The Embassy of Sweden in Kampala has reports about the closure of its operations in Uganda and the alleged redirection of citizens seeking certain services to Nairobi.
In a statement dated February 27, Maria Håkansson, the Swedish Ambassador to Uganda, confirmed that in-person procedures, such as interviews and biometric submissions, will continue in Kampala.
“Applicants will not be required to travel to Nairobi. In-person procedures such as interviews and biometric submission will still take place at the Swedish Embassy in Kampala,” part of the statement read.
Although the embassy does not process applicants directly, the Ambassador noted that short-stay visa applications for tourism, business, or visits of up to 90 days will continue to be submitted locally in Kampala.
“Short-stay Schengen visa applications (for tourism, business or visits of up to 90 days) will continue to be submitted locally in Kampala through VFS Global,” read part of the statement.
In September 2024, the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi, Kenya, became the regional hub and assumed the responsibility for processing all short-stay Schengen visa applications for citizens and legal residents of Uganda.
Sweden Embassy Closes its operations in Kampala, Uganda
The Embassy of Sweden in Kampala previously announced that it will no longer handle or respond to migration-related matters for Ugandan citizens holding Swedish residence permits, effective March 2, 2026.
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Under the new arrangement, all applications and inquiries related to residence permits, including work, study, and family, as well as long-term visas and other migration matters such as extensions or issues involving existing Swedish residence permits, will be processed in Nairobi.
Applicants were advised to direct migration-related questions to the Nairobi Embassy via email at [email protected].
The Swedish Embassy also encouraged applicants to monitor the status of their cases through the Swedish Migration Agency’s official portal and to avoid unofficial intermediaries claiming to offer expedited services.
Norway Shifts Visa Applications to Nairobi
From November 6, 2024, the Embassy of Norway in Nairobi announced that it would be responsible for visa applications for citizens and persons legally residing in Nigeria.
Applicants can apply as usual at VFS Global in Lagos and Abuja, noting that applications submitted by November 5 will be handled by the Embassy of Norway in Accra.
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The Embassy of Norway in Nairobi also stated that it would take over the processing of all applications for short-stay visas and residence permits submitted in West Africa.
Applicants in the region can submit their applications at VFS Global offices in Accra (Ghana), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Dakar (Senegal), Abuja and Lagos (Nigeria), or Yaoundé (Cameroon) as before.
The move reflects a trend in which European nations in Africa are centralizing their immigration services. Under the new arrangement, applications and questions relating to residence permits and long-term visas will be processed exclusively in Nairobi.
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