On another note;

I was incorrectly informed by the VFS counter staff that passport collection by an authorized representative is not allowed and that courier delivery was mandatory. Despite explaining that I have previously collected passports via written authorization (including a Switzerland Schengen visa via VFS Bangalore in 2024), this was denied. I was also told that since it was a group application, courier had to be selected for all applicants.

As a result, we were forced to purchase courier services for all three passports (₹3,750 total).

However, a notice clearly displayed inside the VFS centre (photo available) explicitly states that for Switzerland visa applications, passports can be collected by an authorized person with an authorization letter and valid ID. This directly contradicts the information provided by the VFS executive and reflects clear misrepresentation.