Student Immigration Service

Step 4: Attend your appointment

You will have your photo taken and fingerprints scanned at your appointment.

Bring your passport and documents 

You need to bring your passport. After the appointment, you will either be told to: 

  • leave it at the centre 

  • post it elsewhere 

or 

  • you can pay to keep it and bring it back to the centre once your visa has been approved 

This is because a vignette (visa sticker) will need to be added to your passport.  

You will be told if you need to bring any other documents. The process can vary depending on the country and the visa application centre. 

Get your photo taken and fingerprints scanned 

Getting your photo taken and the scanning of your fingerprints (called biometrics) is the main part of the appointment. 

The photo for your visa will be a close-up of your full head and upper shoulders against a plain light background. 

You should: 

  • not wear a head covering (unless it’s for religious or medical reasons) 

  • not have anything covering your face 

  • not be wearing glasses unless you have to do so 

  • wear coloured clothing (it should not be patterned, textured or pure white) 

Find out about the next steps from the visa application centre 

The visa application centre will tell you the next steps in the process and whether you need to post any documents. The process differs depending on the country where you have made your visa application and the chosen service. 

They can also tell you how your passport with the vignette sticker will get returned to you (for example, by post or collection from the visa application centre). 

Next step 

Step 5: Wait for a decision