Travellers from the Northeast may soon no longer need to fly to Delhi or Mumbai for visa-related procedures, with Guwahati set to host its own visa facilitation centre. The Assam government has reached an agreement in principle with VFS Global to establish the facility in the city.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the centre would provide major relief for residents across the region who currently undertake long and costly journeys for biometric submissions. Calling it a long-awaited development, he said the facility will help ease the burden for those travelling abroad for education, medical treatment, employment or tourism.

The proposed centre is expected to handle visa processing for more than 60 countries. Officials said details regarding the list of participating nations and the opening timeline will be announced after further consultations with VFS Global, which manages visa services for governments worldwide.

At present, applicants from Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura must rely on centres in metropolitan cities, often requiring several days of travel and stay. The new centre is likely to significantly reduce travel expenses and time for thousands of residents across the Northeast.

The collaboration is also expected to strengthen Guwahati’s position as an international mobility hub in the eastern corridor, reflecting the rise in outbound travel and global education opportunities in the region.

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