According to Hariprasad Viswanathan, Head of Sub Saharan Africa at VFS Global, the number of visa applications received from Ghana in 2023 has nearly doubled from 2022.
He stated that applications processed at VFS Global’s Ghana Passport Premium Application Centres increased by 30 percent this year, demonstrating Ghanaians’ eagerness to go abroad.
2023 marked a significant increase in global outbound travel, including in Ghana.
Mr Viswanathan, speaking during a media outreach session in Accra, explained why the demand for visas increased and what applicants should keep in mind ahead of the current peak travel season, saying “Based on the initial trends, we expect the increase in international travel in 2022 and 2023 to continue this year as well”.
“Outbound travel from Ghana returned to pre-pandemic levels last year, with tourism, family visits, educational and business travels being the most prevalent causes. Given the increased demand for overseas travel and the limited number of appointment slots available, we recommend prospective applicants to apply for visas as soon as possible, along with their flight and hotel reservations.”
As a market leader in outsourced visa and consular services for governments, he reaffirmed the company’s commitment to constantly developing creative solutions to improve the overall visa application process.
“Applicants are regularly provided information about visa processing timelines, data protection and privacy assurance, how to detect fraud and the organisation’s value-added services are regularly communicated via key touch points,” said the spokesperson.
