KOLKATA: France and Italy opened a joint visa application centre on the Rashbehari connector at Kasba on Wednesday.

Consul-generals of both countries wooed residents of Kolkata and neighbouring states to visit Europe as this service, which will run 24X7, will make it very easy for eligible applicants who will get their visa in 24 hours. “The idea is to not keep the applicants waiting and this also saves them a trip to New Delhi for visa,” said Atul Marwah of VFS Global, the agency that will process the paperwork.

Fabrice Etienne, consul-general of France in Kolkata, said: “This is a step forward in welcoming more and more tourists from the eastern region to France. We are seeing a steady rise in the number of applications from Kolkata, and we would also love to have Bengali movies shot in France. ‘Queen’ was shot there extensively. Most people, probably due to Bollywood, think of Switzerland when planning a European vacation. But with this centre, where visa will be issued in 24 hours, we’re hoping more people from Bengal and the northeast would consider experiencing a French holiday as going there just got easier.”

He also urged students to plan education in France. “Once you graduate from a French institution, it will be very easy to get a five-year visa with multiple entry option,” he added.

Cesare Bieller, consul-general of Italy in Kolkata, pointed out that while getting visa was never too complicated, this centre will act as the “first gate to a large continent”. He too appealed to students to consider Italy as their destination. “We won’t sit on any application and trim the unnecessary paperwork. This centre will also be a boon for potential travellers from Bengal’s neighbouring states,” he said. People-to-people contact with India is what Italy is eyeing, the envoy added.

The new office has the capacity to process 1 lakh applications in a year, an official said. “It also has a larger waiting area and facilities for the disabled,” he added.

Both the diplomats pushed for bilateral ties through tourism and trade, and urged businessmen to explore the two countries for opportunities.

