Indian leisure and MICE travellers headed for the Aegean can breathe easier: Global Visa Center World (GVCW) has resumed operations at all nine Greece Visa Application Centres (VACs) nationwide—from Delhi to Kochi—effective 12 February 2026. The network had been partially shut since mid-December after a subcontractor suffered a cyber-incident that crippled the Schengen appointment system. Standard 15-day processing and limited five-day priority slots are now back online.(business-standard.com)
The restart is timely. Greek Tourism Ministry data show Indian arrivals topped 115,000 in 2025, a 47 % jump year-on-year, with weddings, conferences and Bollywood shoots fuelling demand. Travel agents feared spring groups would be derailed if VACs stayed offline longer. With appointments once again open, tour operators are rushing to secure biometrics slots before the Easter and summer peak.
![Greece reopens all Schengen visa centres across India after cyber outage]()
Applicants must first complete the Schengen C-type form on GVCW’s portal, then appear in person for fingerprints and document submission. Fees range from ₹8,000 to ₹14,890, inclusive of service charges. Officials remind travellers that passports must be valid at least three months beyond departure and that €30,000 medical insurance is mandatory. Long-stay D-visas (study, work) remain processed directly by the Greek Embassy.
Corporate mobility managers welcome the news because Greece is a popular venue for incentive trips and offshore training. Companies with tight project timelines should consider the limited priority processing, which guarantees a decision in five working days but is capped daily.
Security consultants add that the December breach underscores the need for robust vendor due diligence in the outsourced‐visa ecosystem; GVCW says it has introduced new encryption layers and real-time monitoring to prevent a recurrence.
The restart is timely. Greek Tourism Ministry data show Indian arrivals topped 115,000 in 2025, a 47 % jump year-on-year, with weddings, conferences and Bollywood shoots fuelling demand. Travel agents feared spring groups would be derailed if VACs stayed offline longer. With appointments once again open, tour operators are rushing to secure biometrics slots before the Easter and summer peak.
Applicants must first complete the Schengen C-type form on GVCW’s portal, then appear in person for fingerprints and document submission. Fees range from ₹8,000 to ₹14,890, inclusive of service charges. Officials remind travellers that passports must be valid at least three months beyond departure and that €30,000 medical insurance is mandatory. Long-stay D-visas (study, work) remain processed directly by the Greek Embassy.
Corporate mobility managers welcome the news because Greece is a popular venue for incentive trips and offshore training. Companies with tight project timelines should consider the limited priority processing, which guarantees a decision in five working days but is capped daily.
Security consultants add that the December breach underscores the need for robust vendor due diligence in the outsourced‐visa ecosystem; GVCW says it has introduced new encryption layers and real-time monitoring to prevent a recurrence.
Source: Business Standard
