Service Updates | Policy Changes | Upcoming closings
Dear Travellers,
Please consider listed below consulate closures, service availability and critical changes to visa application process and/or requirements when applying for your visas. Contact us should you need help with planning your visa applications.
AnyVisa Team
Contents
Critical changes to application process or visa requirements
Service updates
Consulate Closings
Subscribe to important updates on visa requirements
Changes to application process and visa requirements
SAUDI ARABIA - CHANGE TO WORKING HOURS
The consulate will no longer be accepting visa applications or releasing issued visas on Fridays. The working days are now Mon - Thu. Please plan your applications accordingly.
CHINA - FINGERPRINTING IS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL VISA TYPES
From 01/11/2018 visa applications will be required for all visa types for applicants 14 to 70 years of age inclusively. However, we were given a transitioning period until 11/11/2018 during which we can apply on behalf of our clients.
RUSSIA - EXPRESS SERVICE IN MANCHESTER
Express service is now available for applications submitted to the visa centre in Manchester. Processing time for such applications is 5-6 working days. With this change all three Russian visa centres in the UK have different processing times for both Express and Standard services. To check how long it takes to get a visa in the visa centre close to you, please see our website - business visa / tourist visa.
CHINA - FINGERPRINTS FOR CERTAIN VISA TYPES
From 08/05/2018 Chinese consulate will start collecting fingerprints for some visa types from applicants aged 14 to 70 inclusively. The following visa types will required fingerprinting from 8th May 2018:
- Chinese resident visa (D)
- Work visa (Z)
- Long-term study for over 180 days (X1)
- Visiting family members or family reunion for more than 180 days (S1or Q1),
- Resident journalist visa (J1)
The applicant must be present at the time of submission and will be accompanied by one of our staff. AnyVisa will still handle the submission of the documents, visa fee payment, visa collection and error checking. Fingerprinting will be required with every visa application regardless if the applicant has been fingerprinted for a previous visa application. Check work visa requirements
CHINA - FINGERPRINTS FOR ALL VISA TYPES
Business and tourist travellers will not be required to submit fingerprints. Chinese Visa Application Centre is currently testing the new system and will roll out mandatory fingerprinting for all visa types, including business and tourism travel, in the future. This can be from 3 months from now to potentially end of this year/beginning of the next. AnyVisa will notify you as soon as there is an update from the Visa Centre. Check business / tourist visa requirements.
RUSSIA - INCREASED PROCESSING TIME
The consulate has just announced that the processing of visa applications changes to - Standard service to 20 working days and Urgent service to 3 working days. They have not specified if there will be a daily limit on urgent service and if so, how they will allocate the spaces. We are monitoring the situation and will provide further updates once available. Apply for Tourist visa | Business visa.
Service updates
AnyVisa Office
Please see the Contact Us page for our general opening hours along with location and contact details.
Bike Couriers
As a general rule, bike couriers are extremely busy on Fridays with deliveries stretching for hours.
Royal Mail
Deliveries as usual.
DHL and International Couriers
Deliveries as usual.
Consulate Closings
Contact us should you need help with planning your applications.
Angola
Closed every Wednesday; Monday-Tuesday submission only; Thursday-Friday collection only
Algeria
Closed on Mondays
Bangladesh
Not reported
Belarus
Closed every Wednesday
Brazil
Not reported
China
London, Edinburgh, Manchester
25-26/12/2019
01/01/2020
Additional closing dates for Manchester
02/12/2019
02/01/2020
Congo (DRC)
Normal service applications are released by the consulate only on Wednesdays and Fridays
France
Christmas and New Year
India
10/03/2020
10/04/2020, 13/04/2020
08/05/2020, 25/05/2020
31/08/2020
02/10/2020
30/11/2020
25/12/2020, 28/12/2020
Russia
London, Edinburgh, Manchester
01/01/2020-08/01/2020
24/02/2020
09/03/2019
01/05/2020-05/05/2020, 11/05/2020
12/06/2020
04/11/2020
25/12/2020
Additional closing dates for Manchester
10/04/2020, 13/04/2020
31/08/2020
28/12/2020
Saudi Arabia
Not reported
Sierra Leone
Closed every Friday
Turkmenistan
Closed on Wednesdays
Thailand
Not reported