The Home Office has confirmed that management of the global UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) network is moving from long-time provider TLScontact to VFS Global, with the hand-over already under way and due for completion by January 2027 . Although frontline visa decision-making remains the responsibility of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), the change affects how applicants book appointments, submit biometrics and collect passports in more than 130 countries. UKVI says the new contract will deliver “shorter appointments and average passport collection times of twenty minutes,” together with refreshed IT systems and optional premium services. Business travellers should notice more flexible scheduling, but transit periods – when an application starts with TLScontact and finishes with VFS – may cause confusion. Applicants are advised to whitelist the new “@vfsglobal.com” email domain and monitor spam folders to avoid missing appointment notifications . For global mobility managers the practical implications are immediate. 1) Travel policies should be updated to reflect VFS fee structures and optional services, which differ from TLScontact’s. 2) Where corporates use power-of-attorney collection services, new forms may be required. 3) Employee communications must stress that application rules, decision times and fees set by UKVI remain unchanged – only the outsourcing partner is switching.
![TLScontact out, VFS Global in: UK Visa Application Centres begin worldwide switchover]()
For companies that would rather delegate the nuts and bolts of visa coordination, VisaHQ’s specialist team can step in to manage document checks, appointment booking and status tracking throughout the VFS rollout. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Operationally, some VACs will relocate to different premises. Early movers include Belgium, Algeria and several West African posts, with France, Israel and Turkey following in November. Employers with high volumes from these markets should monitor slot availability closely and consider priority services during peak assignment seasons. UKVI expects the transition to be seamless, but advises applicants who need to reschedule appointments originally booked with TLScontact to do so early, as duplicate booking systems will run in parallel for a short period.
For companies that would rather delegate the nuts and bolts of visa coordination, VisaHQ’s specialist team can step in to manage document checks, appointment booking and status tracking throughout the VFS rollout. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Operationally, some VACs will relocate to different premises. Early movers include Belgium, Algeria and several West African posts, with France, Israel and Turkey following in November. Employers with high volumes from these markets should monitor slot availability closely and consider priority services during peak assignment seasons. UKVI expects the transition to be seamless, but advises applicants who need to reschedule appointments originally booked with TLScontact to do so early, as duplicate booking systems will run in parallel for a short period.
