The Danish Embassy in India has temporarily suspended applications for short-stay visas and residence permits to Denmark, the embassy said in a statement last week.

“Due to shortage of staff, absence and an unforeseen increase in the number of applications, the Embassy of Denmark in New Delhi temporarily suspends all new appointments at VFS,” the statement read.

The embassy had said that from July 1 and until further notice, no appointment slots will be available at VFS.

It added that if a customer had already submitted an application to the embassy for a short-term visa or had already booked a slot at VFS, it would contact them through an email.

“Only in case of a life-threatening situation for a host in Denmark can the Embassy be contacted by e-mail with official hospital documentation. If found to be an emergency situation, the case be attended to,” the embassy added.

Officials from VFS Global said that they are working with the Danish Embassy and are looking to restore accepting visas by the middle of June.

“Many countries are prioritising processing visas to citizens looking to leave Ukraine, which has led to an increase in the visa processing time for tourists,” a senior official from the visa processing firm said.

He added that the outbreak of new waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in different parts of the world is also causing a delay in visa processing.