Irish envoy opens VFS visa facility

Residents of Qatar can now apply for visas to Ireland at a centrally-located Visa Application Centre launched in Doha by the Embassy of Ireland in partnership with VFS Global.
Applicants can visit the centre located on the third floor (301), Jaidah Square, Al Matar Street (Airport Road), to enroll their biometrics and submit visa applications in a modern and comfortable environment.
The centre was formally inaugurated by Patrick Hennessy, Ambassador of Ireland to Qatar on Tuesday. Qatar is the second country in the Gulf region, after Kuwait, where a professionally-appointed VFS Global Visa Application Centre has been launched for enhanced convenience to applicants. Services at the centre had commenced on March 27.
With Ireland being a popular destination for tourism, business and higher education, travellers from Qatar will benefit from customer-centric and streamlined services offered at the centre. Centres for the Governments of the United Kingdom and Australia, operated by VFS Global, are also located at the same premise. The centre is operated by VFS Global in partnership with Mannai Trading Company.
Speaking at the launch, Hennessy said, “I am delighted to welcome the opening of the Ireland Visa Application Centre in Doha. I believe the Centre will be warmly welcomed and will contribute to enhancing ties between Ireland and Qatar.  Taking advantage of this new facility, I expect a significant increase in the number of Qatar residents travelling to Ireland for business, education and tourism.  With Qatar Airways due to begin a direct Doha-Dublin service in June, the timing could not be better.”
Added Vinay Malhotra, COO – Middle East & South Asia, VFS Global, “We are confident this centre for the Government of Ireland in Doha will provide uncompromised service quality to travellers to Ireland. It serves the growing needs of outbound travellers from this region and by enhancing the ease and convenience of the visa application process, will help promote travel from Qatar to Ireland.”
Global has been serving the Government of Ireland since 2004, and currently serves the client in 13 countries from 43 visa application centres globally. The company has been operating visa processing services in Qatar since 2005, and today serves nine client governments in the country.
The key features of the centre include:
n Convenient and centrally-accessed location.
n Professional staff with local language capability to handle queries and applications.
n Well-appointed centre for enhanced comfort of applicants.
n Automated queue governance for smooth flow of applicants.
n Dedicated website for easy access to information including visa categories, requirements, check-list and applicable fees.
n Secure handling of passports, documents and personal information.
n Doorstep delivery of passports.
n Value-added services such as SMS, photocopying, photo-booth service and printing for greater convenience.
n Premium Lounge for personalised and comfortable service.
Business hours: 09:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs (Sunday to Thursday).
Submission Timings: 09:00 hrs – 16:00 hrs, Sunday to  Thursday (except holidays as declared by the Embassy)
Document Collection: 16:00 hrs – 17:00 hrs, Sunday to Thursday.