Following the inauguration of China Visa Application Centre in cooperation with Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) in Lagos, the People’s Republic of China’s Consul General (CG) to Nigeria, Mr. Chao Xiaoliang has declared, Nigerians seeking various categories of visa to China will experience improved and stress-free visa processing.
The CG said the decision to open a new China Visa Application Centre is borne out of the need to provide Nigerian visa applicant with a more conducive visa processing atmosphere, saying the number of visa issued to Nigerians is growing rapidly, an evidence that China-Nigeria personal exchange is progressive.
According to him, “The Consulate has limited resources and facility and has over years been working to improve its services to the relish of Nigerians seeking various categories of visa to China. I am optimistic that the existence of the new China visa application centre will ensure better improved consular services to applicants.”
He also said that “the Consulate General will surely improve in efficiency and quality of services and henceforth, all ordinary passport holders intending visiting China are requested to apply for visas at the Lagos China Visa Application Centre located at Church gate building, while, diplomats and official passport holders, or applicants applying for Hong Kong/Macao Special Administrative Region visa/entry permits are to submit their applications directly at the Chinese embassy.”
He emphasised that, “The decision to approve or disapprove a visa application still resides with the embassy and successful applicants are also expected to pick their passports from the visa centre.“
Xiaoliang also explained that the tremendous step is to ensure that Nigerian visa applicants no longer have to experience long waiting to either submit or attend interviews.
He said the development is to strengthen the diplomatic relationships between the two countries. However, the visa centre is entrusted to receive visa applications on behalf of the embassy. The embassy’s management duty is to oversee the operations of the centre to ensure the purpose is met.