Changes in 2024: VFS Global is now the official visa service partner for UK Visas and Immigration in Kenya and Nigeria.
Nigerian citizens need a visa to visit the United Kingdom. Therefore, in this post, I’ll show you the UK visa application process in Nigeria and some important things you need to know. If you’re applying for a visa for the first time, be sure to read my guide, detailing general rules about visa applications and ways to build your travel history in Nigeria.
The UK Visa Application in Nigeria – The Process
The first step to applying for a visa is to fill out the online application form on the Gov.UK website. Navigate to ‘Visas and Immigration’ and select the category of visa you wish to apply for. In my case, I selected ‘Visit the UK’.
To clarify, this option can be used for a short stay visit for up to 6 months. Next, you should select the type of visa. I selected ‘Standard Visitor Visa’. Lastly, click the ‘Apply’ link and the ‘Apply Now’ button.
Choose your preferred language and country. This should be where you live and will provide your biometrics. Go ahead and fill in the necessary information, then, pay the visa application fee after completion.
Note that the form may take some time to fill out. Luckily, you can fill it in bits, and then return to your application at a later time.
UK Standard Visitor Visa Fee
The costs of a UK visa may vary depending on the kind of visa you apply for. The duration and whether or not you pay for a priority visa will also affect the cost. A regular short-stay 6-month visa costs £115 at the time of this writing.
PS: It is now £158 (September 2024) and could cost from £500 upwards if you choose to expedite the process.
After paying the visa fees, you will be redirected to the TLScontact website to schedule an appointment. You will be required to pay an additional fee of £80 for adults. TLScontact also provides additional services at varying costs.
When I applied, I opted for a Prime Time appointment (7:00 – 8:30 am) and had to pay another ₦37,000 (now a whooping ₦77,600) at the venue.
Once you have confirmed your appointment, you should scan and upload ALL your supporting documents. I didn’t upload my bank statements. As a result, I had to pay an extra ₦10,000 at the TLScontact office to get this done. Now, this amount is 11,700 in 2022, 29,900 in 2024. PS: Don’t mind me while I keep track of the price changes here 🙂
It’s also important to note that TLScontact only accepts payments with a Nigerian (Naira) card. Other visa application centres I have been to accept only cash, so, naturally, I went to this centre with a wad of cash. I tried to pay with a US bank card but they didn’t accept that either. I ended up asking other applicants to pay on my behalf, while I did a transfer back to them.
After the document pre-check, you will be asked to go in for your biometrics.
UK Visa Application Supporting Documents
The documents needed for your visa application include, but are not limited to the following;
- Letter of Invitation from the UK
- Letter of Introduction from employer
- Evidence of employment (employment letters, promotion letters, etc)
- Bank statements (I submitted 6 months)
- Payslips (I submitted 6 months)
- Photocopy of your international passport bio-data page
- Flight Itinerary (if transiting)
- Documentation from the Host in the UK ( passport copy, letter of invitation, bank statement )
- Original Marriage Certificate if applying with a spouse
- Original Birth Certificates of children if applying with children
- Family Photographs (if applicable, depending on visa type)
- Evidence of assets
Where is TLScontact Located?
TLScontact has offices in Abuja, Lagos (Ikeja and Victoria Island)
Victoria Island: Ground Floor, Ivie House, 4/6 Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays from 08:30 – 15:00 – for submission. Prime Time Appointments are between 07:00 and 08:30 am
Passport Return 10:00 – 16:00 Monday to Friday
Ikeja: Ground and First Floors, Etiebets Place, 21 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays from 08:30 – 15:00 – for submission. Prime Time Appointments are between 07:00 and 08:00 am
Passport Return 10:00 – 16:00 Monday to Friday
Abuja: Third floor, Murkhtar El-Yakub Place beside Metro Plaza, on Plot 1129 Zakariya Maimalari Street, Central Business District, Abuja, Nigeria
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays from 08:30 – 15:00 – for submission. Prime Time Appointments are between 07:00 and 08:00 am
Passport Return 10:00 – 16:00 Monday to Friday
What Should You Do Before and During Your Appointment?
- Fill out the online application form
- Schedule your appointment date. Beware of additional costs associated with prime-time appointments and special services.
- Arrive on time. I can’t stress this enough. There is a steep penalty for showing up late.
- Upload ALL your supporting documents online. If you miss even one document, officials will automatically sign you up for the ‘Assisted Service’. Consequently, you will pay an additional fee.
- If you opt for the assisted service option, make sure all your documents are in A4 formats
- Print out the visa supporting documents checklist.
- Go with your passport biodata page
- Remember that the centre only accepts (Nigerian) card payments
- All other documents I went with were not collected but if it makes you feel comfortable, go with them.
UK Visa Application in Nigeria Processing Time
It takes an average of 15-21 working days to get a response for a regular visa. However, this time may vary from one application to the next. Be sure to apply for your visa well ahead of time. You can also pay to get a priority visa in 5 days or 24 hours but be aware that these options could be quite costly.
What Next?
The TLScontact service will send regular emails to keep you updated on the status of the progress of your application. Alternatively, you can track the progress from the UK immigration website.
That’s it for the entire UK visa application process in Nigeria. I hope you find this guide useful. Feel free to share your visa experience with me or ask any questions you might have in the comment section.
Disclaimer: All information presented is correct at the time of writing. They are subject to change without notice. Always confirm travel details and necessary requirements with respective embassies & airlines before you travel.
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Good morning and great work you are doing here Amarachi.
Please I have been trying to book an appointment since Thursday but the TLScontact isn’t opening or responding, please what should I do? Thanks
Hi David, can you confirm that you are logging on to the TLS site via the UK visa website? That’s the only way you can book an appointment.
Yes that’s what I’m doing. But the site is down. For almost one week and counting..
Hello Amarachi, I love the great job you are doing on here
So I just applied a few days ago and used the assisted service option for my tier 4 visa. The lady was so quick she was done within 3 seconds. The only required supporting documents listed on my CAS was my Degree certificate, transcripts and WAEC which I gave to her but since leaving the place, I have been wondering if she scanned the WAEC or not lol. Is it possible for her to have missed out on such?
Hi Sammy, thanks for your comment. I think it is unlikely that she missed it out. I also came out with the same feeling after submitting the extra documents I needed to. I don’t think there’s a way to know for sure but I think we can assume with a good level of confidence that she did.
Hi Amarachi, many thanks for the information.
I currently have issues booking an appointment on TLSContact site. It keeps saying user id invalid.
I had successfully paid for the visa fees and was redirected to the TLS site. I also got a mail confirming account creation.
I’m not sure what to do as the customer service hasn’t been of help.
Hi Ayobami, I also received this error during my application as well. Are you trying to login via the Gov.UK site? If not, you should do so. Also try using a different browser or clearing your cache. It may work after that.
Hi Amarachi,
Many thanks for the informative post. Is there a service charge (facility fee) for using either the vi or Ikeja application Centre?
Hi Denike, yes there is. The VI centre charges a service fee while the Ikeja centre doesn’t. I don’t remember the exact amount though.
Nice post keep it up
Hi,
Do you knw if any of the TLS offices have resumed operation since the lockdown has been lifted?
It looks like it’s still closed for now. Unfortunately, their website doesn’t give any information as to when they plan to reopen. For now it is closed until further notice.
Hello Amarachi,
Thanks for this information.
I made payment and picked a date for my appointment on the TLS website yesterday afternoon and checked out. However, I am yet to get a payment/appointment email from TLS as of now.
Is this normal?
What do I do?
Hi Tosin, confirmation emails are usually sent almost immediately. Have you checked your spam messages to see if it got caught up in there?
If you still haven’t received it, you should contact TLSContact via email to let them know.
Hi Amarachi,
Thank you for the very informative write up. Please I just want to confirm if TLS has changed address from churchgate to Ajose Adeogun?
Thank you.
Hey Abidola, yes, they’ve moved from Churchgate and are now at the Ajose location – opposite Chicken Republic.
Amarachi thanks so very much for making it so explicit. Pls is it compulsory that i create a tls account and pls can i get an appointment at tlscontact visa center within this month?
Hello Bina, thanks for your message. You shouldn’t have to create a TLSContact account. It is automatically linked to your application on the Gov.UK site.
Appointments are as per availability. After paying the visa fees, you can see what’s available.
Hi Amarachi, I hope my message meets you well. Please why are there no appointment dates without extra costs within this March and even April? And please what does Flexi self service mean?
Hi Bina, I’m not sure but you can just keep checking. Something might open up. I believe the Flexi Appointments mean you can walk in on any day and with the Self Service, you have to upload ALL your documents by yourself.
Thank you for the info. I have been trying to book an appointment online but I noticed that it keeps compelling me to pick a primetime appointment and that is not what I want. I just want a regular self service appointment. What should I do?
Hi Julia, did you try checking other dates? That might be the only slot available for the date you chose.
Yes, I checked all the available dates from today till late March. there are no available dates for April yet and it seems they all contain primetime appointments, meaning that I must pay the extra 37,000 naira.This is quite strange I must say knowing fully well that it is stated that any additional service is optional, if so then why am I compelled tp pay the 37k. And also can I simply walk in at any time to the VAC that is not primetime without a prior booking?
It may be that all the other time slots are fully booked until March. I don’t think you can walk in without an appointment. The security at the gate asks for your proof before you are allowed in.
OK Then. Thanks for the response. Seems like I have no other choice but to pay. Also, is it advisable to do a self scan and upload on their site or just pay the extra fees and go for an assisted service?
To save costs, the self scan is the best option. It’s about 11,700 now for the assisted service. If you opt for the self scan, be sure to scan every single document you would need. If you get there and realize you forgot to scan one, you’ll pay the whole fee.
Just make a checklist of all you want to submit and self scan them.
How to apply online
Hi. Follow the Gov.UK link in the post and choose the right category.
Hi , I tried booking an appointment but it wasn’t proceeding to my check list till I pressed the upgrade to prime time and then I realized the extra cost. I want to change back, what do I do
Hello, did you already pay for the prime time appointment? If not, you can just go through that part of the application again. You would need to go through the GOV.UK site as the TLS site does not have its own login page.
Hy Ifeanyi, It depends on what you are going for but You can check for the requirements uk visa requirements and contact me for advice too free
Thanks so much, Amarachi. This is so well detailed and informative, thanks for sharing.