Guwahati gets Northeast’s first visa centre for 14 countries - Hub News

The Ministry of External Affairs inaugurated a new visa facilitation centre in Guwahati on Monday, marking the first such facility in India’s Northeast region. The centre will process applications for fourteen countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and several European nations. It is housed within the Guwahati International Airport complex and operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Officials said the location was chosen to serve the large number of outbound travelers from Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and other nearby states.

The centre eliminates the need for residents to travel to Delhi or Kolkata to submit paperwork, cutting travel costs and reducing processing delays. Businesspeople seeking visas for trade missions, students applying for overseas education, and families planning visits can now complete formalities within a few hours. Travel agents in the region have welcomed the move, noting that faster visa issuance is likely to increase tourist inflow during the upcoming winter season, when the Himalayas attract adventure seekers. Local chambers of commerce anticipate that easier access to foreign markets will encourage small and medium enterprises to explore export opportunities.

The launch aligns with the central government’s push to integrate the Northeast more fully into national and global economies. By providing a local point of contact for visa queries, the centre also aims to improve awareness of security procedures and reduce fraudulent applications. Officials have indicated plans to add more countries to the service list within the next year, responding to demand from the diaspora and business community. Observers expect that the facility will serve as a model for similar centres in other underserved regions of the country.