notice explains that the Visa Application Centre and call centre in Thailand operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“Sweden Visa Application Centres in Shanghai and Nanjing (China) will provide visa application, and passport pass back services every Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 am to 12 pm and Hangzhou from 10 am to 1 pm,” the notice reads, noting that customers are requested to wear a face mask when entering the Visa Application Centre.
Amid the Coronavirus outbreak back at the end of February and through March, Sweden, just as the rest of the Schengen Area Member States suspended visa operations abroad.
However, as Europe slowly reopens its borders for travel due to a better epidemiological situation in the old continent and abroad, Sweden and several other EU members are resuming visa operations abroad.
Only this week, Sweden has become the second EU/Schengen country that extends its advice against non-essential travel to third countries until August 31, after Germany.
At the same time, it has decided to remove the advice against non-essential travel to the following countries as of June 30: Belgium, Croatia, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, noting that the decision has been taken by taking into account the recent epidemiological situation in these countries.
