A biometrics appointment is a visit where you give your fingerprints and a photograph of your face as part of a UK immigration application. Inside the UK it is usually at a UKVCAS service point. Outside the UK it is usually at a visa application centre. Some applicants prove their identity with a phone app instead.
Key points
- Biometrics means your fingerprints and a photograph of your face. You usually give them in person as part of your application.
- Inside the UK you usually attend a UKVCAS service point. Outside the UK you usually attend a visa application centre.
- From outside the UK you must book and attend within 240 days of submitting your application, or you must start a new one.
- You will not get a decision at your appointment. The time a decision takes depends on what you applied for.
- Some applicants do not need an appointment, for example people in the UK with an expired BRP who applied for certain visas and gave biometrics before.
How a biometrics appointment works
When you apply for a UK visa, settlement or citizenship, you must usually give your biometric information. The Immigration Rules say that biometrics means, in particular, a record of a person’s fingerprints and a photograph of their face.[3]Home Office, Immigration Rules: introduction You give them at an appointment. This is why people talk about a “biometrics appointment”.
Where you go depends on where you are. Inside the UK you usually use UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS). You attend an appointment at a UKVCAS service point to give your fingerprints and photo. You can also give supporting documents there. You can upload them online or have them scanned at the appointment.[1]Home Office, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services
Outside the UK you usually go to a visa application centre run by an external company. You find out when you start your application whether you can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead. In most cases, if you use the app you do not need to attend an appointment in person.[2]Home Office, How to apply for a visa to come to the UK: Paying fees and proving your identity
For applications to stay in the UK, the Immigration Rules require you to follow the application process on GOV.UK, including the invitation to enrol biometrics. This covers making an appointment to give your biometrics and providing any evidence requested.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules part 1: leave to enter or stay in the UK An application for permission to stay that does not meet the requirements of paragraph 34 can be rejected as invalid.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules part 1: leave to enter or stay in the UK
What happens, step by step
The two settings work a little differently.
| Inside the UK | Outside the UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | UKVCAS service point | Visa application centre run by an external company |
| How you book | Create a UKVCAS account when you apply and book online | Book as part of your application |
| Cost | Depends on the type of service point and any extra services | Most centres offer free appointments within 5 working days. In some places a standard appointment costs £76.50 |
At a UKVCAS appointment you must bring a printed copy of your appointment confirmation with a QR code, your passport or travel document and any other supporting documents you have not uploaded. If you cannot bring your passport or travel document, contact UK Visas and Immigration before the appointment.[1]Home Office, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services
You can pay extra at UKVCAS for appointments outside normal hours or at weekends, and for next day or same day appointments if your application is urgent.[1]Home Office, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services Outside the UK you can choose to pay for optional services, such as having your documents scanned for you. GOV.UK says paying for optional services does not make your application more likely to succeed.[2]Home Office, How to apply for a visa to come to the UK: Paying fees and proving your identity
Families and children
If your application includes family members, you must all go to the appointment together at UKVCAS.[1]Home Office, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services Children under 16 must go with the person named as the responsible adult on their application. That adult must bring photo ID, which can be a valid or expired passport, photo driving licence, national identity card, BRP or BRC. If the responsible adult is not the parent or legal guardian, they must also bring written proof of responsibility for the child.[1]Home Office, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services
For visa application centres, a child under 16 goes with an adult over 18. A child under 5 has a photograph taken and does not give fingerprints.[2]Home Office, How to apply for a visa to come to the UK: Paying fees and proving your identity
When you may not need an appointment
At UKVCAS you may not need to attend if all of these apply: you are in the UK, you have an expired biometric residence permit that you can still use, you have given your biometric information before, and you are applying for certain types of visa, for example a Graduate visa, Student visa or Skilled Worker visa. The expired card can be used for 24 months after the expiry date printed on it or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. If you do not need an appointment you get an email explaining how to submit a photo and your documents. If you cannot do that, you can book an appointment.[1]Home Office, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services
Example
Lena applies from inside the UK to extend her Skilled Worker visa. Her daughter Mia, aged 12, applies with her. They book one UKVCAS appointment and attend together. Lena is the responsible adult, so she brings her passport as photo ID. They each bring a printed confirmation with a QR code and their passports. They leave without a decision, because the decision comes later.
Joao applies from outside the UK. He submits his application, then books a slot at a visa application centre. He must attend within 240 days of submitting it. If he does not, he must start again.
What people get wrong
People expect a decision at the appointment. GOV.UK says you will not get a decision on your application at your appointment, and that how long it takes depends on what you applied for.
The second mistake is missing the time limit outside the UK. You must book and attend within 240 days of submitting your application, or you need to start a new one.[2]Home Office, How to apply for a visa to come to the UK: Paying fees and proving your identity The third is arriving without the printed QR confirmation or a passport. If you cannot bring your passport or travel document, contact UK Visas and Immigration for help before the appointment.[1]Home Office, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services
The bottom line
A biometrics appointment is where you give your fingerprints and photograph for an immigration application. It is usually at UKVCAS inside the UK and at a visa application centre outside it. Book it as part of your application, attend with your documents and, if you are applying from abroad, within 240 days. Some applicants can use an app or skip the appointment, and the application tells you if that applies.
Common questions
The Immigration Rules say biometrics means, in particular, a record of a person's fingerprints and a photograph of their face. You give them when you apply for most visas, settlement or citizenship.
For a UKVCAS appointment, bring a printed copy of your appointment confirmation with a QR code, your passport or travel document, and any supporting documents you have not already uploaded.
Yes. If your application includes family members, you must all go together. Children under 16 go with the responsible adult named on their application. Children under 5 applying from outside the UK have a photograph only.
No. GOV.UK says you will not get a decision at your UKVCAS appointment. How long a decision takes depends on what you applied for.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- Home Office. UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. How to apply for a visa to come to the UK: Paying fees and proving your identity. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Immigration Rules: introduction. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Immigration Rules part 1: leave to enter or stay in the UK. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩