UK to launch 24-hour visa service in PHL

Filipinos who want to visit the United Kingdom can get their visas within 24 hours starting February 23 through the new super priority visa service, the UK embassy said in a statement Thursday.

The Super Priority Visa Service (SPVS) will be available to applicants looking for visitor visas and those qualified under select work visa categories, the embassy said.

Filipino applicants can also avail of a three- to five-day priority visa service.

“The extension of our 3 to 5 day priority service to include all visitors without exception will also be welcome to those wanting to take advantage of any last minute holiday deals,” said British Ambassador Asif Ahmad.

According to VFS Global, those who want to avail of the 24-hour visa service will have to pay £600 or more or less P45,000 on top of standard visa fee.

For those who will avail of the three- to five-day priority visa service, they need to pay an additional £100 or close to P8,000.

“We expect this new service to be particularly useful for business where opportunities can arise at very short notice,”Ahmad said. “We want entrepreneurs and businessmen to be able to seize these.”

According to the Embassy, over 53,000 UK visas were issued to Filipinos by September 2014, a 62-percent increase in tourist visas and 8-percent rise in business visits. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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