How to Fill Out the VFS Courier Form for Passport Delivery

The VFS courier form is a short add-on document you complete at a Visa Application Centre to authorize VFS Global to return your passport by third-party courier and, if you want, send SMS updates while your application is processed. It’s optional, usually one page, and it includes a liability waiver you sign at the bottom. Fill it out in block letters, pay the separate courier and SMS fees, and submit it with your application packet.

Download the Right Version First

There is no single universal form. The layout and required fields differ by corridor, meaning the country you are applying from and the country you are applying to. Go to the VFS Global portal, select your destination country and current location, then look under “Additional Services” or on the documents checklist for the courier and SMS request form PDF. Some centres also hand the form out at the counter, but downloading the correct version ahead of your appointment avoids scrambling on the day.

What to Write in Each Field

Use block capitals throughout. Illegible handwriting is one of the easier ways to slow your own file down.

Reference number. The application reference assigned when you booked your appointment or paid the visa fee. It’s on your appointment confirmation or the VAC invoice.¹
Passport number. Copy it exactly from the biographical page, including any leading zeros or letters.
Full name. First and last name as printed on your passport.
Delivery address. The physical address for courier delivery. Include street, unit or apartment number, city, state or province, and postal code. A P.O. box usually won’t work.
Mobile number. The number where you want SMS alerts. Check the digits twice; a wrong number means no alerts.
SMS opt-in. Some versions ask you to circle YES or NO for text notifications. Choose YES if you want them.²
Visa applied for. The category (tourist, work, study, and so on).

Some corridor-specific versions include extra fields, so read the whole form before you start writing. If a field doesn’t apply to you, write “N/A” rather than leaving it blank, so staff can see you didn’t skip it by accident.

The Liability Waiver at the Bottom

Read the declaration before you sign it. By signing, you authorize VFS Global to hand your passport and documents to a third-party courier, and you agree not to hold VFS Global responsible for loss, misplacement, delay, or damage in transit. The declaration typically limits any claim to whatever compensation the courier company itself pays VFS Global, not the replacement cost of your passport or the value of a trip you miss.³

In practical terms, if the courier loses your passport, VFS Global’s exposure is capped at the courier’s own insurance. Sign the form, then add the place and date. The applicant has to sign personally. If the waiver terms are not something you want to accept, the alternative at many VACs is to collect your passport in person once processing is finished, which does mean an extra trip.

What It Costs

Courier and SMS fees are separate from the visa application fee and the VAC service charge, and they vary widely by corridor. A few current examples for a Canadian visa give a sense of the range:

From India: one-way courier about $14.40; two-way about $28.80.⁴
From the U.S.: one-way $45.00; two-way $91.10.⁵
From Brazil: regular courier from about $19.48, express in remote zones up to $98.51. SMS service alone is $3.00.⁶

Check the “Additional Services” page for your specific corridor before your appointment. Payment methods vary too. Some centres take only cash or debit at the counter, others accept bank drafts, and not every VAC allows online payment for add-on services, so don’t assume you can pay ahead.⁶

One thing to note before you pay: courier fees are non-refundable, even if the visa is denied, you withdraw the application, or the service ends up unused.⁷

How to Submit the Form

You hand in the completed form at the Visa Application Centre, either in person at your biometrics appointment or as part of a mail-in packet. In person, staff review it and take payment at the counter, then generate a receipt.⁴

By mail, include the signed form with any required courier labels. Some corridors, notably U.S.-based applications for Indian visas, require you to supply your own prepaid incoming courier label regardless of whether you also buy VFS Global’s return courier service.⁸

Using Your Own Prepaid Return Label

At some VACs you can skip the VFS Global courier fee entirely and supply your own prepaid return label, which is useful if you already have a FedEx or UPS account and want to control the shipping method. The label has to be prepaid and correctly addressed. The VAC will not cover shipping costs for you.⁸

If Your Application Is Rejected or Incomplete

The courier fee you pay covers delivery of a processed passport. If your application is returned as incomplete or rejected before it reaches the embassy, VFS Global’s courier service generally does not cover that return, and you’ll need to supply your own return label.⁸

Family Members Applying Together

Each applicant’s passport still has to meet individual submission requirements. For Canadian visas, VFS Global tells families not to send a passport until that applicant has received their own passport request letter from IRCC.⁹ In practice you may need a separate form and fee for each family member rather than one shipment for the whole household. Group packaging rules differ by corridor, so check with your VAC.

Tracking and SMS After Submission

Once your file is in the system, check status online through the VFS Global tracking portal using your government reference number (sometimes called an ARN, file number, or application ID) plus your last name or date of birth, depending on the corridor.¹

If you opted in on the form, SMS alerts arrive at key milestones, such as when the file reaches the embassy or when the passport is dispatched for return.² They supplement rather than replace online tracking. For U.S.-based applications to India where the return moves through USPS, delivery can take 10 to 15 business days after dispatch.⁸

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VFS Global. Track an Application
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VFS Global. SMS Alerts
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VFS Global. Courier and SMS Request Form
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VFS Global. Additional Services
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VFS Global. Additional Services
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VFS Global. Additional Services
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VFS Global. Refund Policy
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VFS Global. Courier Label Requirements
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VFS Global. Passport Submission