May 05, (THEWILL) – VFS Global has announced the opening of two new UK Premium Visa Application Centres in Nigeria, located at the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, and the Omedel Luxury Hotel in Enugu. The move aims to improve accessibility for Nigerian residents travelling to the United Kingdom, especially during the busy summer season.
Appointments can now be booked via the official VFS Global website at https://visa.vfsglobal.com/nga/en/gbr/. These new centres are expected to ease the application process for residents in and around Rivers and Enugu states, offering greater convenience in submitting visa applications and enrolling biometrics.
The newly launched centres join the existing UK Visa Application Centres in Abuja, Ikeja, and Victoria Island, Lagos. The expansion responds to increasing demand for UK visas from Nigeria, which is among the top four nationalities globally for UK visit visa applications. In 2024 alone, over 230,000 visa applications were submitted by Nigerian nationals across all visa categories.
Rt Hon Sir Lord David Hanson, Minister of State at the UK Home Office, welcomed the reopening of the Port Harcourt and Enugu centres, describing it as a step toward deepening the UK–Nigeria relationship. He noted that the new centres would serve applicants more efficiently and demonstrate the UK’s commitment to improving services in high-demand regions.
Mr Alok Singhal, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, expressed pride in the expansion, stating that the new locations provide added convenience for customers while maintaining the same standard of service available at other centres. He reaffirmed VFS Global’s mission to deliver best-in-class visa support in line with global standards.
Applicants using the Premium Application Centres can access several complimentary value-added services, such as document upload assistance, status notifications, and courier return of documents. One of the key offerings is the “Keep My Passport While Applying” service, which allows customers to retain their passports after submitting their applications and enrolling biometrics, and only resubmit them when a visa decision has been made.
The UK Premium Visa Application Centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt operate from Monday to Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Enugu centre is located on the ground floor of Omedel Luxury Hotel on Link Road, while the Port Harcourt centre is situated in Hall 1, first floor, of Hotel Presidential.
VFS Global has been a trusted partner to UK Visas and Immigration since 2003. Before being awarded a new global contract in 2023, it managed visa services in 58 countries and now operates UK visa application services in 142 countries worldwide.
Founded in 2001, VFS Global is a global leader in outsourcing and technology services for governments and diplomatic missions. The company operates more than 3,500 application centres in 158 countries and has processed over 309 million applications. Headquartered in Zurich and Dubai, VFS Global is majority-owned by investment funds managed by Blackstone Inc., with minority stakeholders including Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler.
With a focus on innovation, security, and ethical service delivery, VFS Global supports governments in facilitating secure mobility while upholding high standards of operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. The expansion in Nigeria is a significant milestone in strengthening the company’s footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa and providing more accessible travel support to Nigerian citizens.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
