If you’re planning a trip to the United Kingdom this year, the process of applying for a UK visa is undergoing changes.
VFS Global has secured the global contract for all UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (VCAS) centers worldwide, expanding its services to 87 new countries, in addition to the 58 where it already operates.
Hariprasad Viswanathan, the Head of sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, mentioned their plan to establish centers in a total of 142 countries this year.
These new countries will include 31 in Africa, in:
• Algeria,
• Angola,
• Botswana,
• Cameroon,
• Democratic Republic of Congo,
• Côte d’Ivoire,
• Egypt,
• Ethiopia,
• Gabon,
• Gambia,
• Ghana,
• Kenya,
• Madagascar,
• Malawi,
• Mauritius,
• Morocco,
• Mozambique,
• Namibia,
• Nigeria,
• Rwanda,
• Senegal,
• Seychelles,
• Sierra Leone,
• South Africa,
• St Helena,
• Sudan,
• Tanzania,
• Tunisia,
• Uganda,
• Zambia, and
• Zimbabwe.
Applications for UK visas in Africa will be exclusively processed through VFS Global between Q3 and Q4 in 2024, as reported by Travel News.
INCREASE IN VISA FEES
In additional UK visa updates, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared in July of last year that visa fees for the UK were set to undergo a substantial increase for applicants globally.
The implementation of this hike occurred on October 4th, aiming to support public sector wage hikes in response to recent strikes.
Various visa categories, encompassing work visas, family routes, student routes, and visitor visas, experienced a rise ranging from 15 to 20 percent.
What is the current cost of visas?
According to reports, the updated fee structure indicates the following increases:
• A short stay will increase from £100 to £115 (R2 645)
• A two-year visa will increase from £376 to £400 (R9 200)
• A five-year visa will increase from £670 to £771 (R17 733)
• A 10-year visa will increase from £837 to £963 (R22 149)
