Article 13 — Biometric identifiers
Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009
What does VISA-CODE Article 13 say?
Short answer, straight from the official text
1. Member States shall collect biometric identifiers of the applicant comprising a photograph of him and his 10 fingerprints in accordance with the safeguards laid down in the Council of Europe’s Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union …
Source: Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, read 2026-10-13.
| In the act | EC 810/2009 |
| CELEX | 32009R0810 |
| Read on | 2026-10-13 |
Official text
Read from the EU Publications Office for this CELEX number. The wording stands as published; nothing here is rewritten or summarised.
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1. Member States shall collect biometric identifiers of the applicant comprising a photograph of him and his 10 fingerprints in accordance with the safeguards laid down in the Council of Europe’s Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
2. At the time of submission of the first application, the applicant shall be required to appear in person. At that time, the following biometric identifiers of the applicant shall be collected:
— a photograph, scanned or taken at the time of application, and
— his 10 fingerprints taken flat and collected digitally.
3. Where fingerprints collected from the applicant as part of an earlier application were entered in the VIS for the first time less than 59 months before the date of the new application, they shall be copied to the subsequent application.
However, where there is reasonable doubt regarding the identity of the applicant, the consulate shall collect fingerprints within the period specified in the first subparagraph.
Furthermore, if at the time when the application is lodged, it cannot be immediately confirmed that the fingerprints were collected within the period specified in the first subparagraph, the applicant may request that they be collected.
4. In accordance with Article 9(5) of the VIS Regulation, the photograph attached to each application shall be entered in the VIS. The applicant shall not be required to appear in person for this purpose.
The article continues in the official text.
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