UK reopens visa centres in Enugu, Port Harcourt, expands services for southern Nigeria

In a significant move to improve access to visa services for residents of southern Nigeria, the United Kingdom government has reopened its visa application centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt.

The announcement was made by the Deputy British High Commissioner and Head of the UK Mission in Lagos, Jonny Baxter, via the official UK in Nigeria X (formerly Twitter) account.

Baxter stated that the centres are now operational at their previous locations: the 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,” he said.

The newly reopened centres will also offer expanded services aimed at improving user convenience.

Among the key enhancements is the “Keep My Passport” option, which allows applicants to retain their passports while their visa application is being processed. This new offering enables applicants to continue domestic or regional travel without disruption.

Additional support services include document upload assistance and application status updates, providing applicants with a more streamlined experience.

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Baxter advised those planning travel to the UK for work, study, tourism, or family visits to begin preparations early, particularly to avoid peak processing periods:

“You can apply up to three months before your travel date. I really encourage early applications to avoid delays during peak periods when we’re processing thousands of applications daily,” he urged.

He also stressed the importance of preparing complete and accurate documentation to avoid processing setbacks.

The reopening follows a temporary submission centre launched in Enugu in late 2023. The British High Commission had announced it would monitor service demand in the region to determine the viability of permanent centres.

With volumes proving sufficient, the Enugu and Port Harcourt locations are now fully restored.

This reopening also comes after a significant operational shift in UK visa services in Nigeria.

In September 2024, the British government began transitioning its visa processing services from TLScontact to VFS Global, a process completed in January 2025. VFS Global now manages all UK visa applications across Nigeria and 31 other African countries.

Current UK visa application centres in Nigeria are located in Abuja (Churchgate Plaza, Central Business District), Lagos Ikeja (Ile Oja Opebi Mall), and Lagos Victoria Island (Churchgate Plaza Tower 2).

The reopening of the Enugu and Port Harcourt centres is expected to relieve congestion at these locations and serve as a welcome development for applicants in the South-South and South-East regions.

In 2024, British High Commissioner to Nigeria Richard Montgomery revealed that Nigerians accounted for 10% of all new UK visas issued globally over the previous two years, highlighting Nigeria’s growing travel and migration engagement with the United Kingdom.