Biometric Information and booking an appointment at the visa centre

My husband will have to enrol his 'biometric information' - finger prints and facial photograph - as part of his visa application to the UK. To do this he will have to travel over 500 miles from Luxor to Cairo for an appointment at one of the Visa Application Centres.

Thankfully it looks like there is no extra fee, and that this is included in the visa application price, and is apparently quick and simple...

The appointment though can take place no more than 30 days after the completed application has been submitted online.

Visa Application Centres

What will happen when you attend your appointment?

When you attend your appointment, you will:

• need to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before your appointment (if you are late you will need to reschedule);
• submit your printed copy of your visa application form and your supporting documents;
• submit proof of your online payment of the visa application fee; and
• enrol your biometric information. The Biometric information page describes the requirements for enrolling this information.

What should you bring with you?

When you attend your appointment, you should bring:

• a signed printout of your completed visa application form;
• your passport. You are not legally required to have 6 months' validity on your passport at the time you apply for your visa. But your passport must be valid at the time you apply and at the time you arrive in the UK;
• 1 recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photograph of your face, which meets the requirements in our - you can download this guidance from the right side of this page;
• proof of your online payment of the visa application fee;
• printed confirmation of your online appointment;
• any supporting documents that are relevant to your application and a phototcopy of each document (including English translations); and
• any previous passports which show evidence of foreign travel.

Your passport must contain at least 1 page that is blank on both sides, so that your visa vignette (sticker) can be inserted.

Paying your application fee

If you have not already paid online, you can pay your visa application fee in cash when you visit the visa application centre. Visa application fees are paid in Egyptian pounds only. There is no handling fee for paying in cash.

When will we return your passport?

We will retain your passport until we have made a decision on your visa application. You should remember this when you make your travel arrangements, particularly if you plan to visit other countries before going to the UK.

If you need to collect your passport before a visa decision has been made, your visa application will be withdrawn. Please note that the visa fee is non-refundable, and if you would like to reapply for a visa you will need to lodge another application, submit your biometric data, and pay the visa fee once again.