TL;DR
After paying the UK visa fee online, you're directed to upload supporting documents through UKVCAS (in-country), VFS Global (most overseas) or TLScontact (some countries). Each portal has its own limits — 2-6 MB per file, PDF preferred, accepts JPG/PNG. Bundle and compress before uploading to avoid silent rejections.
How to upload documents to the UKVI portal
- Pay the visa fee through the gov.uk online application and select your biometrics location
- Receive your upload portal link — you'll be redirected to UKVCAS, VFS Global, or TLScontact based on your application
- Create the upload account using the same email as your visa application
- Bundle your documents using our free Bundler to put them in canonical UKVI order with a cover sheet and index
- Compress if over portal limit — use our Compressor for the 2/4/6 MB target your portal enforces
- Upload through the portal's "documents" section — drag and drop or click to choose files
- Verify each upload — refresh the page after each file; if it doesn't show, re-upload (silent failure is common at the size limit)
- Submit when all documents are confirmed uploaded
Which portal you use
| Portal | Used by | File size cap |
|---|---|---|
| UKVCAS (Sopra Steria) | In-country biometrics in the UK | 6 MB per file |
| VFS Global | Most overseas application centres | 2 MB per file |
| TLScontact | France, Switzerland, parts of MENA, parts of Africa | 4 MB typically |
| Special schemes (Hong Kong BNO, Ukraine Family) | Direct UKVI portal | Varies |
The system tells you which portal to use after paying the visa fee — you don't choose.
File format support
| Format | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred | Most reliable, never converted server-side | |
| JPG | Accepted | Single-page only — multi-image PDFs preferred for multi-page docs |
| PNG | Accepted | Same as JPG |
| HEIC | Rejected | Convert to JPG first (Settings → Camera → Most Compatible on iPhone) |
| Word / Excel | Rejected | Save as PDF first |
| TIFF | Rejected | Convert to PDF |
| ZIP | Rejected | Don't compress as ZIP — use PDF |
PDFs that contain images are fine. Don't upload password-protected PDFs.
Common upload failures
Silent rejection of oversized files
The biggest issue: file uploads "succeed" visually but doesn't actually attach. UKVCAS especially is notorious for this with files at exactly the limit. Solution: stay 10-15% under the limit (target 5 MB for UKVCAS, 1.7 MB for VFS Global) for safety margin.
Upload appears to complete but file is missing on next page
After each upload, refresh the page and confirm the file appears in the documents list. If it doesn't, re-upload.
Browser timeout on large files
If your bundle is exactly at the limit and you're on a slow connection, the upload may timeout. Solutions:
- Use a wired or stronger Wi-Fi connection
- Compress the bundle further to reduce upload time
- Try a different browser (Chrome and Firefox handle large uploads more reliably than Safari)
Wrong document category
Most portals categorise uploads (passport, financial, qualifications, etc.). Uploading the wrong file in the wrong category may cause a caseworker to flag the application for missing documents. Double-check before submitting.
File doesn't open after upload
If the caseworker flags "file corrupted" or "couldn't open", re-upload from a different copy. PDF corruption can happen if the file was created from an unstable source (some browser-based PDF generators).
Best practice workflow
To avoid all of the above:
- Use our Bundler to merge documents in the canonical UKVI order. It generates a cover sheet plus a clickable index — caseworkers find documents quickly without you needing to upload separately.
- Compress the bundle with our Compressor targeting your portal's limit. Stay 10-15% under the cap.
- Upload one bundle per category if your portal allows (some do, some require everything in one bundle). Naming the bundle clearly (e.g.
skilled-worker_garcia_2026-05-01.pdf) helps you and the caseworker. - Confirm each upload by refreshing and checking the file appears.
- Submit only when confirmed — never assume an upload that didn't visibly succeed.
After submission
Once submitted, you can't add documents without UKVI requesting them. They may issue:
- Request for further information — additional documents needed; respond within deadline
- Decision pending — application is being processed; no action needed
- Decision — approval, refusal, or further-action notice
Standard processing times: see our Skilled Worker, Spouse and Student guides for route-specific timelines.
Tools mentioned
- Visa Document Bundler — pre-organise documents
- Compress PDF for UK visa — fit portal limits
- Personalised checklist — confirm completeness
Sources
Common questions
- 01
Where do I upload documents for a UK visa?
After paying the visa fee on the UKVI online application, you're directed to one of three upload services depending on your application type and location: UKVCAS (in-country biometrics), VFS Global (most overseas centres), or TLScontact (some specific countries like France, Switzerland, and a few others).
- 02
What file formats does UKVI accept?
PDF (preferred), JPG and PNG. Word documents, HEIC photos and other formats are rejected. PDFs may be merged or single documents — both work.
- 03
What's the maximum file size?
UKVCAS: 6 MB per file. VFS Global: 2 MB per file. TLScontact: typically 4 MB per file. The limits are silent — files over the limit fail to attach without an error message.
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