BLS International expands visa operations to Sri Lanka with new Spain visa centre

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama
BLS International announced the commencement of Spain Visa operations in Sri Lanka, marking this milestone as a significant step in enhancing customer experience and simplifying the visa application process for Sri Lankan residents.
Spain Visa Application Centre was inaugurated in Colombo to address the growing demand for Spain visa applications.
This new centre will not only serve applicants in Colombo but also extend its services to the Maldives, significantly boosting BLS International’s presence and impact in Sri Lanka.
BLS International Services Ltd is a trusted global tech-enabled services partner for governments and citizens, with a strong reputation for setting benchmarks in visa, passport, consular, citizen, e-governance, attestation, biometric, e-visa and retail services since 2005.
The company operates an extensive network of over 50,000 centres worldwide, supported by a workforce of more than 60,000 employees and associates. To date, BLS has processed over 232 million applications globally.

Working with over 46 client governments, including diplomatic missions, embassies and consulates, the company leverages technology and processes that ensure robust data security. BLS International is the only listed company in this domain, with operations in 65 countries.
Addressing the event, Ambassador of Spain Juan Antonio March Pujol stated that the new facility would facilitate a higher level of personal communication between Sri Lanka and Spain. He also highlighted the strong diplomatic backing behind the establishment of this visa centre.
“In 2025, Sri Lanka and Spain will celebrate 70 years of bilateral relations. We are eager to encourage procedures that facilitate the involvement of the younger generation,” said Pujol. 
He emphasised Spain’s readiness to welcome more Sri Lankan students to its universities, where courses are available in Spanish or English, ensuring no language barriers.
Pujol also noted that BLS International plans to prioritise student visa processing, recognising students as a high-priority demographic. He mentioned that Spain is the second-largest tourist destination globally, following France and slightly ahead of Italy.
“In 1959, Spain received only 100,000 tourists. With targeted developments, we now welcome 88 million annually,” he added. 
Despite being a small country with a population of 45 million, Spain has become a model for tourism-driven economic growth.
“We warmly welcome Sri Lankan businesspeople, students and citizens to visit Spain and learn from our country’s development,” Pujol concluded.