The embassies of Italy and Spain in Vietnam, in partnership with London-based VFS Global, will launch a new Schengen visa application centre in Ho Chi Minh City on January 2, 2013.

The visa centre, at Resco Tower, 4th floor, 94-96 Nguyen Du, District 1, will start operations one day later. The submission timing is 8:30-12:00 and 13:00-16:00, from Monday to Friday.

The move aims at providing a high level customer-oriented services to applicants for their visa process, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Lorenzo Angeloni told a press conference announcing the centre in the city December 5.

He said the embassies of Italy and Spain had signed an agreement to outsourcing Italy and Spain visa processing in Ho Chi Minh City to VFS Global to fasten the visa application process, and make it more convenient.

VFS Global, a worldwide outsourcing and technology services company for diplomatic missions and governments, will be responsible for accepting and processing applications for Schengen visas from applicants residing across Vietnam, having the first port of entry or long stay in Italy or Spain.

The service would charge a nominal fee payable at the centre at the time of submitting the application.

Antonio Bretones, head of the Commercial Office of Spain in Vietnam, said, “We’d like to make the whole process of applying for a visa to Spain easier for the citizens in Ho Chi Minh City, in order to encourage the exchanges between the two countries.”

Loren Dsouza, VFS Global’s South East Asia and Pacific head, said, “We’ve been privileged to be associated with the government of Italy in 17 countries and serve the government of Spain across 35 countries.” He added his company had 775 visa application centres around the world.