The UK government has introduced changes to its visa application process, affecting Kenyans and citizens from 26 other countries.
The UK High Commissioner in Nairobi announced on Monday, October 21 that the shift involves changing the commercial partner responsible for managing visa application centers in several regions.
Currently, TLScontact operates these centers on behalf of UK Visas and Immigration. However, between September 2024 and January 2025, VFS Global will take over in selected areas across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Locations outside these regions will not be affected by the change.
Individuals impacted by this transition will receive emails from either TLScontact or VFS Global with further instructions.
The Embassy urged applicants, including Kenyans, to monitor their emails closely to ensure they follow any required steps to continue their visa applications. It also advised applicants to check their junk folders to avoid missing any critical communications.
To verify the legitimacy of these emails, applicants were directed to confirm that the sender’s email address ends with either @tlscontact.com or @vfsglobal.com.
Kenyans who have already booked UK visa appointments with TLScontact were advised to attend their scheduled appointments as usual.
The UK High Commissioner noted that if applicants change their appointments, they may need to pay the mandatory user pay (MUP) fee again. In such cases, they should request a refund from TLScontact for the initial MUP fee.
For any issues related to the service provided by TLScontact, applicants are encouraged to visit the TLScontact website, select their country and visa application center, and follow the link to the help page.
The Embassy assured that these changes would not impact visa application decisions or the processing time for receiving a decision.
Beginning October 22, VFS Global will manage visa application centers in Kenya, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. Additional countries affected include Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tunisia.
From November 5, VFS Global will take over centers in countries such as Cyprus, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Ukraine. VFS Global already operates the center in Belgium.
