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Guide · Updated October 2026
VFS Global biometrics appointment for the UK partner visa: what to expect
From the online form to the day of the appointment: which centres you can choose, how long we waited for a standard appointment, what you need to bring (much less than the website says) and exactly what happens inside.
By Sara · Not legal advice
Short answer
Biometrics are handled by VFS Global. From Spain you can go to Madrid or Barcelona. We got a standard appointment about a week after applying. You don't need anything printed, just the QR code and your passport, and it took less than 15 minutes.
Before the appointment: the online form
When you start the visa application you'll find lots of forms asking for personal information. For example, it asks for your parents' names and surnames and their identity documents, among other things. Have that information to hand before you start.
It also asks for every country you've visited in the last 10 years, apart from the US, Canada, EU countries and a few others. I'd travelled to lots of countries in south-eastern Europe, like Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, and wasn't sure of the dates because my passport didn't show them. Gather your bookings and tickets before you start.
Choosing a VFS Global centre
During the application you're shown the available centres depending on your country. In my case, applying from Spain, the centres for fingerprints and photo were Madrid and Barcelona.
How long you wait for an appointment
I submitted the application on 14 August, and the first standard appointment available in Madrid, without paying extra, was on 20 August. So expect around a week if you don't want to pay more than the standard appointment.
The standard appointment cost €93. VFS also offers earlier appointments, at certain times of day and with extra perks, for more money. It's also where you pay the Priority Service if you want it.
Uploading the documents
The supporting documents are uploaded on VFS Global. We compressed every PDF to under 10 MB, the portal limit, and named each one with its code from our master index so the caseworker could follow them in order.
The day of the appointment, step by step
The website still says you have to bring printed documents, but you don't need anything printed. They only ask for a QR code.
- Security: at the centre I went to, they put you through a metal detector and check your bag.
- QR code: they scan the QR code from your booking.
- Checking your details: they ask you your name, surnames and date of birth to confirm they match your passport.
- Waiting room: you wait until they call you.
- Biometrics: in another room they take your fingerprints and your photo. That room also has a camera: the person helping you takes your passport and you say who you are to the camera.
The whole process took less than 15 minutes. And they scan your passport there and give it back: nobody keeps it. We explain what that means in our eVisa guide.
Upload your documents in the right order.
Our bundle includes the master index we used to name, order and upload every file to VFS Global, plus all the letters and templates. €52.32.
We're not solicitors and this guide isn't legal advice. This is how it went for us at the Madrid centre in August 2026. Procedures can change and may differ between centres.