Australian Visa Biometrics for Applicants in India: What Changed on 26 October 2026

From 26 October 2026, people applying for an Australian visa in India may be required to give biometrics: a facial image and fingerprints. The expanded requirement applies to visa applications lodged from 26 October 2026, not to applications already submitted.

You do not need to do anything until the Department of Home Affairs tells you to. If it does, its letter explains what to do: either an appointment at an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) or, for eligible applicants, the Australian Immi App. This guide covers which route applies to you, the fee and the 16 centres in India, exactly what to bring, how the app works screen by screen, and how to fix the problems that cause delays.

The Australian High Commission in New Delhi announced the change on 26 October 2026. Australia is expanding its biometric collection requirements to nearly 60 countries, including India.

Only the Department can require biometrics. Under the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994, you may be required to provide “personal identifiers”, which include your fingerprints and an image of your face and are also known as biometrics. The request comes as a letter titled Requirement to provide personal identifiers (biometrics), with a Visa Lodgement Number (VLN) and a barcode.

How to read your letter. Based on Department of Home Affairs guidance, October 2026. Your letter has the final say.

• If your VLN does not start with “AUI”, you must attend an ABCC in person.
• To use the Australian Immi App, you need a letter with a VLN starting with “AUI” and a valid passport. The High Commission describes the app option as being for eligible applicants who have previously given biometrics at an ABCC. If you have never done so, follow your letter.

ABCCs in India are run by VFS Global, the Department’s contracted service partner. The figures below are from VFS Global’s centre pages, checked on 27 October 2026. Fees can change, so confirm the amount shown when you book.

How to book

• Online (VFS’s preferred option): through VFS Global’s booking page. You need your VLN and your visa subclass number, both on your letter. You can book up to 10 applicants at once.
• By phone, through VFS Global’s contact centre, including when the online system fails or you cannot reschedule online.
• In person at any ABCC during business hours. The centre books a return visit from the next business day.

Booking rules to know

• Confirmation: you receive an appointment confirmation letter by email. If it does not arrive, use “Re-send Confirmation Letter” or “Print Appointment Letter” in Manage Appointment, and keep your payment receipt, which VFS says may be used as proof of payment.
• Rescheduling: through Manage Appointment, VFS Global’s contact centre or any ABCC. You can reschedule up to two times, and at least one business day before your appointment.
• Missed appointment: if you miss it without rescheduling at least one business day ahead, you must book a new appointment.
• Booking problems: VFS Global’s contact centre, or email info.ausind@vfshelpline.com. VFS does not answer visa questions.

All 16 ABCCs in India

Panaji and Puducherry open one day a week, as published by VFS Global. Check each centre’s public-holiday and closure notices on its VFS Global page before you travel. The finder above links to each centre’s page, or to the VFS centre list where no page was available.

Bring the original, valid travel document linked to your visa application, which for most applicants is their passport. VFS lists the accepted travel documents as a valid passport, Certificate of Identity, ImmiCard, UNHCR Identity Card or Convention Travel Document (Titre de Voyage). Without a valid travel document, VFS will generally not be able to collect your biometrics.

At the centre

• Staff take an image of your face with a digital camera and scan all 10 fingertips.
• Your face must be visible from the bottom of your chin to above your eyebrows, including both cheeks and both ears.
• You may be asked to remove glasses or a religious head covering. You can ask for this to happen in private and with someone of the same gender.
• If you are missing a finger, staff collect prints from your remaining fingers.

Centre security rules (VFS Global)

• Only applicants enter, plus a parent or guardian for a minor and helpers for elderly, infirm or disabled applicants.
• One airline cabin-size bag (55 × 35 × 20 cm) per applicant. Larger bags cannot be taken inside. The centre cannot store prohibited items such as sharp objects and aerosols; some centres may have paid cloakrooms or lockers for other items, so check with your centre first.
• Phones must be on silent and put away at the counter. No photography, video or audio recording.
• Bags and people may be searched, in private, gender-specific areas where possible.

The Department requires a parent or guardian to attend with anyone who is a minor under the law of the country where biometrics are collected, or who cannot understand what biometrics are for. For applicants under 18, VFS Global asks the accompanying adult to bring:

• Biological parent: the child’s birth certificate naming the parents, plus the parent’s passport or original government-issued photo ID.
• Adoptive parent: a copy of the adoption order, the child’s ID document, plus the parent’s passport or original government photo ID.
• Legal guardian: a copy of the court orders, the child’s ID document, plus the guardian’s passport or original government-issued photo ID.

If names or details differ between documents, bring proof such as a marriage or name-change certificate. VFS will not serve a minor who is unaccompanied or whose relationship to the adult is not proved.

Each family member has their own letter and VLN. You can book up to 10 people in one VFS group booking.

The Australian Immi App is available to eligible applicants in India and a list of other countries. It collects your passport details and a live facial image; it does not take fingerprints. Our advice: download it only from the Apple App Store or Google Play, where you can also check your phone is compatible.

Before you start, you need your letter with an AUI VLN and a valid passport. Your iOS or Android phone needs a steady mobile or Wi-Fi connection, and the app must be allowed to use the camera, NFC (the phone’s contactless reader, which reads your passport chip) and location services.

What the screens look like

Left to right: step 1, enter your VLN or scan the letter’s barcode; step 3, check every detail against your passport (sample data); step 5, add an optional email and submit. Images: Department of Home Affairs, Australian Immi App page, combined and resized by Global Migrations. © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU.

Once the final screen confirms submission, you do not need to attend an ABCC. The app does not store your data after submission. The official app page does not explain how children complete the app, so follow each family member’s letter.

Still stuck? VFS Global does not answer visa questions. For those, the High Commission lists the Visa/Citizenship helpline as +61 2 6196 0196. This is an Australian number; the listed hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm “local time”. You can also use the Department’s Global Service Centre.

The Department uses biometrics to identify you, which helps protect you from identity fraud, make travel to Australia safer and secure the border. It may check them with other Australian or international agencies to verify your identity, criminal history and immigration history, and may take them again when you enter Australia or apply for another visa. They are stored in a secure database that only authorised officers can access, under the Migration Act and the Privacy Act. Details: the Department’s Privacy Policy, Form 1442i Privacy Notice and Form 1243i Your personal identifying information.

As at 27 October 2026, the Department’s Biometrics and Australian Immi App pages, the High Commission notice and VFS Global’s India pages did not state:

• any exemptions from giving biometrics, for example for diplomatic passport holders. If you think one applies, follow your letter and ask the Department;
• a deadline for giving biometrics. Your letter sets the instructions for your case;
• which visa types or applicants will be asked. The High Commission says it depends on individual circumstances; or
• how children use the Australian Immi App.

We have not filled these gaps with guesses. For current median processing times, see the Department’s visa processing times.

1. Lodge your application as normal. Nothing is required before the Department asks.
2. When the letter arrives, check its details against your passport and read your VLN.
3. Book your ABCC appointment with VFS Global, or complete the app, as soon as you can.
4. Take everything on the appointment-day checklist.

Biometrics are one step in an application. If you want help with the rest, see our guidance for visitor visas, student visas and partner visas.

This is general information, not personal migration advice. Whether a particular rule applies to your situation depends on your own circumstances. Global Migrations is the trading name of Global Migration & Education Solutions (ABN 22 998 014 414); our registered migration agent is Ranbir Singh, MARN 1069570. We are not the Australian Government, are not affiliated with VFS Global, and do not collect biometrics.