The British High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria has re-opened its Visa Application Centres (VACs) across the country, whilst issuing updated information/advice on its visa application services.
According to the latest update, any individual whose 30-day visa to travel to the UK for work, study, or visitation had expired, can request for a replacement free of charge, albeit with revised validity dates. The free replacements will continue until the end of 2020.
According to the UK High Commission, this decision was taken in view of the disruptions to business activities and travels caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. This has led to an increase in the demand for 30-day visa replacements for those wanting to travel to the UK for work, study, or to join their families.
Part of the statement from the British High Commission in Abuja reads:
“As a result of the disruptions to travel caused by Covid-19, we are experiencing high demand for replacement vignettes for 30-day visas to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family.
‘’If an individual’s 30-day visa to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family has expired, or is about to expire, they can request a replacement visa with revised validity dates free of charge until the end of this year. This does not apply to other types of visas. This process will be in place until the end of 2020. The replacement visa will be valid for 90 days.’’
The high commission admitted that it has been facing a challenging operating environment due to the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, customers should be aware that there may be some delays in normal service standards as the visa application services restart.
It also expressed regrets on the inconvenience caused and thanked customers for their patience, while promising to resolve all outstanding cases as soon as possible.
