Indian applicants planning travel, study or work in Italy face a short-term disruption after VFS Global issued a notice pausing new visa and Declaration-of-Value (DOV) submissions at its New Delhi, Jalandhar and Chandigarh centres on selected dates later this month. Specifically, Jalandhar and Chandigarh will accept no files on 25 and 28 September, while New Delhi will close intake on 28–29 September, except for the resubmission of previously incomplete DOVs. The blackout falls in the peak university-enrolment window, when hundreds of Indian students seek DOV attestations of their academic credentials—a prerequisite for Italian national (D-type) study visas. Business and tourist Schengen-visa applicants are equally affected because the centres handle all categories for the ‘North Jurisdiction.’ No reason was given for the pause, but industry insiders cite a combination of consular-staff training and the implementation of Italy’s new biometric-capture software. Applicants with appointments on the affected dates will have to reschedule online; those with urgent travel may need to re-route through Mumbai or Bengaluru centres, incurring additional time and cost. Employers moving staff to Italy for projects or long-term assignments should audit upcoming mobility cases and communicate the delay to business units. Universities are advising admits to submit DOV requests at least two weeks earlier than usual or risk missing October orientation. The episode underscores the fragility of third-party visa outsourcing in India, where appointment capacity can disappear without warning. Mobility teams should monitor VFS advisories and maintain buffer lead time—especially for destinations that require educational document legalisation.
Source: GetVisaGo
