Frequently Asked Questions

Customers can select any Visa Application Centre location within the country of application, before confirming an appointment. If you wish to change your location after an appointment is confirmed, please Cancel your appointment and choose your preferred location.

In some locations where demand is relatively low, or where there are free-to-use options available within the same country, an additional fee is charged to cover the provision of a user-funded Visa Application Centre. This allows customers to attend an appointment at a more convenient location closer to their home. The user pays fee is a regulated fee set by the Home Office. Please find more information about UK visa fees here.

Please ensure that there are no problems with your computer/phone (that is poor broadband or Wi-Fi connection, old browser versions, any other similar problem). If you have confirmed this, and are still having issues then please screenshot the error page(s), and visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and use the 'Contact us' link at the bottom of the page to request further assistance.

Appointments are mandatory at all Visa Application Centres at this time.

You can reschedule your appointment by logging into your account, up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment date. This link can be found on our website and is also provided in your appointment booking emails.

On your Dashboard page, select Manage Appointment, open the Appointment Details section and select Reschedule Appointment.

All customers will be directed to our appointment booking system and will be automatically logged in with your email address and GWF number.

Login to your account. This link can be found on our website and is also provided in your appointment booking emails.

Select ‘Resend confirmation letter’ or ‘Print appointment letter’ from the Appointment Details section of the Dashboard.

All customers will be directed to our appointment booking system and will be automatically logged in with your email address and GWF number, so there is no password to change.

If you submitted your application under 'Standard' and then decide to upgrade to the Priority Visa service, you can do so by logging in to your account, up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment date. On the landing page you will find the text ‘If you need a faster Visa decision, please choose one of the Priority Visa service’. Click on the dropdown menu below this text and select your preferred option.

If you had booked an appointment at one of our centres under 'Standard' and then decide to upgrade to the Priority Visa service, you can do so by cancelling your existing appointment and following the steps above, up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment date.

Additionally, you have the option to upgrade at the Visa Application Centre during the appointment, before enrolling biometrics. For a list of eligible visa categories that can be upgraded to the Priority or Super Priority Visa service, please refer to our Priority Visa page.

Please make sure you have read through the Document Upload instructions regarding file sizes and types, and that you have a good broadband/Wifi connection. If you are still having issues, it could be due to a temporary systems error, so please try again at a later time/date. If, after following these instructions, you are still unable to upload your documents, please take a screenshot of the error messages that you are receiving, and take it to your appointment at the Visa Application Centre; where you will be able to use the assisted document scanning service at no cost.

Alternatively you can purchase Document Upload Assistance (fee usually applies), and let our staff sort, scan and upload your documents, saving you precious time.

You can upload your supporting documents online free of charge or choose the paid Document Upload Assistance service. If you wish to self-upload your supporting documents, you should refer to the document checklist you have received as part of your online application and ensure that everything is correct.

If you have made an error and have not yet submitted your biometrics, you can delete the incorrect document and reupload the correct document by logging in to your account. To log in to your account please visit your appointment page. If you realise that a mistake has been made after submitting your biometrics, you can contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

To request a refund for a service that you didn’t need or wasn’t subsequently available, please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from and select the ‘Request a refund’ link at the bottom of the page.

Except for the Visa Application Fee, Immigration Health Surcharge Fee and for some temporary enrolment locations mandatory fees (where applicable) there are no other mandatory charges for customers who wish to apply for a UK visa. All other services offered on the VFS website are optional. Please visit your relevant country website for more information on the optional services available.

Your receipt can be downloaded by logging into your account and selecting ‘Resend confirmation letter’ or ‘Print appointment letter’ from the ‘Appointment details’ section of the dashboard.

If you are still in the process of booking your appointment, you can remove any unwanted services from your Cart on the ‘Review and Pay’ page, by clicking on the edit icon and removing that service. If you experience any issues with removing unwanted services, or if you paid for a service in error; please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and select the ‘Request a refund’ link at the bottom of the page.

Please note that Priority or Super Priority Visa services are not available in all locations and customers should click here to determine whether their selected application centre offers the service.

Where available, priority service for new applications can be purchased both online and onsite at the Visa Application Centre, prior to the submission of biometrics.

The fees for Priority and Super Priority service have recently changed. Please visit: Visa fees transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information.

For more information on Priority Visa services, please visit: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application.

• Once you have submitted your biometrics and documents at a VFS centre, the application is submitted to UKVI for consideration. We recommend that you do not make any un-refundable arrangements to travel to the UK until a decision has been made.

• If UKVI approve the issue of your visa, VFS will contact you via email and/or phone to request the return of your passport to the same centre for the visa to be affixed. Your passport must be resubmitted within 28 calendar days of this first notification, and you should not travel to the UK for the purpose covered by your visa application before this process has been completed.

• It is your responsibility to return the passport to the centre where you enrolled your biometrics when requested, and you can do so either in person, via an authorised representative or by courier, where available. VFS staff will confirm the acceptable resubmission methods when you attend your appointment.

• Once UKVI has made a decision and your passport has been resubmitted it will usually be ready for return by the next working day; however, in some locations this may be slightly longer*. VFS staff will advise you on the estimated return times when you attend your appointment. Please note that we will not be able to send passports overseas and will only return to an in country address.

• If you have also purchased the Priority Service, note the following:

  • This does not guarantee your application will be successful.

  • The estimated 5 working days only relates to the timeline for a decision to be made.

• If UKVI refuse your application, you will receive the decision via email and will not be required to resubmit your passport. In such circumstances, fees for any courier return arrangements will not be refunded.

• Even if you have already submitted your application, you have the option to choose this service. To do so, please visit the UK Visa Application Centre where you submitted your application and request your passport back.

• Please note, this service is not available to anyone applying for a Super Priority Visa (SPV).

*This timeline may not be met in the event VFS identifies an error on the issued visa.

To cancel appointment please go to your appointment page.

Login to your account. On your Dashboard page, select Manage Appointment, open the Appointment Details section and select Cancel Appointment.

Customers can log into their account and select the 'Cancel services' link under ‘Services’ in their account dashboard.

VFS endeavour to process refund requests from customers within 15 days. Once the refund is approved, customers should receive the funds back to the original method of payment within five working days, subject to the usual bank and credit card company timelines. If we have a query regarding your refund request, we will contact you within seven working days.

Please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and use the 'Contact us' link at the bottom of the page to get in touch. Please include the following information on the form, and one of our Customer Care Team will be happy to help.

1. Applicant’s full name

2. Application reference number from GOV.UK (usually starts GWF, followed by nine numbers)

3. Registered email address (as used on GOV.UK and the VFS website)

4. A copy of the Appointment Confirmation, indicating where information is incomplete or incorrect

5. Name of the Visa Application Centre you intend to visit for your appointment

6. Date and time of the appointment you booked

If UK Visas and Immigration are unable to deliver a Priority Visa service as a result of a VFS fault, then a refund will be considered in line with our standard Terms & Conditions.

If you believe you did not receive your Priority Visa service in the time expected due to a VFS scanning fault, please Contact us.

We are sorry that you had to pay for a service that you didn't need. If you have subsequently self-uploaded your documents, or are exempt from Scanning Assistance charges (ie; you're applying for Family Reunion under part 11 of the Immigration Rules or are an individual applying under the Windrush scheme), please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and select the 'Request a refund' link at the bottom of the page.

To request a refund for Priority or Super Priority Visa services, please visit the following link https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement/getting-a-refund. The refund process and its timeline are solely dependent on UKVI after they receive your refund request; VFS Global has no influence on these services.

To request a refund for transaction decline, double payments or overcharge please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and select the 'Request a refund' link at the bottom of the page.

Unless VFS is unable to provide the services, any services purchased online or at the Visa Application Centres are non-refundable, even if they remain unused.

Applicants can select form-filling assistance as an optional service, or one of the personalised packages available at Visa Application Centres. There is a charge for these services.

VFS is responsible for services offered to customers in the Visa Application Centre and is not part of the decision-making process. Your visa application is assessed by UK Visas and Immigration.

Information on the visa application process is available on Gov.uk: Visas and immigration

You can find the current UK Visas and Immigration global service standard for processing times at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk.

Please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and use the 'Contact us' link at the bottom of the page to get in touch. Please include the following information on the form and one of our Customer Care Team will be happy to help.

1. Application reference number from GOV.UK (usually starts GWF, followed by nine numbers)
2. Description of the error on the visa
3. Name of the Visa Application Centre you submitted your application through

Please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and use the 'Contact us' link at the bottom of the page to get in touch. A member of our Customer Care Team will respond within 48 hours. If you are still at the Visa Application Centre, you can ask to speak to the Visa Application Centre Manager, who will be able to assist you.