Czech Ambassador: Minister Shahid instrumental in establishment of VFS center

The Czech Ambassador to Maldives, Milan Hovorka, on Monday, credited the establishment of a permanent VFS (Visa Facilitation Services) Global visa application center in Male’, which grants Maldivian citizens with easy access to application for Schengen visa, to the efforts of Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.

The VFS visa application center, inaugurated on Monday morning, grants Maldivian citizens travelling to Germany and Czech Republic as the main destination with access to Schengen visa. It also means an end to the time-consuming and costly process undertaken by Maldivian citizens who had previously applied for Schengen visa through embassies based in Colombo or New Delhi.

Speaking at the inauguration, Hovorka said that Shahid had been instrumental in establishing the center deserved special credit,

He said that Shahid had impressed on him and other EU representatives the inconveniences faced by Maldivian citizens in travelling to Europe during the fourth session of the EU-Maldives Policy Dialogue which had been held in March 2019.

“You were quite instrumental. You were quite convincing in terms of describing the case; explaining how difficult it is for a lot of people to travel and visit us in Europe. And you insisted,” said Hovorka. “Thanks to your special contribution, we were able to go through all necessary procedures and we are happy that we can now be here today and open the visa application center here.”

Shahid had said he expected more European countries to follow in the footsteps of Germany and Czech Republic, and join the initiative in the near future.

He also remarked that the long-term objective was to facilitate on-arrival visas for Maldivian citizens who travel to Europe.

German Ambassador Jörn Rohde, in his remarks, expressed confidence in Shahid’s hopes for visa-free travel to Europe.

“As the Minister has said, in the long run, or even in the medium run, I am very confident that there will be visa-free travel. It should be possible with the [support of] other countries you have already, like the UK,” said Rohde.