Germany has opened four new Schengen visa application centres in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Cyprus to ease processing delays and improve access for thousands of travelers.
The German Foreign Office revealed that the visa application centres are located in Abuja, Lagos, Yaoundé, and Nicosia, as launched under a new seven-year partnership between Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and global outsourcing firm VFS Global. Officials say the initiative aims to streamline visa services, especially in regions experiencing high demand for travel to Europe.
VFS Chief Commercial Officer, Jiten Vyas, noted that he centres will handle critical front-end services such as collecting application documents, biometric enrolment, and appointment scheduling, as it will roll out digital tools to enhance efficiency and transparency, offering applicants a more secure and user-friendly experience.
Germany’s Foreign Office says the expansion is part of effort to address disparities and improve people-to-people exchange through fairer, more accessible mobility as the new centres will begin full operations later this month, with appointments now available on the VFS Global website.
