Bangalore, Feb 21 (PTI): France has set up two visa sections at its consulates in Bangalore and Kolkata from where one can also get Schengen visa that enables travel to certain European countries. 
 
While the visa office in Bangalore became operational yesterday, the one in Kolkata will start issuing visas and business permits from the end of this week.

"The move is to provide better visa services to the people of the country. The new centres will reduce the burden of the people to travel to far away places to get their visa," French Embassy officials said here today.

Schengen visa enables one to travel to certain European countries even if he has secured the visa from one particular country.

This will enable travellers from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to get the visas from the Bangalore office. Till now, they had to go to Mumbai to get one.

Officials of the 'Invest in France Agency' said the French government had recently decided to 10-year residency permit for exceptional economic contributions to the country.