Tanzania not happy with UK visa being processed in Nairobi

[crabat]

This is just cost cutting measure guys! It's being done worldwide. Wacheni kutoa mapovu. Canada has been doing this for a while. Australia is doing the same and I guarantee you the US will soon follow suit. Hao wanaosema Tanzania ipeleke ofisi zake za visa Japan au Sweden watalipa hizo cost za kuendesha hizo ofisi? Some of these things are just what they say they are. Siyo kila kitu ni mbinu za kuiadhibu Tanzania kama wenzetu wengine wanavyofikiria.

Cost not an issue my friend. Visa not free and i think cost zinaengezeka mfano uk kufanya shughuli zote hapa lakini visa ikagongwe nairobi

 

[Geza Ulole]

3rd February 15
UK resumes issuance of visas in Dar

Lusekelo Philemon
Tanzanians wishing to travel to the UK can now submit visa application documents in Dar es Salaam and not in Nairobi, Kenya, as was the case before.

The deputy minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Mahadhi Juma Maalim, said this in the bunge yesterday.

He was responding to a question from Muyuni MP, Jaku Hashim Ayoub (CCM), who wanted to know why the Dar es Salaam-based British High Commission stopped offering UK visas from the country.

He said the move caused a lot of inconvenience to UK visa applicants who are forced to get the services from either Nairobi, Kenya or Pretoria, South Africa.

He also wanted a government statement on the inconvenience caused by the UK decision to shift the processing of UK visas to other countries.
The MP further wanted to know the benefit Tanzania gets for having its high commission in UK.

Responding, the deputy minister said UK visa applicants should now submit applications in Dar es Salaam. He said the British government gave the task to an agent located in the Viva Towers along Ali Hassan Mwinyi road in Dar es Salaam.

"It is through that agent that all visa application procedures are processed and the time-frame for applications is 18 days before traveling," the deputy minister said.

He admitted that the move has caused a lot of inconvenience toTanzanians, especially those traveling to UK.

"But, now that the service is provided in the country, what I can advise is for people to submit their applications at least six weeks before travelling," he said.

Maalim explained that diplomatic visas were being processed through the ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, who take them to Nairobi, Kenya.

He further said that diplomatic relations between Tanzania and the UK have always been good.

"We have been cooperating in various areas, such as education, trade, tourism and investment. Today, there are Tanzanian students at the level of Masters and PhD degrees, who get scholarships from the UK government," he said, noting:
"It should be clearly understood that the UK government is a major stakeholder in Tanzania's trade."

He explained that UK was among countries that have been supporting Tanzania through the European Union and General Budget Support.
The deputy minister assured legislators that the government was discussing with the UK government about how to address challenges in the visa application process for Tanzanians.

Before using an agent in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanians travelling to UK had to get their visas from Nairobi. This was part of what was described as an overhaul of visa-issuing procedures worldwide.

The British High Commission in Dar es Salaam stopped issuing the visas.
The change came under the auspices of the new "Hub and Spoke Visa Processing" operation that involved reduction of the number of visa-issuing centres across the globe in order to reduce processing costs.

THE GUARDIAN
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