The United Kingdom has announced a shift in its visa application services, appointing VFS Global as the new commercial partner for processing visa documents in certain global locations, including Kenya. The change took effect on Tuesday, October 22.
According to a statement released by the UK government on October 16, “Between September 2024 and January 2025, the commercial partner will change from TLScontact to VFS Global in some locations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Other parts of the world are not affected.”
Individuals affected by the transition will receive email notifications from TLScontact, the outgoing partner, and VFS Global, the new provider. These emails may outline any actions required to continue the visa application process.
“If you have booked an appointment with TLScontact, attend your appointment as planned, and check your confirmation email for the appointment address. If you need to reschedule, you may be required to pay the mandatory user pay (MUP) fee again. In such cases, you can request a refund from TLScontact,” the statement clarifies. For any service-related inquiries about TLScontact, applicants are directed to visit the TLScontact website, select the relevant country and visa application centre, and follow the instructions on the help page.
The UK government has confirmed that these changes will not affect the outcome of visa applications or the processing time required for a decision.
In addition to Kenya, other countries affected by the transition to VFS Global include Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tunisia.
Starting from November 5, VFS Global will also manage visa application centres in Cyprus (North), France, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Visa application centres, operated by commercial partners like VFS Global, serve as intermediaries for UK Visas and Immigration, ensuring efficient document processing for applicants across various regions.
