Malta visa processing time from Lucknow: about 21 days right now
Malta visas from VFS Lucknow are taking about 21 days right now. Most passports from applications made on 28 Sept 2026 are now out. People who applied 1½ to 3 months ago waited about 19 days (median), 9 in 10 within 19 days.
Based on 10 passports we've seen dispatched by BlueDart, only 7 of them old enough to count, so treat it as a rough guide · Updated
Anyone waiting for a Schengen visa from India who wants to see how fast the embassies are returning passports. We show overall progress from courier data. We can't show the decision or status of your own application; for that, use VFS tracking or contact the embassy.
From BlueDart's public tracking. VFS sends passports back by BlueDart, and each shipment carries the applicant's VFS reference number, which follows a fixed pattern (country, city, application date and serial). We check references in that pattern on BlueDart's tracking page several times a day, so every passport listed here is a real, dispatched shipment. You can check any of them yourself with "Verify on BlueDart".
Several times a day. Malta updates at 11:30 AM, 6 PM, 12 AM and 3:30 AM IST, Tuesday to Saturday. Most new dispatches appear after midnight, when the courier picks up the day's passports. Couriers don't pick up passports at weekends, so on Sunday it updates only at 6 PM and on Monday not at all; Monday's passports appear from 12 AM that night.
Usually because the day isn't over: most of a day's passports appear in the 12 AM update, after the courier picks them up. Some days really are quiet, for example around a holiday or when the embassy sends fewer passports back. If your own passport was dispatched and still isn't here the next morning, tell us with your reference number.
It's the latest application date for which about 70% of a typical day's passports have been dispatched. Some people who applied on or before that date are still waiting, so it isn't a cutoff.
Your reference number contains your application date. For example, NLDBLR170826004901 means Netherlands (NLD), Bangalore (BLR), applied 17 Aug 2026 (170826), serial 0049, first person on the file (01). Under "By application date", tap your date's bar to see every passport dispatched from that day. Switch to Boxes to see which serial numbers haven't been seen yet.
Each box is one application, numbered by the 4 digits after the date in the reference number. Green means at least one passport on it has been dispatched. "Not seen yet" is a number below the highest one dispatched that we haven't seen: that application may still be with the embassy, collected in person, withdrawn, or the number may never have been used. "Possible on a busy day" (dashed) is a number above the highest one seen, up to how many applications the centre takes on a busy day, so it may not exist at all.
The embassy doesn't work strictly in date order, and each day's applications go out over several weeks. So later dates moving doesn't mean yours was skipped. See what applicants found →
In calendar days, weekends and holidays included, from the day you applied at VFS. Under the EU visa rules the embassy should decide within 15 days, and can take up to 45 in individual cases. Applicants report that embassies rarely answer questions about an application before day 45. Answers from applicants at the 45-day mark →
Usually, yes. Many applicants see EES turn OK a day or two before VFS or the courier shows anything. Check with dates inside your planned trip: outside your visa's dates it shows Not OK even when you have one.
Not on its own. Applicants here have received approved visas while EES still showed Not OK, and others saw it turn OK only the day after their passport was dispatched. The decision is in your passport, so wait for it. Read what applicants saw with EES →
It depends where you collect it. Passports collected in person at VFS Delhi never go by courier, so they can't show up here. If you collect at another centre, your passport is sent there by courier, so it usually shows up.
It happens rarely, usually when the courier record is missing or late. If that's you, with your reference number and we'll look into it.
No. VisaTrackr is an independent, free tool. We're not connected to VFS Global, any embassy or any courier company.
Data looks wrong, or have an idea?
From applicants who've been through the process
Join the conversation
Pinned
🙌 Helpers of the week (10–17 Oct) Thank you to the people who took time to help others this week: 1. Krish walked Rushil through the EES check step by step: which dates to enter, where the passport number goes, and what OK can and can't tell you View comment → 2. HK shared the Dutch embassy's phone number and how the call works once 45 days have passed: they raise a signal, and you call again if nothing comes within 10 days View comment → 3. random_pelican shared the NetherlandsWorldwide number, and that they can't do anything before 45 calendar days View comment → 4. Aayush kept Swiss applicants posted: EES turned OK one day, and the passport was dispatched the next View comment → 5. DS got a Swiss visa while EES still said NOT OK, a reminder that NOT OK doesn't always mean a refusal View comment → 6. NM came back with a full timeline: a multi-entry visa after 46 days, no email from VFS, and a reminder that waits close to 45 days are normal right now View comment → 7. SD found that EES showed NOT OK with no dates entered, and OK once the arrival date was filled in View comment → 8. Divya explained that you can email VFS to switch from courier to self-collection (about ₹850), which is usually faster View comment → 9. daisy told a worried group that she applied on 4 Sep from VFS Mumbai with no travel history, and got her visa on 3 Oct View comment → When you're anxious about your passport, a reply from someone who's been through it means a lot. 🙏
Their system is beyond ridiculous. My husband and I applied on 11th September, and I was supposed to fly tomorrow. Just thinking out loud, wouldn’t it be simpler and fairer to process visas date wise instead of playing inky pinky ponky with applications? People are left hanging and unable to plan their lives while someone who applied on 11th Oct got their visa on 15th Oct. It’s beyond frustrating to see people who applied a month later get their visas in four days while you’re still waiting.
Hey @Ank did you get?
No, nothing. 38 days and counting, way past my travel dates now.
SEPT 14 applications Blr (and all cities) Classic VFS/Consulate glitch! When an entire date lot like Sept 14 stalls while dates before and after move... 1. Batch Bottlenecks: Physical/digital crates from Sept 14 likely got dumped into a single stagnant reviewer queue. 2. Holiday Glitch: Partial staffing around Sept 14 (Ganesh Chaturthi) disrupted processing logs. 3. Zero FIFO Will emailing the consulate with reference number and urgent travel date can trigger a manual que checks?
Passport is on the way to VFS Bengaluru since Friday noon (Swiss), where I will collect it! But my reference number below in this site is grayed out!! Is this expected for VFS collection?!! 👀👀
I applied for my Netherlands Schengen visa at VFS Bangalore on 4th September 2026, and my application reached the Embassy on 8th September 2026. However, I have not received any updates on my application so far, and my travel date is 18th November 2026 has. Could you please let me know the current status of my application and advise me on what I should do next?
Woww. You applied quite early. You don't have to worry imo. You'll get the results before your travel date
I could see other applications which was applied on the same date, been processed. But not mine.
I have submitted in 30th September I see the number past my application is already being dispatched via Bluedart but mine is still showing dispatched to Dutch embassy New Delhi.
Yeah I applied on 9th September yet there is no update!! It shows the same status till now
Any difference in processing times for business/tourism visa from New Delhi?
No Netherlands dispatches yet tonight (14 Oct) Our 11:30 PM and midnight checks found no Netherlands passports dispatched on 14 Oct, in any city. It isn't the tracker: tonight's checks found Germany (534), Switzerland (237), Austria (77) and France (34) passports dispatched on 14 Oct as usual. On most nights Netherlands passports show up on Blue Dart between about 10:45 PM and 1 AM, so they may just be late. We'll check again after the 1 AM run and update here. If nothing comes by morning, it means the embassy sent no passports back to VFS on 14 Oct.
Can they take their jobs any less seriously
Update, 1 AM: the 1 AM run is done. Only 2 Netherlands passports were dispatched on 14 Oct (1 Delhi, 1 Mumbai), against the usual 200–400 a day. So it looks like the embassy sent almost none back to VFS today. The tracker is working fine. Tomorrow evening's run will show the next batch.
I received my decision on 2/10 still I didn't gety visa card any information known
Hi, I applied on 9th for Switzerland from Pune VFS, does anyone who has applied on 9th has received any update on passport dispatch?
Hi . I just checked my passport has been dispatched . It took them precisely 44 days . I just check the EES for both myself & my daughter , it says OK. So it means that visa is approved? Thats for sure na? Big big thanks to @visa trackr for all that you are doing. Huge respect. Pls if someone can clarify on the EES status, would appreciate.
Yes ideally if it shows OK in EES, your visa is approved. However the site itself says that you cannot rely on the result as to your visa approval. Apparently there have been very few instances where it was erroneous. It pretty much means it is approved but not “officially” communicated by them to you.
Anyone applied on 10th sept as a tourist visa and got their passports back
Ok pls let me know if you receive any update @VS Have you applied as a tourist?
@ NV, not tourist. Mine is visiting family. How about urs?
Has anyone had their EES status turn OK from NOT OK but still their visas have not been dispatched or updated or processed?
When does this site gets updated
Every night around 12 to 1 am
Did anyone from Delhi got their Netherlands visa update today? Please let me know. My date of application was 1st September.
We applied at VFS chennai for italy visa, tourist C type on 14th september, thats 27-28 days. when can we expect?
Our France Schengen visa application is still under processing at the embassy. We applied on September 24 at VFS Kolkata, but there have been no further updates. Our travel dates are October 18th - 28th October and we’re getting worried. Has anyone who applied around the same time received their visa or had a status update?
We also applied on Sep 24 for France from Kolkata. No update yet. Our travel date is in 1st week of November. Fingers crossed.
I had applied for a netherlands visa on 3rd September and my travel is due to start from 20th Oct. Its been 38 days. The application process also seems extremely random because they’re dispatching passports from my date (3rd September) but doing it at random instead of in a linear way. I am hoping I will get the visa soon tho. but is there a way I can go and do self collection of my passport at the VFS Bangalore office, even though I had not opted for self collection? That may be faster?
No I haven’t received any email asking for any documents. I’m just confused on the steps they follow to choose applications because passports from my date have been dispatched at absolutely random serial numbers. It’s been 38 days now and I’m unsure and anxious of how much longer I’ll have to wait for. 😭 And I know passport comes from Delhi but would home delivery in Blr be faster or self pickup at Blr VFS be faster?
You can email Vfs and opt for self collection. They charge a few for changing from courier to self collection (around ₹850). Yes, collection is generally faster.
Has anyone's status got updated?
Aslam whats your coupon Number?
NLD/BLR/310826/0024
Anyone who applied from Kolkata for France on Sep 24 ?
If we get msg that passport is dispatched is it ok if EES says not ok When they usually update EES site?
I didnt get any msg for 10th sept application , but I am just asking
Can you pleas share EES site where i can check the status
Malta visa processing from Lucknow
Malta processes Schengen visas from India at a moderate pace. The island nation attracts tourists with its Mediterranean climate, historic sites, and English-speaking environment. Application volumes are lower than mainland European countries, often resulting in reasonable processing times.
Malta Schengen Visa Processing Time from Lucknow, India
Applications at VFS Lucknow are waiting about 21 days right now, 10 days more than the Malta average across India (11 days). That makes it the slowest of the 10 Malta centres with enough recent data. We've seen 10 passports returned from VFS Lucknow since 21 Jul 2026, 1% of all the Malta passports we track. The latest dispatch we saw was on 9 Oct 2026, and the newest application date with a passport out is 28 Sept 2026.
Every number here comes from BlueDart courier dispatches: when the embassy finishes an application, the passport goes back through BlueDart, and we check those shipments several times a day.
Want to compare processing speeds across VFS centres? Compare all cities for Malta or view the all-India aggregate.