The UK government has reopened its visa application centers in Enugu and Port Harcourt for easier access to visa services for residents in the southern region of Nigeria.
The announcement was made by the Deputy British High Commissioner and Head of the UK Mission in Lagos, Jonny Baxter, through the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the UK in Nigeria.
Jonny Baxter said the visa centers will be located in their former venues Presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt and Omidal Luxury Hotel in Enugu.
“I’m delighted to announce the reopening of our visa application centres in Port Harcourt and Enugu. By reopening these centres, we’re helping those of you based in the south to access our services locally, without the need to travel long distances.
As before, the centres will be located in the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, and Omidal Luxury Hotel, Enugu,” he said.
Applicants to benefit from added services
Baxter also stated that the centres will offer expanded services aimed at making the process more convenient for applicants.
“I’m also delighted that applicants using these centres can benefit from additional services such as Keep My Passport while applying, so you can hold on to your passport until a decision is made, as well as others, the document upload support and status updates.”
This means applicants no longer have to surrender their passports while awaiting a visa decision, allowing more flexibility for domestic or regional travel in the interim.
He advised prospective applicants to plan their travel and applications early, especially ahead of peak periods.
“If you’re planning to travel to the UK in the coming months, whether for work, study, tourism, or to visit friends and family, please do start planning now. You can apply up to three months before your point of travel, and I really encourage you to do this, to avoid the peak period when we’re dealing with thousands of applications a day.”
Baxter also cautioned applicants to ensure they understand the documents they’ll need to provide and have them ready to submit a complete application.
What you should know
In late 2023, the British High Commission in Nigeria announced the opening of a new temporary submission center for UK visas in Enugu State. The commission explained that demand for visa services would be carefully monitored, and services reviewed or expanded should there be sufficient volumes.
TLScontact had operated UK visa application centers in Nigeria for several years. However, the UK visa application service began transitioning from TLScontact to VFS Global in September 2024, with the transition completed by January 2025. VFS Global now manages all UK visa applications in Nigeria as part of a broader shift involving 31 African countries and other regions globally.
Following the transition, UK Visa Application centers were located in Abuja at Mezzanine Floor, Tower C, Churchgate Plaza, Plot 473, Cadastral Zone AO, Constitution Avenue, Central Business District; in Lagos (Ikeja) at 2nd Floor, Ile Oja Opebi Mall, Opebi, Link Road; and in Lagos (Victoria Island) at 2nd Floor, Churchgate Plaza Tower 2, PC 31 Churchgate Street.
Nairametrics reported in late 2024 that the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, stated that Nigerians account for 10% of all new visas issued in the past two years.
