VFS Global to launch UK citizenship application centre in Kenya in 2024
VFS Global, the world’s leading visa, passport, and citizen services provider, has been awarded the global contract for overseas UK visa and citizenship services.
A trusted partner for the UK Government since 2003, VFS Global’s latest triumph underscores its position as a reliable service provider.
Throughout 2024, VFS Global plans to establish 240 Visa and Citizenship Application Service (VCAS) Centres for the UK in 142 countries across various regions, including Africa & the Middle East, the Americas, Australasia & Europe, China & Taiwan, and Asia & Asia Pacific.
These centres are poised to process all categories of visa applications and, in select locations, UK passport applications, with an estimated annual throughput of 3.8 million applicants.
In the African region, VFS Global will introduce VCAS Centres in 31 countries in the coming year.
The extensive list includes Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, and Zimbabwe, among others.
Beyond the sheer scale of deployment, VFS Global is committed to enhancing the customer journey and accessibility. The company will invest in new customer websites and modernized in-person experiences.
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Leveraging state-of-the-art technologies, VFS Global aims to uphold robust identity checks, ensuring the integrity of the visa and passport application process. The new contract is anticipated to deliver cost savings for the UK Government.
Expressing delight over the contract win, Zubin Karkaria, Founder and CEO of VFS Global, said:
“We are excited to expand our partnership with the Home Office and become their service provider for all UK visa customers overseas.
This victory reflects our dedicated efforts to offer best-in-class services to all our client governments. We look forward to commencing operations in new locations and providing customers with a seamless, simple, and secure visa and passport application experience.
This achievement follows our recent award of the global biometric collection service mandate with Australia and the renewal of the global visa service contract with Sweden.”
The UK remains a sought-after destination for travelers from across Africa, with Nigeria ranking among the top four application locations.