From 25 March 2026, all German student-visa applications in Nigeria must be lodged at a new VFS Global ‘German Student Visa Centre’ in Lekki, Lagos, rather than at the consulate-general. The embassy announced the shift on X and formally inaugurated the facility on 31 March together with VFS operations chief Stephen Kubasu. Applicants will continue to register online, but appointment invitations now direct them to VFS, which will handle document intake, biometrics and courier return of passports. Decision-making remains with the consulate. The change aims to cut chronic appointment backlogs—some exceeding 20 weeks—by adding interview booths and extended opening hours. VFS will charge a service fee of NGN 17,500 (about €21) in addition to the €75 visa fee; premium services such as courier return and SMS alerts are optional. For German universities and employers recruiting from West Africa, the dedicated pipeline promises faster turnaround times. However, education agents advise students to budget for the extra fee and to use VFS’s document-verification checklist carefully, as incomplete files will be rescheduled rather than accepted. Stakeholders should update offer letters and pre-departure briefings accordingly.
Source: Prompt News Online
