UK visa services resume in four countries in the Middle East from 28 June 2020

• Optional Priority Visa, Super Priority Visa, and Walk-in services will not be offered initially
• As part of health precautions, prior appointment is mandatory; customers may be required to undergo temperature checks, wear facemasks and maintain physical distancing. 

From 28 June 2020, UK Visas and Immigration is beginning a phased resumption of services at Visa Application Centres in Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait (Kuwait City), Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar, Jeddah, Riyadh), and the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai).

As part of health precautions, only customers with a prior appointment may visit the Centre to submit their applications and enrol biometrics.

Customers who were unable to attend an earlier appointment at the Centre prior to the lockdown, will now be able to log into their account to book a new appointment. Customers who had completed their application on GOV.UK before lockdown, but didn’t previously book an appointment at the Visa Application Centre, can now also book an appointment.

The following services will currently not be offered: Super Priority Visa, Priority Visa (for visit visas), Priority Visa for settlement and Walk-in service.

Health measures at the UK border

Customers are also advised that there are new rules in place for entering the UK because of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We request you to please check the latest information before you travel at https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control.

Health & safety measures are the Centre                                 

As part of VFS Global health and safety measures for the prevention of COVID-19, which are in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and local authorities, customers visiting our Visa Application Centres may be asked to observe physical distancing, undergo temperature checks or be required to wear facemasks. Customers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including fever (higher than 37.3 degrees  Celsius), cough or difficulty breathing will be helped to reschedule their application submission for another day and will be advised to seek medical attention at the nearest healthcare facility of their choice.

Customer can also opt for Courier Return of documents (available at a nominal fee), so they do not have to visit the Visa Application Centre again after a decision is made. For customers who will be coming to the Centre to pick up their passports after a decision is made, VFS Global will contact them to arrange for the collection of their passports, by appointment only.

For more details, customers are advised to visit our individual country pages.

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About VFS Global

VFS Global is the world's largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. VFS Global has a Swiss parentage and is a portfolio company of EQT, a leading global private equity firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. With 3390 Application Centres, operations in 144 countries across five continents and over 223 million applications processed (since inception in 2001) as on 31 May 2020, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 64 client governments.

Media Contact
MSL PR Agency Contact
Sukanya Chakraborty
sukanyac@vfsglobal.com                                               
communications@vfsglobal.com 

Omar Abd Raboo
Media Relations Manager
omar.abdraboo@mslgroup.com 

© Press Release 2020