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The centre in London will manage processing of Dutch passport and ID card applications.
The Netherlands is the first Schengen government for which VFS Global offers passport and ID card services and there will be similar centre launched in the United States later this quarter.
VFS Global has launched The Netherlands Passport and ID Application Centre in London as an extension to its visa processing services, on behalf of the Government of The Netherlands.
The centre will accept first applications for a Dutch passport or ID card, as well as applications for renewals. The key services delivered at the centre are:
- Passport Application processing for Adults (New & Renewal)
- Passport Application processing for Minors (New & Renewal)
- Business Passport Application processing (New & Renewal)
- ID Card Application processing (New & Renewal)
- ID Card Application processing for minors (New & Renewal)
The Dutch diaspora in the United Kingdom is expected to benefit from this new passport and ID card service, which has the advantage that it is also open outside of office hours: on Thursday evenings and Saturdays.
The centre, located at 66 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2BT, United Kingdom, was inaugurated on 10 January 2019 by His Excellency Simon Smits, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom.
Also present at the ceremony were key Dutch ministry representatives, including Ms. Michaele de Goeij, Deputy Department Head, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Affairs and Visa Policy Department, Ms. Meike de Jong, Policy Officer, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Affairs and Visa Policy Department, and Mr. Maurits Beltgens, Head of Consular Department, Embassy of the Netherlands, London.
The centre will serve as the prime processing centre for passport and ID card applications. The contract to open this centre was awarded to VFS Global in 2018, after a successful pilot managing the same services in Edinburgh since 2016. A similar centre is expected to go live in the United States later this quarter.
This is the first Schengen government for which VFS Global will provide passport and ID card services. Apart from The Netherlands, the company also offers passport services for the UK, India, and Ghana.
Key benefits for applicants:
- Flexible ‘prime time’ services so that applicants can make submissions beyond regular office hours. (The centre will stay open between 1800 hrs to 2030hrs on Thursdays, and on Saturdays from 0830 hrs to 1230 hrs).
- Application tracking facility from the time the application is submitted.
- Dedicated email for applicant queries
Chris Dix, Head of Business Development for VFS Global, said, “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the Netherlands Government to passport and ID card services and are confident the new centre will significantly improve the customer experience of consular services, as well as be a strong testament to the importance of raising the bar for streamlined government services overall.”
VFS Global has been providing visa services for the Government of the Netherlands since 2006 and currently operates 80 Visa Application Centres across 36 countries for this client government.
VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. VFS Global, headquartered in Dubai, UAE, has Swiss parentage and is a portfolio company of EQT, a leading global private equity firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
With 2834 Application Centres, operations in 141 countries across five continents and over 187 million applications processed as on 30 November 2018, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 62 client governments.