• Disclaimer
• Refund Policy
• Supply of Services Terms
• Beware of fraudulent job offers

Disclaimer

VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd (hereinafter, “VFS Global”)

UK Visa Application Centres

Version: 30 January 2014

• Important Notes:

  VFS Global recommends that you do not purchase tickets or make bookings which cannot be cancelled without cost prior to the issuance of a visa, except where it is a specific requirement stated as part of the visa application.

  These terms and conditions should be read in conjunction with the general website terms and conditions which can be found here (the “Website Terms”) which shall also govern your use of the website and the services provided to you by VFS Global.

  Except where covered in our refund policy which can be found here, all fees are non-refundable, and may be retained by us on payment by you, even if you do not make or proceed with a visa application, and whether or not a visa is ultimately granted.

  You are responsible for the accuracy of your application form, and in checking your application form we do not guarantee that we will find any errors, and we do not verify information you have provided.

• Service Provider

  The UK visa application services described on this website are provided by VFS Global. Our corporate head office is at Level 5 Portland House, Bressenden Place London, SW1E 5BH. United Kingdom

• Application of these terms and conditions

  These terms and conditions together with the Website Terms govern your use of the UK visa application services provided by VFS Global, all visa applications you make, and all enquiries you make for advice or information concerning UK visas. Each applicant for a visa hereby accepts and confirms that, prior to submitting a visa application; they have read, understood and agreed to be bound by, without limitation or qualification, all of these terms and conditions. No employee of VFS Global has any authority whatsoever to change, amend, amplify or withdraw any or all of these terms and conditions without prior written approval from VFS Global.

• The Visa Application Service

  • Scope

    VF Worldwide Holding Limited (a member of VFS Global’ s corporate group) is the outsourced partner of the Secretary of State for the Home Department acting through UK visas and immigration (“UKVI”). In this capacity, VFS Global (through its visa application centres (“VACs”) is responsible for scheduling appointments, receipt of visa applications for travel to the UK and visa fees, submission of applications, collecting processed passports and returning passports back to visa applicants.

  • Acceptance and Rejection of Applications

    The assessment of visa applications itself is not carried out by VFS Global (or any member of its group) and the grant or refusal of UK visas is at the sole discretion of UK visas and immigration. UK visas and immigration reserve the right to ask for further documentation and information from the visa applicant, and to refuse any visa application. The visa applicant must supply such further documents and information if they wish their application to continue to be considered.

  • Fees

    The fees payable by you comprise the visa application fee for the visa, which we forward on to UK visas and immigration, and our fees (as further detailed at click here

    Fees stated are only valid on the day that they are quoted or provided by us. If you decide to make your application on a later date, the fees may change.

    All costs of returning passports, visas and documents to you are included in the final total fee based on information provided by you and the delivery methods selected by you.

    All fees must be received in full under the available payment options as cleared funds for the application to be processed. Where applicable, if fees are paid by cheque (or other negotiable instrument) then the payment will not be considered to have been received until such cheque or negotiable instrument has cleared.

    Except where covered in our refund policy (which can be viewed here (the “Refund Policy”), all fees are not refundable, and all fees are payable and may be retained by us on payment by you, even if you do not make or proceed with a visa application, and whether or not a visa is ultimately granted.

  • General Obligation

    VFS Global will process all visa applications with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with all procedures prescribed by UK visas and immigration from time to time. However, whilst we use reasonable care to check your application form for obvious errors on the face of the form, we do not guarantee to detect errors with your form, and we do not undertake to verify any information you provide, which you are responsible for ensuring is accurate.

  • Applicant's Responsibility

    It is the responsibility of all applicants to complete all applications forms truthfully, to provide correct and accurate information and documentation, to ensure that they have a valid passport, and on receipt of a visa, to check the validity of the visa issued to ensure that it covers the period of stay requested, the number or entries required, and that it is valid for the purpose of the trip.

    Applicants are requested to submit/send photocopies of the supporting documents (not the originals) unless originals are requested.

  • Processing Times

    The processing times for visa applications (including priority and super priority applications) are estimates only and VFS Global cannot be held responsible for delays that arise which are out of VFS Global ‘s control.

    The processing of your application is subject to the procedures and timescales of UK visas and immigration, over which we have no control.

  • Advertising Material

    Advertising material may be included along with passports or other documents when they are returned to the applicant. If you do not wish to receive any such advertising material, you should notify VFS Global in advance at the time of submission of your visa application. Please note that all advertising material accompanying the relevant documents is provided by VFS Global, and does not have the endorsement of UK visas and immigration.

    Once you have sent us your application, be deemed to have accepted that we begin to provide service immediately and as a result you will not have the right to cancel under the Consumer Protection Regulations (Distance Selling) from United Kingdom 2000.

  • Changes to Procedures and Fees

    The procedures and fees of UK visas and immigration for the processing of visas and related services are outside the control of VFS Global and subject to change without prior notice. VFS Global does not accept responsibility for any changes in procedures or fees and reserves the right to pass on any increased fees.

  • Cancellation

    Subject to the following paragraph, if you commence a visa application process, including by submitting an online application, you may be entitled to cancel your application before your visa application is posted or otherwise forwarded by us to UK visas and immigration. Any application for a refund shall be administered and considered in accordance with the Refund Policy

    If you commence a visa application process, including by submitting an online application, but do not complete the visa application process, including where you fail to send your visa application documentation to us or to attend in person at a visa application centre to complete your visa application, within 12 months of commencing the visa application process, then your visa application shall be considered to be ended and we may retain all fees paid by you. We shall not be obliged to notify you of this.

    Your right above is the only cancellation right you have. Once you have submitted your application to us, you will be taken to have agreed that we may immediately commence processing your application and providing any services, and as a result you will not have any right to cancel under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. This is because, under Regulation 13(1)(a), you lose your right to cancel if you agree that we can start providing the services within the cancellation period.

  • Loss or damage to passports and other travel documents

    VFS Global takes every reasonable precaution while handling a visa applicant's passport & documents, and if due to any breach of contract or negligence on the part of VFS Global, the visa applicant's submitted passport or documents are lost or damaged beyond a useable condition, then VFS Global will pay to the visa applicant the amount of any reasonable fees charged by the government of the visa applicant's home country, for the replacement of the lost or damaged passport or other documents through their normal replacement procedure, and VFS Global will assist the visa applicant with the same within its capacity. Such payments will be made by VFS Global to the visa applicant on the presentation of the payment receipt issued by the government of their respective home country for the replacement of such lost or damaged passport or documents.

• Disclaimer - Please read carefully

  Except for the refund or reimbursements of fees as stated in the Refund Policy, VFS Global excludes its liability in connection with any visa applications, including liability in or under contract, negligence, tort, statute or otherwise howsoever arising, and including liability for any delay or failure of VFS Global in handling or processing visa applications, loss of or delay to passports and other documents, delays involving UK visas and immigration, and rejections of visa applications for any reason. And for the avoidance of doubt:

  • No Liability for Incorrect Information

    VFS Global shall have no liability for loss, delays or non-issuance of any application arising from or in connection with (to include but not restricted to) incomplete application forms, incorrectly or falsely completed application forms, and inaccurate or incomplete supporting documentation.

  • No Liability for Events Not In Our Control

    VFS Global shall not be considered to be in breach of contract or negligent or otherwise liable in any way for any delay or failure of any application or loss, damage or delay to any passport or other documents due to accident, theft, natural calamities (act of god) or any other reason outside the control of, and not arising out of a wilful default of, VFS Global, or for the loss or damage to any passport or other document after it has been handed over to the visa applicant.

  • No Liability for Postal and Courier Service

    VFS Global shall have no liability for any delays, or for loss of or damage to any visa application, passport or other documents, caused by, or occurring whilst any application, passport or document is in the possession of, any third party postal or courier service, including transportation of visa applications, passport or other documents between VFS Global and UK visas and immigration; and when being returned by VFS Global to the visa applicant.

  • No Liability for Assessment of Visa Applications

    VFS Global is not involved in the process of assessment of visa applications, or their grant or refusal, and shall not be liable or responsible for any delay by UK visas and immigration in assessing, granting or refusing any visa application or for the grant or rejection of any visa application.

  • No Liability for Wasted Costs and Expenses

    VFS Global shall have no liability to any visa applicant, or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application, for any commitment, cost or expenditure incurred in reliance on or anticipation of receiving a UK visa, whether within a particular timescale or at all, including but not limited to air travel, hotel, and other travel and accommodation arrangements, and any other arrangements made.

    VFS Global recommends that you do not purchase tickets or make bookings which cannot be cancelled prior to the issuance of a visa, except where it is a specific requirement stated as part of the visa application, in which case open tickets should be obtained.

  • General Exclusion of Loss and Damage

    VFS Global shall have no liability (including in contract or for negligence) to any visa applicant, or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application, for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential damages or any damages whatsoever, including where caused by delay, misplacement, loss or damage of visa applications, passports and other documents, other than as stated in Section 5 above.

    VFS Global shall have no liability (including in contract or for negligence) to any visa applicant or any other person relying on or benefiting from any visa application for any loss of profit, revenue, or contract, or business, profession, or other occupation, including where caused by delay, misplacement, loss or damage of visa applications, passports and other documents.

• General

  • Third Party Rights

    Nothing in these terms and conditions shall benefit or be enforceable by any person other than the visa applicant, and it is not intended that a third party should have the right to enforce any provision of these terms and conditions pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999..

  • Changes to these terms

    VFS Global, in its sole discretion, may change, amend, cancel or withdraw any or all of these terms and conditions at any time without any prior notice.

  • Applicable Law

    These terms and conditions, any visa applications and any disputes or claims whatsoever relating to them shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any claims or disputes arising in relation to the services provided by VFS Global to the applicant shall be subject to the exclusive Jurisdiction of the courts in England and Wales.

• Complaints

  Please address any complaints, suggestion or appreciations to: Ukvi.feedback.br@vfshelpline.com

Refund Policy

Notice to all Visa Applicants:

It is important that You read this Refund Policy carefully. Certain services provided to Applicants are provided directly by the UK Government Home Office and shall be entirely non-refundable once an Application has been made. You should familiarise yourself with the terms of this Refund Policy prior to purchasing any services.

• Interpretation:

  Unless otherwise defined, defined terms in this Refund Policy shall have the meaning given to them in the Website Terms and Conditions and/or the Services Terms and Conditions.

  • Application: means a form to be completed by an applicant requesting the provision of Services and/or application for a visa from the Authority which is part of the UK Government submitted along with a passport and supporting documents.
  • Authority: means the Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department
  • Chargeback: means where an Applicant using the online payment portal makes a complaint to his/her card issuer bank that a transaction is disputed and/or fraudulent.
  • Service Fees: means the fees payable by You for the Services purchased in accordance with the Services Terms and Conditions.
  • Issuing Bank: means the bank who has issued card to You as card holder.
  • Non-Refundable Services: means any Services which are not specified as Refundable Services.
  • Refundable Services: means those Services eligible for refund pursuant to Clause 1, Section B.
  • Refund Eligibility Criteria: means the criteria set out at Section D.
  • Refund Request Form: means a form with requested information to initiate a refund which can be located and downloaded at click here
  • Services: means any of the following: the Super Priority Services; Priority Service; Premium Lounge; Prime Time; Courier; and Passport pass back (each as more fully described online at: click here
  • Services Terms and Conditions: means the terms and conditions for the use of the payment portal and provision of the Services which are available to view at www.vfsglobal.co.uk/Global
  • Transaction Charges: means any fees levied by a bank or financial institution upon processing a valid refund request to Applicants which may vary from case to case.
  • “Us”: means VFS Global Services plc. whose principal place of business is at [to be inserted] or any party acting on Our implicit instructions (with "Our" being construed accordingly).
  • "You" includes the person requesting the Services or any party acting on such person's instructions (and "Your" shall be construed accordingly).
  • Website: means our website, the address of which is www.vfsglobal.co.uk/Global
  • Website Terms and Conditions: means the terms and conditions of use of the Website available to view at www.vfsglobal.co.uk/Global

• General Refund Conditions:

  Please read the Refund Policy carefully as it will give You information and guidelines regarding the Refund Process, as applicable for the Services provided by Us to You.

  • The following Services are eligible for refund:

    • Premium Lounge/
    • Courier; and
    • Passport pass back,(the “Refundable Services”)
  • This list of Refundable Services and the remaining terms of this Refund Policy are subject to change by Us and in the event of any amendments, We shall make a suitable announcement on the Website. The changes will apply after We have given notice. If You do not wish to accept the revised policy, You should not continue to use the Services. If You continue to use the Services after the date on which the change comes into effect, your use of the Services indicates your agreement to be bound by the new Refund Policy
  • An Applicant who has paid for a Refundable Service may request an online refund in accordance with the eligibility criteria as further set out in the Refund Eligibility Criteria.
  • Refunds of Service Fees will only be considered where the Applicant satisfies the Refund Eligibility Criteria in full. Where the Applicant fails to meet any of the Refund Eligibility Criteria, We shall have the right in our sole discretion to decline the request for a refund.
  • To apply for a refund, You must fully complete and submit a Refund Request Form at the following address: click here.
  • We shall process your Refund Request Form following receipt as soon as is reasonably practicable. Response times will vary depending on the mode of payment and stated reasons for request a refund of the Service Fees. In any event, We shall notify You of the outcome of the request in accordance with the timescales set out in Section D below.
  • The refund will only be approved or rejected post verification by Us.
  • Any Transaction Charges which arise upon processing a refund of Service Fees shall be borne solely by the Applicant. Transaction Charges will be deducted from the final amount to be refunded.
  • By filling the Refund Request Form, the payment of refund of Service Fees is not guaranteed.

• Refund Eligibility Criteria:

  • All requests for refund or cancellation of a Service(s) will only be accepted where notice is received by Us no later than 48 hours prior to the appointment time and such notice shall be provided to Us by completing the Refund Request Form and sending this to click here.
  • Your Application is finalised once You have submitted Your completed Application and paid the specified Service Fees for the relevant Services. Due to the administrative costs incurred to process Applications, should You wish to withdraw or cancel Your Application after it has been finalised, You may only get a refund of the Refundable Services provided that (a) You have not given your biometric data, and (b) We have not commenced processing your Application.
  • In case of cancellation or withdrawal of Application or service, refund will be processed in the same method as payment was made for these services. E.g. if payment was made via use of credit or debit card, refund will also be done via a credit/debit card.
  • Unless agreed with Us, where Your Application requires You to submit biometric data, if You have paid the Service Fees in respect of Your Application but have not undertaken and completed an appointment to supply Your biometric data within 3 months and seven days of submitting Your valid Application, Your Application will be deemed to have been processed and You will not be eligible for a refund of the Service Fees.
  • Under no circumstances will We be under any obligation to consider a refund of Service Fees for Non-Refundable Services. If You wish to seek a refund for Non-Refundable Services, You must contact the Authority directly. Contact details can be provided upon request. In no event will a refund be given due to a visa application refusal.

• Refund processing timeline:

  • Applicant shall post the Refund Request Form as instructed therein;
  • Within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of the Refund Request From, We shall contact You to request any further information (if required) and You shall provide such information as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event no later than fourteen (14) days following such request;
  • Within fifteen (15) days following the receipt of any additional information requested by Us (or where no further information is requested, thirty (30) days from receipt of Your Refund Request Form), We shall notify You by e-mail of the decision on whether a refund shall be made.
  • Refunds of Service Fees will be processed within twenty one (21) days from the date of notifying You of the decision.

  • Your Application will be invalidated and You will have no recourse to a refund of the Service Fees if:

    • You fail to make payment of the applicable Service Fee to Us once it has become due;
    • when requested by Us to do so, You fail to provide Us with information to enable Us to determine either the accuracy and validity of any information supplied by You, or Your identity, in relation to your Application;
    • We suspect You have, or are, engaged in, or have in any way been involved in, fraudulent or illegal activity on the Website.

• Chargebacks:

  • Should You wish to withdraw or cancel your Application, You should confirm whether You are eligible for a refund of the Service Fees. Any refunds should be claimed in accordance with the procedure set out in this Refund Policy.

  • We expect You to contact Us using our online feedback form to resolve any problem or issue related to your Application and payment, before You make any Chargeback request. This Section does not affect any rights which You may have against the issuer of a debit or credit card.

    We will investigate any Chargeback requests made by You and in response will inform Your Issuing Bank whether any services has been cancelled.

  • This Refund Policy will be amended from time to time if there is any change in the legislation or upon the mandate of the Authority.

Supply of Services Terms

These terms (which are referred to as the “Services Terms & Conditions” in the General Terms & Conditions) relate to the paid-for services supplied to you through the Company Site and should be read in conjunction with the General Terms & Conditions which shall also apply

For the purposes of these terms, the “Services” may include but shall not be limited to one or more of the following services which are offered on the Website

• Super Priority Services;
• Priority Service;
• Premium Lounge;
• Prime Time;
• Courier; and
• Passport pass back,

Each of which are described in further detail at:

www.vfsglobal.co.uk/Global

The Company shall be entitled to offer additional services to which these terms shall apply at any time Prices and Payment

• Depending on the Services you wish to purchase, your order of Services is an offer to purchase Services from either (a) the Company or (b) the UK government for whom we collect payment on the Website only. The Services will be made available to you once your payment has been authorised. There will be no contract of any kind between you and us unless and until you make authorised payment for the Service. At any point up until then, we may decline to supply the Services to you without giving any reason
• The fees for the Services (the “Service Fees”) are calculated and payable in advance as set out here. The Company shall be under no obligation to provide the requested Service until the applicable Service Fee has been paid.
• Where applicable, prices shall state where any additional taxes are applicable and payable by you.
• Your credit/debit card details will be encrypted to minimise the possibility of unauthorised access or disclosure. Authority for payment must be given at the time of placing your order Using the Services
• The Company shall provide an online application and payment portal to support the delivery of the UK government’s visa application services to visa applicants as more fully described on the Company Site here which shall facilitate the provision of the Services to you
• The Company warrants that it has the right to provide the Services and will use all reasonable skill and care in making the Services available to you and in ensuring their availability. Because of the number of sources from which the Company obtains the content for the Services and because of the nature of the Internet, errors and omissions do occur and the Company does not give any other warranties in respect of the Services
• The Company is continually seeking to improve the Services. The Company reserves the right, at its discretion, to make changes to any part of the Services provided that it does not materially reduce their content or functionality. No Commercial Use The Services are intended for and shall only be available for non-commercial and domestic use by individual visa applicants. The Company reserves the right to refuse orders from businesses or that we consider are for commercial or other non-domestic concerns. You may not re-sell the Services without the prior written consent of the Company Cancellation and Termination
• Once you have paid for the Services, we shall make the Services available to you. You are not able to cancel any purchase of Services after the Services are made available other than in accordance with these terms.
• Your access to the Services may be terminated by written notice if you are in material breach of these terms and the breach is not remedied within the period of 3 days after written notice of the breach has been given to you. If we reasonably believe your breach of these terms affects our lawful operation of the Services or third party customers we may suspend your access to the Services at any time. Fees and Refunds Policy
• You shall only be able to cancel or apply for a refund of any Service Fees in accordance with the refund policy set out in Annex A to these terms (the “Refund Policy”)
• The disclaimer policy set out at here (the “Disclaimer”) is hereby incorporated and shall apply to the provision of any Services but in the event of any conflict between the terms of the Disclaimer and these terms, these terms shall prevail.
• Use of the Services (in particular, the Super Priority and Priority Services) does not imply or guarantee in any way that your visa application will be successful. Notwithstanding the use of any of the Services, all visa applicants must qualify against the requirements of the UK immigration rules.
• UK Visa and Immigration strongly recommends that visa applicants with any form of adverse immigration history do not use the Super Priority Services or the Priority Services. This includes anyone who has been previously refused a visa for the UK, been refused leave to enter the UK, been previously deported, removed, or otherwise required to leave the UK, has overstayed a period of leave in the UK, or has been refused leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office.
• You will receive a confirmation of your payment by email, as well as an on screen confirmation, after You make payment of the Fee
• The Refund Policy appended hereto as an Annex shall apply to [Fees] payable by visa applicants pursuant to this Agreement. Limitation on liability
• The liability for the Company to you under these terms for any losses relating to or arising in connection with Services provided to you under these terms and whether based on an action or claim in contract, negligence, tort, misrepresentation (other than fraudulent misrepresentation) breach of statutory duty or otherwise shall be limited to an amount equal to the Service Fees paid by you in connection with the Services to which such claim relates.

Beware of fraudulent job offers

We know that criminals have posed as VFS Global representatives in order to steal personal information or money from people. If you receive a job offer by email or phone which requires payment, or promises a work visa in exchange for money, this is a scam. VFS Global is not a recruitment agency and does not offer recruitment services.

VFS Global is a visa processing company and we work only with government and diplomatic missions.

If you receive an offer asking for money that claims to be from VFS Global, do not respond or send money.

How criminals may contact you

You should be suspicious if:

• the email you receive is from a free email service such as Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo, or from a fake email address. We will only contact you using an official VFS Global email address
• you are asked to disclose private or confidential information
• you are asked to be interviewed over the phone or via an instant messenger
• you are asked to pay fees or money as soon as possible
• you are requested to complete fake recruitment documents, such as an application or employment visa forms (the VFS Global name and logo could be forged or fabricated and featured on the documentation without authority)

These actions are intended to defraud or obtain personal information from their victims.

What to do if you suspect you have been targeted

If you receive a request, either in writing or verbally, for an interview or a job offer that you believe could be fraudulent or suspicious, do not respond. You can also check the request with us by emailing communications@vfsglobal.com

Victim of fraud

If you believe you are a victim of fraud you can report the incident to your local police office or email acco@vfsglobal.com

VFS Global takes such matters seriously and reserves its right to contact law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute illegal or criminal activities.

Under no circumstances will VFS Global be liable or responsible for any loss, damages, expenses or inconvenience resulting from unauthorised activities.