Greece visa centres restart services in India with 15-day standard processing time

Indians planning a trip to Greece can restart their visa applications, as Global Visa Center World (GVCW) has reopened all Greece Visa Application Centres across India after a temporary suspension caused by a cyber incident.

In an official announcement on Tuesday, GVCW said, “We are pleased to inform you that, effective February 12, 2026, all Visa Application Centers for Greece in India will resume operations.”

The reopening restores visa services in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kochi and Kolkata. Applicants can now book appointments, submit biometric data and lodge documents for short-stay C-type visas.


GVCW advised applicants to “book their appointments through the designated appointment booking platform” and to “plan accordingly and ensure that all required documentation is prepared prior to their visit.”

The centres had partially suspended operations in mid-December after a cyber incident affected a subcontractor. GVCW said back-office processing at the Consulate General in Mumbai and the Embassy in Delhi has “fully normalised.” Standard processing will take 15 calendar days. Priority processing with a five-working-day turnaround will resume on a limited quota basis.

Application assessment and role of VAC
All applications will be assessed by the Greek Embassy-Consular Office in New Delhi. The Visa Application Centres are authorised to collect and retrieve applications on behalf of the Greek authorities but do not take part in the decision-making process.

Applicants may be required to appear before a Visa Officer for a personal interview at the Greek Embassy-Consular Office in New Delhi before a decision is taken.

The centres also offer a courier service for return of documents directly to the applicant’s doorstep.

Holders of Diplomatic, Service and Public Affairs passports can submit their applications directly at the Embassy or Consular Office in New Delhi.

Processing time and deadlines
Visa applications may take up to 15 days to process. In cases where consultation with other Schengen countries is required, processing may extend up to 45 working days.

Applicants must lodge their visa applications no later than 15 working days before departure. Those applying at centres outside New Delhi need to add five extra days to the minimum processing time, as their applications are first sent to the GVCW New Delhi centre before being forwarded to the Embassy.

Under the Schengen Visa Code, applicants can apply for a visa up to six months before travel. GVCW has urged travellers to submit their applications early due to difficulty in securing last-minute appointments.

Fees and basic documents
Applicants must pay the Visa Fee and Service Fee in Indian rupees at the time of submission.

They must submit a fully completed and signed visa application form, two recent passport-sized photographs in colour with a white background, and a passport that is valid for at least three months after return to India. The passport must have at least two blank pages, must have been issued within the previous 10 years, and copies of the identification page and all visa pages must be provided.

Medical insurance with minimum coverage of 30,000 euro for medical costs and repatriation is required for all Schengen countries during the validity of the visa. Holders of diplomatic passports are exempt.

Applicants can purchase insurance from any insurer. GVCW stated that it is partnering, through INSURTE, a European company acting under EU laws, with European insurance companies. It added, “By clicking ‘Find a medical insurance’, you will be redirected outside the Global Visa Center World (GVCW) website under our Privacy Notice. GVCW does not accept any liability arising from the purchase or use of the insurance services by any person.”

Applicants must also submit additional documents based on the purpose of travel. The Consular Authorities of Greece reserve the right to request further documents and may call the applicant for an interview.