FRANKEY FERNANDES
THE GOAN | MELBOURNE
The Government of India has launched a new network of Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) across Australia, with VFS Global operations beginning on July 23. The centres, in six Australian cities, will provide passport, visa and other consular services with more counters, better staffing, longer hours, multilingual support and 24-hour digital assistance.
Applicants will pay a VFS Global service charge of AUD 115 per application, plus the applicable Government of India consular fee. The fee covers document return, SMS updates, photocopying, photographs and form-filling assistance where applicable.
Appointments must be booked online through the official VFS Global website before visiting. The MEA has advised applicants to check the latest procedures, document checklists, payment methods and postal requirements before applying. The rollout follows months of uncertainty after legal challenges to the earlier outsourcing process for Consular, Passport and Visa services. The new centres are expected to ease delays and improve access for the Indian community in Australia.
The Ministry of External Affairs said it remains committed to providing accessible, efficient and customer-friendly consular services across Australia.
