Slovakia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has signed a five-year agreement appointing VFS Global to handle its worldwide visa application operations. Under the contract, VFS Global will manage centres in 83 countries and 159 cities, covering both short-stay Schengen (C) visas and long-stay (D) visas required for study, work, and extended stays.
As part of the transition, VFS Global will begin operating 87 new visa application centres across 41 countries starting January 2026, followed by 72 additional centres in 42 countries to be rolled out over the duration of the agreement. These centres will standardise application handling and bring uniform service quality across Slovakia’s global network.
Demand for Slovak visas continues to rise, with India, Turkey, Uzbekistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and the UAE expected to make up nearly 70% of total applications during the contract period.
What services will VFS Global provide?
Across all Slovak visa application centres, VFS Global will offer a full suite of optional, value-added services, including:
Document authenticity verification
Higher authentication of foreign public documents
Professional translation services
Courier return of passports and documents
Premium Lounge access
Applicant assistance and customer support
These add-on services are only for convenience and do not impact visa decisions or processing timelines.
VFS Global’s role in the process
VFS Global’s responsibilities remain administrative, including:
Collecting visa applications and supporting documents
Conducting biometric enrolment
Managing applicant appointments and front-end logistics
The decision to approve or refuse a visa remains exclusively with Slovak embassies or authorised Schengen authorities.
Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer at VFS Global, said the renewed partnership will make the overall experience “more accessible, efficient, and consistent” for applicants worldwide.
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