Non-EU travelers to U.K. will need biometric visas
By the end of September, all non-EU visitors to the U.K. will have to apply for biometric entry visas at Visa Application Centers which will open next to U.K. embassies worldwide
All non-European Union passport holders traveling to the United Kingdom will soon be required to apply for visas at dedicated Visa Application Centers (VACs). New applicants above the age of five will be required to submit ten finger-scans and a digital photo at their nearest VAC in person. The new application process, set to come into action from late September, will involve obligatory electronic biometric scanning at VACs, which will be opened up next to U.K. consulates and embassies worldwide. The VACs will be run by UK Visas, a joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office unit which runs the U.K. visa service through British diplomatic posts overseas.
According to UK Visas, biometric enrollment is impossible at embassies and consulates, as they are “simply not built for these numbers of applicants.” The VACs will accept and check application forms, collect fees, input data, and enroll biometrics, but will not play any role in the decision-making process.
The new system is designed to tackle identity theft, fraud and document abuse, provide visa staff with better information to support the visa decision process, and enable the U.K. government to work toward biometrically operated e-gates for passengers arriving in the United Kingdom.
