Terms and Conditions

  • Introduction

    In applying for your visa, VFS Global may provide the services as detailed below. These services will be provided where permitted by the Government of the Country you are applying to visit. These services may not be possible in all countries.

  • Short Messaging Services

    The Short Messaging Service ('SMS') where provided to update the visa applicant on current status of their Application. The SMS is based on the information provided by the Embassy.

    The time to deliver the SMS is dependent on several factors such as upon the traffic on the mobile network and whether the visa applicant mobile phone is within reach and switched on and cannot therefore be guaranteed by VFS Global. VFS Global is not a mobile network operator and does not guarantee the delivery of SMS text messages.

    The visa applicant confirms that they have provided an accurate mobile number for receiving SMS. The visa applicant confirms that they are the owner or the legitimate user of the mobile device or phone. The visa applicant acknowledges that using another person's mobile phone or providing inaccurate mobile phone number or the unauthorized use of mobile phone number for receiving the SMS, may entail disclosure of visa applicant‘s confidential information which disclosure shall be at the sole risk of the visa applicant.

    The SMS services, once purchased, will be available to the visa applicant from the time of application until the completion of processing of the application, or such other period as VFS Global may advise via our local websites. VFS Global reserves the right to withdraw this service at any time and without notice.

    The visa applicant must not use (or permit any third party to use) the SMS service to send any message or communication which is spam, illegal, offensive, abusive, indecent, obscene or menacing or causes annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety or infringes the rights of third parties. VFS Global reserves the right to withdraw the SMS service to such visa applicant if the visa applicant is in breach of these terms and conditions. VFS Global may also withdraw the SMS services if VFS Global in its sole discretion apprehends that the SMS service is being used for such purposes.

    For operational reasons VFS Global may vary the technical specification of the SMS services without notice. In the event of any change to the SMS services these terms and conditions are to be treated as varied accordingly.

    The visa applicant acknowledges that the SMS services may, at any time, be adversely affected by problems with the visa applicant’s mobile phone network, force majeure events including, without limitation, interference to the network coverage. VFS Global is not responsible or liable to the visa applicant for any loss, damage or expenses incurred directly or indirectly by the visa applicant as a result of any difficulties experienced by the visa applicant‘s mobile phone service provider. Subject to the constraints described within this paragraph, VFS Global shall carry out the services with reasonable care and skill.

    If the visa applicant does not receive SMS services, the visa applicant should inform VFS Global through email or Helpline numbers mentioned on our contact us page.

    To use the services, the visa applicant should refer to the instructions available on the local website. The visa applicant agrees to comply with all instructions we may give concerning the SMS services, including any security instructions. We will be entitled to treat any failure by visa applicant themselves to comply with these instructions as a breach of these terms and conditions, which will entitle us to deny visa applicant access to the SMS services.

    The visa applicant is responsible for paying charges for the message origination. Charges once paid for SMS service will not be refunded under any circumstances.

    The visa applicant shall at its sole risk be responsible for taking all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized persons gaining access to the Services.

    VFS Global may in its sole discretion temporarily suspend the provision of the SMS services if such provision could materially affect the quality of any telecommunications service, including the SMS services provided by VFS Global.

    VFS Global specifically excludes all liability of any kind (including negligence) in respect of any third party information or other material made available on, or which can be accessed using SMS text services.

    This terms and conditions are governed by the law of the country of operation and both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the country of operation.

  • Interview Scheduling

    Certain Diplomatic Missions may require the Applicant’s to attend a personal interview. Applicants will be required to provide their application reference number and/or certain personal information such as family name, given name, date of birth, phone number, street address, email address, application date, and passport etc. number for the purposes of uniquely identifying the applicant.

    All such information, posted, furnished and submitted by the Applicant while scheduling an interview appointment will be communicated to the respective Diplomatic Mission having jurisdiction to receive such application/s.

    Certain data and information related to visa applications received by VFS GLOBAL is presently stored/ hosted at data centre/s, details of which are in our Privacy Notice

    The data captured by VFS Global in its systems for processing of visa applications from the European Union is stored within the European Union (EU) boundary. The data of applicants other than that from the EU may be stored in VFS Global systems either within the EU boundary at our data centre in UK (London) or at our data centre in India (Mumbai).

    This information may be used, disclosed by VFS Global for performing its various obligations towards respective Diplomatic Missions and will be purged within 30 (thirty) days from the date of receipt by VFS Global.

  • VFS Global website may contain links to third party sites promoting various products and/or services that VFS Global does not own or operate. These links to websites are in nature of paid advertising and are not verified by VFS Global.

    These links are provided for convenient access. Access to these links is voluntary and does not indicate that VFS Global endorses it or is associated with any of these other third party websites. Users are requested to use these links at their own discretion, risk and cost when dealing with these websites and neither VFS Global nor its officers, employees, agents shall have any responsibility or liability of any nature whatsoever for these other third party websites/links or any other information contained in them.

  • Spam

    VFS Global does not tolerate spam.

    VFS Global website/s or communication tools shall not be used to send spam or otherwise send content that would violate the terms and conditions of VFS Global user agreement.

    VFS Global filters and automatically scans messages for viruses and other illegal or prohibited content before they are sent.

    To report any issues related to spam or spoof emails to VFS Global, please address e-mails to communications@vfsglobal.com.

    VFS Global does not permanently store email messages sent to or from us. . VFS Global does not rent or sell any email addresses to third parties.

    it is not permitted to license, add, modify, deface, hack, misuse or abuse VFS Global’ website or the contents therein.

  • Fraudulent Recruitment / Employment Offers

    It has come to VFS Global’s attention that, individuals misrepresenting themselves as VFS Global’ agents or representatives have approached people to offer fraudulent/fictitious employment opportunities, with the intent to steal personal information or solicit money from people. VFS Global encourage the Visa Applicant/user to exercise caution and common sense when receiving any such employment offer, which requires payment of any fees/money, or promises a work visa in exchange for money. The said offers are completely fake and not valid. VFS Global is not a Recruitment agency and does not offer recruitment services. Scammers operate primarily via the internet, email, phone etc. VFS Global warns people to beware of such scams.

    Please be advised that, VFS Global is a visa processing company and works only with government and diplomatic missions to fulfil their administrative requirements of visa application processing. Neither VFS Global nor its representatives will ask for money from individuals under any circumstances to lure them with employment opportunities either in VFS Global or outside. If you receive any offer that purports to be from VFS Global, which ask for money, these types of offers are fraudulent.

    Warning signs of recruitment fraud.

    The following are some examples of recruitment fraud which are in violation of VFS Global’s processes and ethical practices:

    • The email is not sent from an official VFS Global e-mail address but from a free e-mail service such as: Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc. It is also possible that, the email is sent from a fake email address.
    • The Visa Applicant/Users are asked to disclose private or confidential information.
    • The Visa Applicant/Users are asked to be interviewed over the phone or via an instant-messenger type program.
    • The Visa Applicant/Users are requested to pay fees/money.
    • The Visa Applicant/Users are requested to complete bogus recruitment documentations such as an application or employment visa forms, (the VFS Global name and logo could be forged/fabricated and featured on the documentation without authority).
    • Insistence on urgency.
    • Money will be requested for processing Work Permits, Visa applications or the like.

    Such actions are presumably intended to defraud or obtain personal information from the victims.

    The activities of these individuals involve criminal and civil liabilities. While VFS Global takes such matter seriously and reserves its right to contact competent law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute such illegal activities, it is often difficult to locate and prosecute these individuals.

    Therefore, if the Visa Applicant/Users receive a request, either in writing or verbally, for an interview or a job offer that is believed to be or might be fraudulent or suspicious, VFS Global urges the users to disregard them and verify the same with VFS Global at communications@vfsglobal.com

    If the Visa Applicant/Users come to know that a fraud is being perpetrated, VFS Global encourages to forthwith contact the local police and/or any competent authorities and also to keep VFS Global informed by reporting the fraud to our Compliance officer at acco@vfsglobal.com

    Under no circumstances will VFS Global be liable or responsible for any loss, damages, expenses or inconvenience resulting from these unauthorized persons and/or activities.

    • Changes to this Terms of Use

      Please be advised that the Terms of Use of the website may be updated from time to time without any notice and thus Users/ Applicants to regularly visit VFS Global website to access the latest policy statement.

    • Contact Us

      For any questions about these Terms of use or the practices described herein, please contact us to our regional offices for more information http://www.vfsglobal.com/