Lok Sabha Question No. 1466 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-29
Subject: Visa Processing Service
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: ANIRUDHAN SAMPATH

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1466

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2015

VISA PROCESSING SERVICE

1466.		DR. A. SAMPATH:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

1. whether the visa processing services are outsourced;
2. if so, the details thereof; and
3. the reasons therefor?

#### ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

1. Yes.

1. Presently, Consular, Passport and Visa Services (CPV services) have been outsourced in 67 Indian Missions/Posts abroad as per list annexed. Ministry follows a two stage tender process, namely the Technical Bid stage and the Financial Bid stage, based on General Financial Rules (GFR) and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines. Companies which qualify in the Technical Bid stage are considered for the Financial Bid Stage. The responsive bids are ranked as per the service fee quoted and the Contract is awarded to the lowest evaluated bidder.

1. The CPV services are outsourced to enable better handling of the large number of applicants seeking consular services at our Missions/Posts and also to efficiently allocate peripheral work such as collection of fees, initial scrutiny of applications, delivery and dispatch of documents and enrolment of biometric data, given the limited space and manpower resources in our Missions/Posts. Outsourcing also helps enhance the security environment in the premises of the Mission/Post and enable key officials to focus on core work related to policy and decision-making in visa/passport applications.

*****

**ANNEXURE**

**Data on outsourcing of CPV services in Missions/Posts abroad**

| S.No   | Mission / Post               | Services outsourced                             | Service Provider                       |
|--------|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|        |                              |                                                 |                                        |
|        | **Afghanistan**              |                                                 |                                        |
| 1      | Kabul                        | Visa                                            | Shahir Travel Agency                   |
|        | **Australia**                |                                                 |                                        |
| 2      | Canberra                     | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
| 3      | Melbourne                    | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
| 4      | Sydney                       | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
| 5      | Perth                        | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **Austria**                  |                                                 |                                        |
| 6      | Vienna                       | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Bahrain**                  |                                                 |                                        |
| 7      | Bahrain                      | Passport, Visa                                  | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        | **Bangladesh**               |                                                 |                                        |
| 8      | Dhaka                        | Visa                                            | State bank of India, Bangladesh        |
| 9      | Chittagong                   | Visa                                            | State bank of India, Bangladesh        |
| 10     | Rajshahi                     | Visa                                            | State bank of India, Bangladesh        |
|        | **Belgium**                  |                                                 |                                        |
| 11     | Brussels                     | Visa                                            | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **Canada**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 12     | Ottawa                       | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 13     | Toronto                      | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 14     | Vancouver                    | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **China**                    |                                                 |                                        |
| 15     | Beijing                      | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 16     | Shanghai                     | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 17     | Guangzhou                    | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 18     | Hong Kong                    | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **France**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 19     | Paris                        | Visa                                            | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **Germany**                  |                                                 |                                        |
| 20     | Berlin                       | Visa                                            | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
| 21     | Frankfurt                    | Visa and all postal applications                | Indo German Consultancy Pvt Ltd        |
| 22     | Hamburg                      | Visa                                            | Indo German Consultancy Pvt Ltd        |
| 23     | Munich                       | Visa                                            | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        | **Iran**                     |                                                 |                                        |
| 24     | Tehran                       | Visa                                            | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        | **Israel**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 25     | Tel Aviv                     | Visa                                            | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
|        | **Japan**                    |                                                 |                                        |
| 26     | Tokyo                        | Visa                                            | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
| 27     | Osaka-Kobe                   | Visa                                            | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        | **Jordan**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 28     | Amman                        | Visa                                            | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **Kuwait**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 29     | Kuwait                       | Passport, Visa                                  | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
|        | **Malaysia**                 |                                                 |                                        |
| 30     | Kuala Lumpur                 | Visa                                            | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        |                              | Consular, Passport                              | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Nepal**                    |                                                 |                                        |
| 31     | Kathmandu                    | Visa                                            | Nepal SBI Bank Ltd                     |
|        | **Netherlands**              |                                                 |                                        |
| 32     | The Hague                    | Passport/Visa                                   | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Norway**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 33     | Oslo                         | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Oman**                     |                                                 |                                        |
| 34     | Muscat                       | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Pakistan**                 |                                                 |                                        |
| 35     | Islamabad                    | Visa                                            | Gerry’s International  TCS Visatranics |
|        | **Philippines**              |                                                 |                                        |
| 36     | Manila                       | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Poland**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 37     | Warsaw                       | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Russia**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 38     | Moscow                       | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 39     | St. Petersburg               | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **Saudi Arabia**             |                                                 |                                        |
| 40     | Riyadh                       | Consular Passport, Visa                         | VFS Global Services                    |
| 41     | Jeddah                       | Consular, Passport, Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **Singapore**                |                                                 |                                        |
| 42     | Singapore                    | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **South Africa**             |                                                 |                                        |
| 43     | Pretoria                     | Passport/Visa                                   | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 44     | Cape Town                    | Passport/Visa                                   | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 45     | Durban                       | Passport/Visa                                   | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
| 46     | Johannesburg                 |                                                 | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        | **South Korea**              |                                                 |                                        |
| 47     | Seoul                        | Visa                                            | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **Spain**                    |                                                 |                                        |
| 48     | Madrid                       | Visa                                            | ArkeBLS/BLS                            |
|        | **Sri Lanka**                |                                                 |                                        |
| 49     | Colombo                      | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
| 50     | Jaffna                       | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
| 51     | Kandy                        | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        | **Sweden**                   |                                                 |                                        |
| 52     | Stockholm                    | Visa                                            | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
|        | **Switzerland**              |                                                 |                                        |
| 53     | Berne                        | Visa                                            | VFS Global Services                    |
| 54     | Geneva                       | Visa                                            | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **Thailand**                 |                                                 |                                        |
| 55     | Bangkok                      | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        | **United Arab Emirates**     |                                                 |                                        |
| 56     | Abu Dhabi                    | Passport, Visa                                  | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Attestation                                     | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
| 57     | Dubai                        | Passport, Visa                                  | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Attestation                                     | IVS Global Services Pvt Ltd            |
|        | **United Kingdom**           |                                                 |                                        |
| 58     | London                       | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
| 59     | Birmingham                   | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
| 60     | Edinburgh                    | Consular /Passport/ Visa                        | VFS Global Services                    |
|        | **United States of America** |                                                 |                                        |
| 61     | Washington                   | Passport                                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Visa/OCI/PIO card/Surrender of Indian passport) | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
| 62     | Chicago                      | Passport                                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Visa/OCI/PIO card/Surrender of Indian passport) | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
| 63     | Houston                      | Passport                                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Visa/OCI/PIO card/Surrender of Indian passport) | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
| 64     | New York                     | Passport                                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Visa/OCI/PIO card/Surrender of Indian passport) | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
| 65     | San Francisco                | Passport                                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Visa/OCI/PIO card/Surrender of Indian passport) | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
| 66     | Atlanta                      | Passport                                        | BLS International Services Ltd.        |
|        |                              | Visa/OCI/PIO card/Surrender of Indian passport) | Cox & Kings Global Services            |
|        | **Yemen**                    |                                                 |                                        |
| 67     | Sana’a                       | Visa                                            | BLS International Services Ltd.        |

*****