VFS Global has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, applicant protection and secure visa application services, and urged Ghanaians to be vigilant against fraudsters as demand for outbound travel continues to increase.
The company cautioned residents against dealing with unauthorised agents and intermediaries who falsely promise early visa appointments, faster processing or guaranteed visa approvals in exchange for payment.
Speaking during an interaction with selected media practitioners in Accra on Wednesday, the Regional Head for Central and West Africa at VFS Global, Mr Prashant Kansara, stressed that trust remained central to the visa application process.
“At VFS Global, our role is to provide applicants with a secure, transparent and well-managed administrative process on behalf of our client governments. We strongly encourage residents in Ghana to use only official VFS Global channels, avoid intermediaries who make false promises and plan their applications well in advance,” he stated.
Mr Kansara explained that rising visa application volumes, particularly during peak travel seasons, had created opportunities for fraudsters to exploit unsuspecting applicants.
He noted that students, families, organised groups, corporate travellers, sports teams and official delegations were among those contributing to the growing demand for visa services.
Mr Kansara emphasised that no agent, employee or third party could influence appointment availability, processing times or visa decisions, which remained the sole responsibility of the respective governments.
According to him, fraudsters often misused the company’s names, logos, social media accounts, search engine listings and unofficial contact details to deceive applicants.
He advised prospective travellers to verify information only through official VFS Global channels and report suspicious activities through authorised contact points.
As part of measures to safeguard applicants in Ghana, Mr Kansara said VFS Global had introduced several anti-fraud mechanisms, including appointment verification systems, one-time-password (OTP) appointment bookings, validation of appointment references and anti-fraud awareness messages across customer touchpoints.
He added that access to Visa Application Centres was strictly controlled to ensure that only applicants with valid appointments were admitted.
Applicants, he noted, could also avoid unnecessary delays by arriving on time for appointments, carrying all required documents and consulting official document checklists before submission.
Mr Kansara further disclosed that the company had recorded increasing demand for organised group visa submission services, particularly from students, educational institutions, corporate organisations, sports teams, families and large travel groups.
He explained that group booking support was intended to improve coordination and convenience during the application submission stage, especially during peak travel periods. However, he stressed that such arrangements did not influence visa outcomes, appointment availability or processing timelines.
The Office of the Paramount Chief of Gbese and Adonten of the Ga State commended VFS Global for its support during preparations for the first-ever Gbese Mantse Homowo Festival and Business Summit scheduled to take place in the Netherlands in September 2025.
In a letter of appreciation, the traditional authority praised the company’s professionalism, efficient guidance and respect for cultural norms throughout the visa application process.
Operating in Ghana since 2005, VFS Global currently serves 19 client governments through 23 application centres nationwide and employs about 100 Ghanaian staff.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
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