Giving Biometrics in South Africa: The VFS Appointment, Step by Step
Updated 16 August 2026. Somewhere between submitting a permanent-residence application and receiving a decision, IRCC sends a biometrics instruction letter — and for applicants in South Africa that means a visit to a VFS Global visa application centre. It is one of the few steps that must happen in person, so here is the practical-move view.
The published rules
Biometrics — fingerprints and a photo — are required once every ten years for most applicants aged 14 to 79. The instruction letter carries a 30-day deadline, and the appointment cannot be booked before the letter exists: the letter itself is what the centre scans. The fee is CAD $85 per person or CAD $170 for a family applying together, paid to IRCC.
The South African logistics
VFS Global operates Canada visa application centres in South Africa's major cities — Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban have been the long-standing locations; confirm the current list and book on the VFS Canada–South Africa site, since centres and hours change. Bring the instruction letter (printed) and your passport. The visit itself is short — typically under an hour once inside — but appointment availability varies, so book the moment the letter arrives rather than treating 30 days as breathing room. Applicants outside Gauteng, the Western Cape or KwaZulu-Natal should budget a travel day.
Small print worth knowing
Check the letter's names and file numbers against your passport before travelling — mismatches are fixable but not at the counter. VFS offers paid add-on services; none are required to complete biometrics. And no one at a visa application centre can advise on your application — nor can this article: what any request from IRCC means for an individual file is regulated advice for licensed practitioners.
This piece pairs with our post on IRCC's published processing standard — biometrics is the first in-person milestone inside that six-month window. For the whole journey in order, start with our move-to-Canada guide.