UK announces new visa requirements, fees for Nigerian applicants

By Innocent Raphael

The United Kingdom Visa Application Centre has announced new visa requirements and fees for Nigerian citizens seeking visas.

The updates were outlined in a document obtained recently by WesternPost.

According to the document, the new fee structure includes visas for six months at ₦410,000, two years at ₦1,088,000, five years at ₦2,070,000 and ten years at ₦2,700,000 respectively.

Information available in the document also stated that applicants were to note that processing times for the new visas now ranged from 1 to 5 weeks, depending on whether they opted for the fast track service.

It also informed the public that submissions were now available at designated centres in Lagos (Mainland and Island), Abuja, Enugu, and Port Harcourt.

It further disclosed the following as requirements for the application of visas:

• Fully completed application forms
• International passport with at least 6 months validity
• Letter of invitation for business or visit
• Self Letter of introduction
• Company letter of introduction
• Six months recent bank statement
• Sponsorship letter, bank statement, and proof of employment of sponsor (if sponsored)
• CAC documents of the company if sponsored by a company
• Utility bills, proof of employment, attested copy of residence card, and passport page of the person (if invited by an individual)
• Host bank statement (if invited)
• Tax clearance certificate (optional)
• Six months payslip
• Employment letter
• Work ID Card
• All previous international passports & visa pages
• Marriage and Children birth certificate

Applicants were also advised to review the requirements carefully and consider the optional services available to expedite their visa processing.

The optional services available include:

• 1-week fast track visa for ₦1,540,000
• 2-days fast track visa for ₦3,080,000
• Holding passport while UK visa is in process for ₦85,000
• Attending UK appointment at own scheduled time for ₦217,000
• Courier return at ₦14,000 per person
• Premium Lounge for ₦150,000 (Mandatory to secure an appointment)
• Additional ₦250,000 service charge for submissions at Victoria Island.

Recall that last September, Rishi Sunak, the UK prime minister, announced that migrants were set to pay more for visa applications.

The British-Indian leader, had stated this due to pressures of accepting wage discontent in some sectors of the nation’s workforce, and the recommendation of an independent review of pay for teachers, police, junior doctors and other public sector workers in the country.

The development which raised concerns all over the world, was predicted to affect Nigeria more, with one of the highest numbers of migrants to the UK being Nigerians.