In Russia suspended online registration for British visas

In Russia, from October 12, the online registration for the submission of documents for obtaining British visas was suspended due to technical work on updating the system at the visa operator VFS Global. This is reported by the press service of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT).

“Applicants are not yet able to make an appointment, change or view an existing record, and independently upload documents through the online service,” the statement said.

Previously scheduled visits remain in force, assured the PCT. If the applicant did not have time to download the documents in advance, he can bring them to the visa center – employees will scan and download them to the system for free.

VFS Global expects to restore the services in the near future, but specific terms are not specified. “The Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) notes that the restrictions concern online services, not the termination of the issuance of British visas,” the organization added.

VFS Global is an international company that operates visa centers and provides administrative services to governments and diplomatic missions. It accepts visa applications and documents, collects biometric data and transfers them to the authorized state bodies if necessary. Visa or refusal decisions are made by these authorities, not by VFS Global.

VFS Global Visa Application Centres were suspended in early June. The restrictions then affected three Russian cities - Kazan, Samara and Ufa. The Consulate General of Hungary explained the suspension of technical reasons. Work was later resumed.