The Embassy of People’s Republic of China on Monday announced it would open new visa application centres in Abuja and Lagos to enhance visa process and ease applicants’ burden.
The Deputy Ambassador, Mr Lin Jing, made this known at a media conference in Abuja.
He said the centres would assist the embassy in attending to visa applicants.
He added that the plan to open the centres was borne out of concern to resolve the challenge of limited resources and facilities faced by the embassy in visa processing.
“We have been trying to improve our services and make it more comfortable for visa applicants while waiting for interviews or to submit applications.
“We hope that with the opening of the centre, we will improve services to applicants.”
According to him, the Abuja Chinese Visa Application Centre is at Church Gate Plaza, Central Business District.
“From Wednesday, passport holders wishing to visit the People’s Republic of China are requested to apply for visa at Abuja China Visa Application Centre.
“Applicants are required to submit applications at the centre by visiting www.visaforchina.org to make appointment in advance,” the envoy said.
He said diplomatic and official passport holders or applicants applying for Hong Kong/Macao Special Administrative Region visa/entry permits were
to submit their applications directly to the Chinese Embassy.
The envoy, who said that another centre would be opened in Lagos where visa applications would be submitted, added that the application process and duration for visa issuance remain unchanged.
The envoy said that the new visa application fee was now N31,250, which included service fees and VAT.
He said it was the embassy that would decide whether to approve or disapprove applications, noting that after visas were issued, passports would be sent back to application centres where applicants would
pick them up.
While explaining that the application centre was a commercial entity and independent of the Chinese Embassy, the deputy ambassador urged prospective applicants to be patient with the new development.
