TRAVELLING TO UK: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT APPLYING FOR VISA

OFFICIAL Dear Editors, We are pleased to announce that Customers can now book appointments on https://visa.vfsglobal.com/nga/en/gbr/ to visit Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt or Omedel Luxury Hotel in Enugu to submit their applications and enrol biometrics for the summer season. To effectively cater to the growing outbound travel to the UK, VFS Global is proud to announce that residents of Nigeria, travelling to the UK can now book appointments to submit their visa applications at its newly opened Premium Application Centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt. The two centres are in addition to the state-of-the-art Visa Application Centres in Abuja, Ikeja (Lagos) and Victoria Island (Lagos) which has been operational since November 2024. The UK remains a popular destination for travellers across Africa, with Nigeria in the top four nationalities by volume for UK visit visas, accounting for 6% of the global total*. Rt Sir Hon Lord David Hanson, Minister of State at Home Office, said, ‘’The government is pleased to be able to reopen the Premium Visa Application Centres in both Port Harcourt and Enugu. In 2024 we received more than 230,000 visa applications from Nigerian nationals across all visa routes and these new premium application centres will provide greater convenience for applicants in and around Enugu and Rivers State demonstrating the importance of the UK – Nigeria relationship in these markets as well as Nigeria as a whole.’’ Mr. Alok Singhal, Head-Sub-Saharan Africa, VFS Global, added, “We are pleased to open the additional, conveniently located touchpoints for our UK visa customers in the form of the recently opened Premium Application Centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt, Nigeria which helps us cater to a larger number of travellers to the UK. Our customers will continue to enjoy the same comfort, convenience, and best-in-class services at these locations that they do at our Visa Application Centres in Abuja and Lagos.” Customers who submit their documents and enrol biometrics at the Premium Application Centres can now enjoy a number of complementary value-added services offered by VFS Global such as document upload assistance, notification services on the status of their applications and courier return of documents. Moreover, customers can book the Keep My Passport While Applying service in advance on our website which allows them to keep their passports once their application is submitted and biometrics have been enrolled. Customers will only need to re-submit their passports when a decision is reached. As a partner to UK Visas and Immigration since 2003, VFS Global offered visa services in 58 countries before the new contract and was awarded the contract to provide UK visa services in 142 countries worldwide in 2023. UK Premium Application Centres in Nigeria Enugu: Ground floor, Omedel Luxury Hotel, Link Road, Enugu Port Harcourt: Hall 1, First Floor, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt Website: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/nga/en/gbr/ Timing: 8 AM to 5 PM About VFS Global As the global leader in trusted technology services, empowering secure mobility for governments and citizens, VFS Global embraces technological innovation including Generative AI to support governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. The company manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa, passport, and consular services for its client governments, increasing productivity and enabling them to focus entirely on the critical task of assessment. With a responsible approach to technology development, adoption and integration, the company prioritizes ethical practices and sustainability while serving as the trusted partner to 69 client governments. Operating over 3,500 Application Centres in 158 countries, VFS Global has efficiently processed more than 309 million applications since 2001. Headquartered in Zurich and Dubai and majority owned through investment funds managed by Black-stone Inc, along with minority stakeholders including Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation. Media Contact George Cherian georgec@vfsglobal.com communications@vfsglobal.com Regards, Onyinye MADU British High Commission Communications Office Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office | British High Commission | Plot 1137, Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District | Abuja | Nigeria Email: BHCNigeria.Newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk