Indians travelling to France will now be able to get their tourist and business visas within 48 hours of applying, making travelling to the country a lot easier. The French government has also decided to drastically ease visa procedures for Indian visitors. The French ambassador said eight more visa application centres will be opened across India from December 1. This is in addition to six existing centres. “The new centres will come up in Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Pune, Goa, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Hyderabad and Jaipur. This will enable French authorities to gain proximity to Indian applicants and to cater to the increasing number of tourists wanting to visit France,” François Richier, Ambassador of France to India, said. Visas will be delivered within 72 hours at these new centres, Richier said. “Previously, applicants had to go to a specific centre depending on their area of residence. But now, citizens will be able to apply for visa from any of the centres,” he said. In order to make travelling within France easy and hassle-free, the French embassy also launched a special app called ‘Chalo Paris’. The app, to be unveiled on December 10, will provide useful information related to monuments and tourist spots in Paris. “The measures show that we are committed to strengthening ties between France and India,” Richier said.
