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The French Ambassador, Jean-Christophe Peaucelle (third left) addressing a press conference to introduce CAPAGO-MENA, a new company to assist the embassy in visa issuance services. With him are (from left) the Associate Director of CAPAGO-MENA, Laurent Mallet; CEO of CAPAGO-MENA, Mana Ibrahim Al Mana; and the Counsellor at the embassy Muriel Poireault. Salim Matramkot
DOHA: The French Embassy yesterday externalised its visa procedure and introduced an additional service charge to the fee.
Visa applications to France should be submitted to the Capago-MENA office at the Jaidah square. Although the fee would remain same at 60 euros, 25 euros will be charged for services and 50 euros if a special VIP service is required.
The external operator will help in the visa process but the decision whether to issue a visa will be taken by the embassy. Schengen regulations and law for a French visa holder remain unchanged.
“France has decided to externalise part of the visa procedure… The visa decisions remains with the embassy, the purpose of the externalisation is to provide better service to applicants, and nothing has changed in Schengen regulations,” Jean Christopher Peaucelle, the Ambassador of France, told a press conference yesterday.
“The cost will be higher but I’m sure the quality of the service which is provided is worth the additional cost.”
The embassy received 15,000 applications in 2012 but within the first nine months of 2013 the number rose to 16,000.
About 50 percent of applicants were Qataris and 98 percent of them went for short stay — maximum three months. Two percent are students or have property in France.
“We had a very big increase of visa applications, which was so challenging for us,” said Peaucelle.
Capago-MENA’s office will be open from 8.30am to 3.30pm. A visa applicant can visit the website of Capago-MENA to start the process. Also the embassy’s website will provide the applicant with a link to the website of Capago-MENA. The website provides all information required to obtain a visa. An appointment will be given through the website to submit documents. Document verification and biometric prints will be taken at Capago-MENA and sent to the embassy. Once the visa is stamped, the applicant will be sent through a text message the date and time to collect his passport from the Capago-MENA.
Peaucelle said the visa process could be completed within four or five days. However, he urged people to apply a few weeks ahead of their travel plans. The Peninsula
