VFS Global, formerly known as "Visa Facilitation Services Global" is an outsourcing and technology services company for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. The company manages visa and passport issuance-related administrative and non-discretionary tasks for its client governments. The company began as a "side project" at a luxury Swiss travel group Kuoni in 2001 by chief executive Zubin Karkaria. In 2016, Kuoni was acquired by EQT Partners, a global private equity firm headquartered in Stockholm. By that time, Kuoni had three business segments — global travel distribution, global travel services, and VFS Global, which showed the highest growth rate among all segments. Formerly based in India, the company is now headquartered in Dubai with offices in 147 countries. In 2018, VFS p