While UK has already introduced biometric data collection in 130 countries, the programme will be in place worldwide by mid-2008. While the process will take only five minutes and will be free of cost to applicants, there will be a delay in processing visa application forms in India. ``Currently, Indian legislation does not allow encrypted information from the visa application centre to be sent directly to the database. Hence there will be a delay,'' said British deputy high commissioner Vicki Treadell on Tuesday.

While visa applications to the UK currently take only 24 hours to process, they will now take four days. ``Travellers should take this into account while planning a trip to the UK,'' says Treadell. Though visas to the UK need to be updated every year, frequent flyers can opt for a long-term visa which will be valid for 10 years. Those who opt for one-year visas need to undergo the biometric data collection process every time they get their visas renewed. Even British citizens who want to renew their passports will now have to undergo this process.

According to Geoff Lockwood from the UK government's Network Mobilisation Program, collecting biometric data will not only benefit the UK government but will also protect genuine visa applicants and make UK a safer place to visit. For the digital photograph, an applicant will be allowed to wear traditional religious attire such as a hijab or a turban, so long as his face is visible.