France opens new visa centre

Ambassador of France to India, Alexandre Ziegler, inaugurated the new France visa application centre in Bengaluru on Monday to facilitate easy availability of visa to tourists and professionals to visit the European country.

Noting that Bengaluru accounted for 16% of the 1.5 lakh Indians who visited France in 2016, the ambassador said the French administration was committed to issuing a visa in 48 hours after receiving verified applications. “The number of Indians visiting France has gone up by 45% in 2015. In 2016, the growth rate was 25%. We expect the total number of visitors from India to reach two lakh this year,”

he said.
To a query on the impact of repeated terror attacks on French tourism, the ambassador evaded a direct reply. He, however, sought to underscore that terrorism was a global menace and that the world should unite to face the challenge. “We are grateful to Indians for not stopping visits to France. This is just like French tourists did not stop visiting India after the Mumbai terror attacks,” he said. The new centre is located at VFS Global in Langford Town.