System glitch hits Nairobi Chinese embassy visa services
A Kenyan holds an instructions note on visa applications outside the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi on August 14, 2015. FILE PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Embassy officials routinely admitted they were getting overwhelmed by the huge numbers as Kenyans queued outside the embassy.
- The visa will take a maximum of four days, but Kenyans who need urgent visas may pay another visa fee to get them.
The Chinese Embassy in Nairobi is set to abandon the online visa appointment system launched earlier this year, after it locked out hundreds of visa applicants.
A statement from the embassy on Friday indicated that it will instead launch the Visa Application Service Facility (CVASF), to be managed by immigration firm VFS Global, starting October 12.
The Chinese government says it will close down the online system because it could only admit a specific number of applicants per day, meaning many Kenyans were failing to get appointments.
The new centre, to be set up on the seventh floor of the Chancery Building on Valley Road, will not require applicants to book appointments, but they will pay an extra processing fee to VFS Global.
“The establishment of the CVASF will greatly improve the situation that Kenyans applying for Chinese visas have been experiencing such as difficulty in getting appointments or waiting in long queues,” the statement said.
“Visa applicants will also enjoy more convenient, considerate, comfortable and reliable services.”
The online system, launched in July, was meant to “make applications for visas more efficient and reduce time wastage”.
OVERWHELMING NUMBERS
It allowed applicants to book appointments via an electronic system and then visit the embassy on their appointment day with necessary documents.
However, embassy officials routinely admitted they were getting overwhelmed by the huge numbers as Kenyans queued outside the embassy to await interviews.
Between October 12 and 14, VFS Global will conduct a “test run” for applications. During this time, Kenyans will be served without paying the processing fee, though they will still pay the required visa fees.
The online system will be formally closed down on November 1, to allow those who had already booked appointments before October 12 to be served, the embassy said.
This means that if you already have an appointment by the start of the new system, you will be required to visit the consular office directly.
However, if you obtain the appointment after October 15, you will have to make the application via VFS Global.
Starting October 15, after the test run, VFS Global will start charging $35 for every application, on top of the visa fees.
The visa processing will take a maximum of four days, but Kenyans who need urgent visas may pay another visa fee to get them.
