The VFS Global consent form is the authorization document that lets VFS Global, a private contractor that handles visa intake for dozens of governments, collect your personal and biometric information and pass it to the embassy or consulate deciding your application.1VFS Global. About VFS Global You download it from the VFS portal for your destination country, complete every field to match your passport, sign the sections that apply to you (biometrics, third-party pickup, minor guardianship), and bring two printed copies to your appointment. Most application centers will not accept your file without it.
Where to Download the Right Version
There is no single universal form. VFS Global runs a separate portal for each destination country it serves, and each government sets its own wording. Go to the VFS site for the country you’re applying to (visa.vfsglobal.com for Canada applications, services.vfsglobal.com for India-related services, and so on) and look under the document checklist or “what to bring” section. The form is a downloadable PDF.2VFS Global. What to Bring With You Using the wrong country’s form is a common reason applications get rejected at intake, so confirm the URL matches your destination before you print.
Filling In Your Personal Information
The first block of the form collects identity and contact details. On the Canada version, for example, you complete:3VFS Global. Consent Form and Terms of Use for Applicant Services
- Printed name, exactly as it appears on your passport
- Current residential address
- Telephone number for status updates
- Email address for electronic notifications
- Handwritten signature and date
- City and country where you signed
Print clearly. Staff at the application center check each field against your passport, and a misspelled name or a transposed digit is one of the most common reasons files get pushed back at the counter before they ever reach the consulate. If you notice a mismatch between your passport and the way you’d normally write your name, use the passport version.
Authorizing Someone Else to Submit or Collect
If a family member, friend, or travel agent will drop off your application or pick up your processed passport, the consent form includes a separate section for that arrangement. You write in the authorized person’s name, their relationship to you, then sign and date the section.3VFS Global. Consent Form and Terms of Use for Applicant Services
For a professional representative like a travel agent, that section by itself is usually not enough. Most VFS centers also require a standalone authorization letter containing your full name and passport number, the representative’s full name and passport or ID number, the representative’s signature, and the agency’s name and contact details if applicable.4VFS Global. Authorization Letter for Passport Collection The representative also has to bring their original ID; a photocopy alone will not get them through the counter. Skip the letter and the center will turn them away no matter what your consent form says.
Biometrics Confirmation
Many destination governments now require fingerprints and a photograph, and the form includes a biometrics section with two signature options: one confirming you agree to provide biometrics, the other for applicants who decline. Declining can affect the outcome depending on the destination country’s rules.3VFS Global. Consent Form and Terms of Use for Applicant Services Signing the biometrics line authorizes VFS Global to capture your fingerprints and photograph on the day of your appointment and transmit them to the government processing your file. Only sign one option.
Signing on Behalf of a Minor
Applicants under 18 cannot sign the form themselves. A parent or legal guardian signs on their behalf and provides supporting documents, typically a copy of the guardian’s passport or national ID and proof of guardianship.5VFS Global. Parental / Legal Guardian Consent Letter The child’s birth certificate is generally required as well.
Individual destinations add their own layers. For Indian passport services involving minors, both parents must sign the application, not just one. If a parent is abroad, a notarized no-objection letter plus a separate annexure from that parent are required. Divorced parents with shared custody both need to provide documents; a sole-custody parent must supply the divorce decree, the custody order, and the corresponding annexures.6VFS Global. Minor Checklist – Re-issue of Passport Check the minor-specific checklist on the portal for your destination country before your appointment.
Bringing the Form to Your Appointment
Print two copies of the signed form and bring them along with your biometric instruction letter (if you received one), any government notification letter, and two copies of your passport’s bio data page.2VFS Global. What to Bring With You Place the consent form near the top of your document stack; it’s one of the first things staff check before accepting your file. If you’re mailing your application through an approved courier, the consent form still goes on top.
At intake, staff verify that every required signature field is complete and that the name and passport number on the form match your passport. Blank field or mismatch, and they will not accept the file. You would then need to fix the form and either wait or rebook, so it pays to review every field before you leave home.
What You’re Agreeing to About Your Data
Signing authorizes VFS Global to handle your personal information as a data processor acting on behalf of the destination government, which is the data controller under privacy frameworks like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.7VFS Global. Privacy Notice VFS Global does not decide visas and, per its own policy, does not retain copies of your visa application data after processing. Your contact information stays in its electronic systems for a maximum of 30 days after your travel documents are returned to you.8VFS Global. Privacy Notice
You keep your data protection rights after signing. Under most applicable laws you can request access to the personal data VFS Global holds on you, correct inaccuracies, ask for deletion where legally permitted, and object to certain uses.7VFS Global. Privacy Notice One limit worth knowing: VFS Global cannot give you copies of your actual visa application or the documents you submitted with it. Those sit with the embassy or consulate, and you’d need to go directly to them.9VFS Global. Data Privacy Rights Form