The company BLS International Services, which offers diplomatic missions, has signed a global outsourcing contract for Slovakia in 18 countries with over 54 offices.
The new agreement means that the company will be responsible for offering not only tourist and business visa services but also national visa services, and it came as part of the efforts to facilitate the travel process further.
The Joint Managing Director of BLS International Services Ltd., Shikhar Aggarwal, expressing appreciation to the government of Slovakia for entrusting this collaboration, said that it reflects the commitment of the company to excellence and unwavering dedication to delivering efficient, secure visa services.
“Aligned with the core Schengen principles, we are eager to enhance the visa application experience for all, setting new industry benchmarks through innovation and customer-centric solutions,” BLS International Services
A total of 2.64 million tourists travelled to Slovakia in 2021, according to industry data, with the number expected to increase further in line with travel trends.
As Slovakia emerges as an enticing and fascinating new tourism destination, significantly contributing to the growth of the travel industry, we are keen to play our part. This endeavour harmonizes perfectly with our core values of excellence, efficiency, and security.
In addition to Slovakia, the company has collaborated with several other Schengen zone countries, such as Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Spain, Germany and Italy, among others, offering several visa services.
In March this year, BLS International Limited Services announced that it would continue to process visa requests for Spain. The decision came after the Spanish Council of Ministers gave the green light to an agreement justifying a previous emergency agreement before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EU, and BLS for extending the contract between these two parties in February.
Spain and BLS contracts signed in 2016 expired at the beginning of this year; therefore, the collaboration with the company for processing Schengen visa applications was further extended.
The figures from the European Union Agency of Statistics, Eurostat, in the first half of this year, have registered a significant increase in overnight stays, compared to last year’s exact period figures, also taking into account the figures registered in Slovakia.
According to Eurostat’s report, in Slovakia, a total of 28.7 per cent increase was registered in the number of overnight stays compared to 2022’s exact period figures.
