Dibrugarh: Good news for the people of Assam and the Northeast—an International Visa Centre will soon be established in Guwahati, easing international travel for residents of the region.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a landmark development for international travellers from India’s northeastern region, declaring that the “long journey” to Delhi or Mumbai for visa biometrics will soon be “history.”
This follows an in-principle agreement with VFS Global, a leading visa outsourcing and technology services provider, to establish a dedicated visa facilitation centre in Guwahati.
The announcement, made by the Chief Minister via a social media post, addresses a long-standing logistical hurdle faced by residents of Assam and the wider Northeast. Until now, applicants requiring biometric enrolment for visas to numerous countries had to undertake a costly and time-consuming trip to major metropolitan hubs—a burden particularly felt by students, professionals, and tourists from the region.
“Travelling abroad? Need to submit biometrics for your visa application? That meant a long journey to either Delhi or Mumbai,” CM Sarma stated in his post. “Soon this will be history for our people from Assam and the Northeast.”
He expressed his satisfaction with the new arrangement, writing, “Happy to share that @VFSGlobal has agreed in principle to set up a dedicated visa facilitation centre for over 60 countries in Guwahati.”
The proposed centre is expected to streamline the visa application process for a significant number of destinations, drastically reducing both the financial and time costs associated with international travel preparation. While specific details are still forthcoming, the Chief Minister indicated that more information would be released soon.
“We will be sharing more details soon—such as the countries for which visa applications can be made in Guwahati, opening timelines, etc. Do stay tuned,” he added.