Biometric appointment booking process

For Australian visa applications, children also need to provide biometrics. A photograph is considered biometric data. Therefore, children must be booked at VFS for biometrics, similar to adults. Fingerprints will not be taken from children.

If a visa center cancels an appointment due to technical failure, the applicant should immediately draft a formal explanatory letter. This letter must be uploaded to the ImmiAccount as a supporting document. The letter should clearly state the inability to meet the deadline due to external technical issues and request a grace period to provide biometrics. This prevents administrative rejection while the technical issue at the local VAC is being resolved.

The Australian visa application form may ask about attending an interview at an Australian Government Office. If Moscow is not listed as an option (due to the closure of the Department of Home Affairs office there), select any available office. The likelihood of being called for an interview is very low (estimated at <0.1%).

Biometric collection for Australian visas is flexible regarding location and scheduling for groups. Appointments can be rescheduled online or via VFS support. Walk-ins may be available at certain centers for an additional fee. Applicants must bring printed appointment documents. Old-style passports (non-biometric) are accepted for entry.

Biometrics submitted for a Schengen visa are not transferable to an Australian visa application. Biometric data collection is specific to each visa system. Therefore, if applying for an Australian visa, you will need to provide your biometrics again, even if you have recently done so for a Schengen visa. Appointments for biometrics must be booked and paid for, and typically you have 14 days to attend after payment.

For Australian biometrics appointments, applicants should bring: 1. International passport. 2. Russian passport (or a copy if the original is unavailable, some centers can print from Gosuslugi if forgotten). 3. Printed biometrics appointment letter (the first page is often sufficient, but having the full document is recommended). It's advisable to have digital and physical copies of all essential documents. Although not mandatory, a positive attitude is generally helpful.

After submitting your Australian visa application and attending the biometric appointment, it is crucial to click the 'I confirm' button at the bottom of the document list. This action, while not impacting the visa outcome or processing time, serves to confirm completion. If no additional requests for documents are received via email, assume your application is proceeding as normal. For biometric appointments, if the earliest available date seems unusually far in the future, it may indicate a system glitch. Try accessing the booking system later or from a different device, as immediate or next-day appointments are often available.

After submitting biometric data for an Australian visa, updates in the personal account may not be immediate. Typically, confirmation appears the following day. While some platforms might show an 'i confirm' button, its absence does not necessarily indicate an issue. The primary confirmation is the successful submission of biometric data.

When booking Australian visa biometrics via VFS, multiple applicants can be added to a single appointment slot. It is recommended to choose 'pay at center' options to avoid potential fee issues with third-party sites. In some locations, walk-in appointments might be available for an additional fee (approx. 3800 RUB), and payment policies vary by local VFS center.