Italian authorities have announced a temporary suspension of visa processing in Dubai due to a planned shutdown of the Visa Information System (VIS).
In a notice issued by the Consulate General of Italy in Dubai, officials said the VIS operating system will be suspended from 9:00 p.m. local time on February 12 until 3:00 a.m. local time on February 18.
“This is a scheduled and urgent technical intervention,” the notice said.
Visa applications and issuance to be temporarily halted
During the suspension period, the acceptance and processing of visa applications will be halted. The issuance of entry visas will also be suspended.
The shutdown will affect both the Visa Office of the Consulate General of Italy in Dubai and the Visa Application Centre for Italy, which is managed by VFS Global.
According to the notice, no visa-related operations will be possible while the system remains offline.
Appointments to be rescheduled around shutdown period
Authorities said appointments already scheduled during the affected period will not be cancelled.
“In order to minimise inconvenience to users, appointments already scheduled will be rescheduled for the days immediately before or after the period affected by the operational shutdown,” the notice said.
Priority needs and urgent cases will be taken into consideration when rescheduling appointments.
