Germany opens visa application centre in Goa

Amidst a rise in number of Indians travelling to Germany, its government today launched a visa application centre in Goa and announced that such a facility would also be opened soon in Chennai and Kolkata.
The Kolkata and Chennai centres would be opened by this financial year end, taking the number of German visa application centres to 16 covering pan-India, Consul of German Republic in Mumbai Alexander Thielitz said here.
After Kolkata and Chennai centres, the German government will not open any more such facilities in India, he said.
Around 1,20,000 Indians had procured German visa during the last year, of which the western region accounts for almost 42,000 visas, the diplomat said.

The maximum number of people travelling to Germany are from Maharashtra, he said, adding that 70 per cent of the people want visa to travel for business purposes.
The rough estimates show that around 30,000-40,000 Indian tourists visit Germany annually on a direct visa, while several more thousands unaccounted people go there through multiple entry facility.

The trade ties between the two nations are strong, with Germany investing Euros six billion in India, Dean Menezes, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, told reporters.
"There is equal investment by Indian companies in Germany," he added.
The visa application centre inaugurated in Goa will now spare the people from travelling to Mumbai.

Once the biometric facility is introduced, people can give their finger prints required for visa processing in Goa itself, Thielitz said.