Temporary German visa clinic opens

A temporary biometric clinic for the Germany-Schengen visa opened Sunday morning at the foreign ministry office in the capital Malé.

“A total of 123 appointments have so far been booked and due to increased demand, the Clinic services has been extended till 31 January 2019,” the foreign ministry said.

It was the first time the Schengen visa application service was provided in the Maldives.

Jointly organised by the German embassy to the Maldives based in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Company, the clinic takes biometric enrolments and documents from applicants who make prior appointments.

The clinic aims to “ease the difficulties Maldivians face while applying for Visas to travel to Germany, including those participating in Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) Fair in March 2019,” according to the foreign ministry.

The annual ITB fair is the world’s largest travel exhibition. The Maldives was the partner country for the 2016 edition.