The British High Commission in Colombo today announced the launch of a passport pass-back service for UK visa applicants applying at the visa application centre in Colombo from August 11, 2014.

Passport pass-back is a user-pay service that enables customers to retain their passport for the majority of the application processing period. Such an option will be useful for frequent travellers, particularly business visitors, holiday-makers planning tours around multiple countries, and settlement applicants. The cost to applicants will be additional LKR 9,400 (at current exchange rates); payable at the point they submit their application at the Visa Application Centre in Colombo. This is the first time such an option has been available to Sri Lankan travellers.

Customers applying for visit, employment or student visas will need to submit their passports within 10 working days of applying for their visa. Those customers applying under the settlement route will need to submit their passports within 4 weeks of notification.

This new service will not be available to applicants who want to apply under the UK’s Priority Visa service or Business Express Program.  

John Rankin, the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka said:

“The passport pass-back service will be welcomed by frequent travellers from Sri Lanka. This will help travellers to plan their itineraries and obtain other visas in a more efficient way. I am pleased that UK Visas have launched this traveller-friendly service in Sri Lanka, giving local travellers the opportunity to enjoy the same facilities as their other South Asian counterparts.”
                                       
Thomas Greig, Regional Director Central Asia, South Asia and Turkey, UK Visas and Immigration:

“Following our continuous efforts of delivering better customer services, I am delighted that the passport pass-back service is now available in Sri Lanka. While we remain committed to offering the fastest possible delivery time, this service is being offered to enable our customers to have more flexibility when applying for their visa to the UK. This service will benefit some of our key business visitors and tourism customers.
 
We will continue to listen and respond to the needs of high-value Sri Lankan customers so that we can provide them with a service that supports economic growth, while at the same time maintain the security of our borders.”

Further Information:

1.    The passport pass-back service is an optional service and incurs an additional fee.  

2.    The fee for the passport pass-back is £40 including taxes or LKR 9,400, plus the standard fee for the type of visa being applied for.
 
3.    Further information about the fees, eligibility criteria and how to schedule an appointment are available at www.vfs-uk-sl.com (additional services)

4.    This new service is not available to applicants who have already applied under the Priority Visa service or Business Express Program as the turnaround time for these categories is very short.

5.    Applicants who have already lodged an application before 11th August will not be able to retrospectively access this service.

6.     How To Apply.  Applicants are required to complete an application form and book an appointment online to attend the Visa Application Centre (VAC). If the applicant wishes to pay for this service, they can notify the VAC staff on arrival or pay online at the VFS shopping cart prior to arriving at the VAC.

7.     Additional Document Copies: Applicants can choose to use the photocopy service at the VAC (at an extra cost) or submit their own copies of the passports that meet the following criteria:
Copy of the passport in either colour or black and white, on white paper min 60 gsm, photocopied 600 dpi minimum, actual size without any reduction or magnification, and orientated in landscape.  

If applicants choose to submit their own copies, the VFS staff will check the pages against the original Passport to ensure it is a true and accurate copy.
8.     Tracking Of PPB a Application: When the application has been submitted and all appropriate fees have been paid, a barcode sticker will be placed on the cover of the passport and the passport will then be returned to the applicant.  The applicant will need to sign that they accept the terms of the service on payment of the service and agree not to remove the barcode which has been placed on the passport.