Three months after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the establishment of a visa application centre (VAC) in the state capital, operations are set to begin on April 1. The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the VFS Global Group and the state Home department on Monday to establish the facility at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal (BSABT) in Baramunda.

Home department additional secretary Soumendra Patra, BDA secretary Manas Ranjan Padhi, and VFS Global Group associate vice-president (administration, South Asia) Viney John were signatories to the MoU. The VAC at BSABT will occupy approximately 3,000 sq ft of office space, allowing residents to submit visa applications locally rather than traveling to larger cities. Currently, residents of Odisha must go to cities like Kolkata, Delhi, or Hyderabad for visa services.

VFS Global provides visa and consular services for numerous countries, particularly those in the Schengen area, which includes 29 European nations. The Bhubaneswar centre will also offer concierge services, assisting with application form filling, document verification, and travel insurance support, thereby facilitating the process for first-time travelers and families.