Visa Application Centres in the UAE (VFS Global, BLS, TLScontact)

VFS Global Dubai, as listed by the Belgian embassy, is on Level 2 of Wafi Mall (Falcon Phase 2, Umm Hurair 2), and VFS Global Abu Dhabi is on Level B2 of The Mall at World Trade Centre. Most Schengen countries, plus Canada for biometrics, take UAE applications through VFS Global, by appointment only, and the embassy, not VFS, decides. The exceptions matter: Spain uses BLS International, Italy splits between VFS in Dubai and BLS in Abu Dhabi, Poland accepts applications only at its embassy, and Indian passport and visa services moved from BLS to Al Hind Tours & Travels in July 2026.

Which centre handles which country

Find your destination, then follow the link to the official page to book. Your centre often depends on where you live or which emirate issued your UAE residence visa. Germany, for example, sends Dubai and Northern Emirates residents to VFS Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Al Ain residents to VFS Abu Dhabi (German missions in the UAE).

"Government page" means the destination country's own site confirms the operator (and, unless marked, the cities). "Operator page" means the operator's official page confirms them. China, Romania and Slovenia are not listed: on 31 October 2026 we could not confirm on an official page where UAE residents apply, so check with their embassies.

Quick answers for the most searched countries

• VFS Netherlands Dubai: the Dutch government tells UAE residents to "go to the VFS Global application centre in Abu Dhabi or Dubai", and to book the appointment themselves rather than through an intermediary (Netherlands Worldwide).
• VFS Germany Dubai: Germany works "exclusively" with VFS Global; applications are by appointment only, through a waitlist, and the German Consulate General in Dubai decides (German missions).
• VFS Global Dubai Italy: if your residence visa is from Dubai or the Northern Emirates, Italy's Dubai consulate works through VFS Global at The Gate, DIFC (Consulate General of Italy in Dubai). Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra residents use BLS in Abu Dhabi (below).
• UK visa centres: VFS Global runs UK visa application centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, plus Premium Application Centres in hotels: Radisson Blu in Abu Dhabi; Radisson Damac Hills, Radisson Red DSO and Park Inn Motor City in Dubai (VFS UK, attend a centre, opened 31 Oct 2026).
• VFS France Dubai and VFS Global Abu Dhabi France: France-Visas, the official portal, says all French visa applications in the UAE are handled by the consular section in Abu Dhabi, and residents of every emirate can apply at VFS Global Abu Dhabi (Level B2, The Mall, World Trade Center). The VFS service fee is €30.33 per application, paid online when booking and not refundable (France-Visas, UAE). VFS's France page also lists a temporary enrolment location at Radisson DAMAC Hills in Dubai (VFS France, attend a centre). Both opened 31 Oct 2026.

VFS Global Dubai (Wafi Mall) and Abu Dhabi

These are the addresses and hours the Belgian embassy publishes for its VFS centres (Embassy of Belgium in the UAE). Other countries' VFS desks may use different floors or buildings: Italy's Dubai centre, for one, is at The Gate, DIFC. Always re-check the address in your appointment letter.

VFS's own centre pages, opened on 31 October 2026, list both UAE centres as open Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:00 for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK, with shorter Ramadan hours (09:00–15:00) in Abu Dhabi on most of them. South Africa's VFS page lists the Dubai centre only (for example VFS Czech Republic).

What to bring to VFS

• Appointment confirmation, printed or on your phone
• Passport, plus your UAE residence visa and Emirates ID. Austria, for example, accepts only applicants whose residence permit is valid at least 3 months beyond the visa (Embassy of Austria)
• Application form and the country's own document checklist, from the embassy or the VFS page for that country
• Payment for the visa fee and the VFS service fee. Some countries take the consular fee in AED at VFS (Austria); some VFS fees are cash only (Sweden, per its VFS page)

BLS International centres in the UAE

Spain. BLS International handles all Spanish short-stay visas, by appointment (Embassy of Spain). Book at uae.blsspainvisa.com.

The Spanish embassy says decisions take 15 calendar days and can be extended to 45 (Embassy of Spain, Schengen visas).

Italy, Abu Dhabi. Since 1 September 2023, BLS International runs Italy's visa centre for holders of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra residence visas, at Nation Towers Mall. Submission Monday to Friday 09:00–15:00, passport collection 09:00–17:00. Tourist visas need an appointment on the BLS portal; business visas can be submitted "at any time without an appointment" (Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi). Book at blsitalyvisa.com/abudhabi.

Indian passport and visa services: BLS replaced by Al Hind

If you are searching for the "BLS International exclusive center for Indian passport and visa services", note the change. The Embassy of India says Indian consular, passport, visa and attestation services in the UAE were outsourced to Al Hind Tours & Travels from 22 July 2026, and are "no longer available" at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai (Embassy of India, 21 July 2026). BLS International visa & passport services for Indians in the UAE ran until 30 June 2026 (Embassy of India update).

Key facts

• Appointments: consularsevainuae.com, released at 9 AM and 9 PM daily
• Hours at all centres: 8 AM to 6 PM; entry 15 minutes before your slot
• Service charge: AED 19 including VAT, on top of Government of India fees
• Walk-in, first come first served: Tatkal passports, newborns, Emergency Certificates and applicants aged 60 and over

The 12 Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) from 22 October 2026 (Embassy of India, 21 October 2026)

Four centres closed on 22 October 2026: Musaffah (Capital Mall), Al Reem (Wafra Square), Dubai Investment Park and Sharjah Al Majaz. Old maps and blog posts may still show them.

TLScontact in the UAE

None of the countries in our table uses TLScontact for UAE applicants as of 31 October 2026. GOV.UK's list of visa application centres sends UAE applicants to VFS Global (GOV.UK), and France uses VFS Global in the UAE (France-Visas). If you are told to book with TLScontact for a UAE application, check the embassy's own page first.

How to book an appointment

1. Start from the embassy page, not an ad. It tells you the operator, the city for your residence emirate, and any form to complete first. Belgium, for example, uses its Visa On Web form before the VFS booking (Embassy of Belgium).
2. Register on the operator's own site. VFS Global UAE country pages sit under visa.vfsglobal.com/are/; BLS and Al Hind use their own portals, linked in the table.
3. Watch how slots are released. Germany runs a waitlist and the booking notification is valid for 24 hours (German missions). Belgium warns that tourist slots can take up to 4 weeks in peak season. Indian slots open at 9 AM and 9 PM.
4. Do not pay for the slot itself. "An appointment slot at VFS is free of charge", and VFS extras such as lounges or courier are optional (Embassy of Belgium).
5. Book it yourself. The Netherlands says "Do not make an appointment through an intermediary" (Netherlands Worldwide).

Can I go without an appointment?

Usually not. For Denmark, the official page says "VFS will not accept walk-ins without an appointment" (Denmark in the UAE), and Germany accepts applications "by appointment only" (German missions).

The exceptions are narrow:

VFS vs visa agency: when you need help

Embassies are blunt about agents. Belgium "does not cooperate with any visa agent in the UAE" and warns that agents "risk to provide incorrect information" (Embassy of Belgium); Norway says VFS Global is its "only agent" (Norway in the UAE).

So for a straightforward tourist visa, go direct: the embassy page, the VFS or BLS booking, your own documents. An agency earns its fee when your case is unusual: a recent job change, a previous refusal, several countries in one trip, or no time to assemble a file. If that is you, compare the best visa agencies in Dubai, check their licence, and keep the appointment booking in your own name.

FAQ

Sources

All checked on 30–31 October 2026.

• Embassy of Belgium in the UAE: Visa
• German missions in the UAE: Visa
• Netherlands Worldwide: Schengen visa, apply in the UAE
• Denmark in the UAE: Schengen visa (page dated 20 Oct 2026)
• Norway in the UAE: Visitor visa
• Embassy of Austria: How to apply
• Embassy of Spain: where to apply
• Embassy of Spain: Schengen visas
• Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi: Visas
• Consulate General of Italy in Dubai: visa service (Mar 2026)
• Embassy of Poland: C-type Schengen visa
• Embassy of India: outsourcing to Al Hind, 21 Jul 2026
• Embassy of India: update, 12 ICACs from 22 Oct 2026 (PDF)
• Embassy of India: update on services (BLS until 30 Jun 2026)
• US Embassy UAE: Visas
• GOV.UK: Find a visa application centre
• IRCC: Where to give biometrics
• VFS Global country pages for the UAE (www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/<country>/uae/): linked per row in the table
• France-Visas: UAE (opened in headless Chrome, 31 Oct 2026)
• VFS Global attend-centre pages for the UAE (visa.vfsglobal.com/are/en/<iso3>/attend-centre), opened in headless Chrome on 31 Oct 2026: linked per row
• Browser evidence for every check (URL, HTTP status, quote, time): data/verify-evidence.json
• Full research log with quotes and HTTP status per URL: data/vac-research.json

Who wrote this. The Best Visa Agencies editorial team researched and wrote this page and checks it against the official sources listed above.