The reference number is the whole system
At submission you are given a receipt carrying a reference number. Every tracking page, every SMS service and every enquiry runs on that number and on your passport number. Photograph it, email it to yourself, and give a copy to whoever might collect on your behalf.
Losing it is not fatal but it is genuinely awkward: reissuing a reference usually means attending the centre with ID, which is a wasted trip in a period when your time is better spent elsewhere.
What the statuses actually mean
Tracking wording is deliberately neutral, and students read hope or disaster into it in equal measure. Here is what the common phrasings mean in practice.
| Status wording | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Application received at the centre | The centre has your file and it passed the completeness check | Nothing about the merits |
| Application dispatched to the mission | The file is with the deciding authority | That assessment has started |
| Under process at the mission | The normal, and longest, state | That anything is wrong |
| Additional documents requested | The officer has a question | A refusal |
| Application processed, returning to the centre | A decision exists and the passport is travelling | That it was granted |
| Ready for collection | The passport is physically at the centre | That the visa was approved |
⚠️ Ready for collection is not an approval. A refusal comes back by exactly the same route, in the same envelope, with the same status message. The only way to know is to open it.
The SMS and courier add-ons
Most centres sell two optional extras at submission.
SMS updates are a small charge and push the same status changes you can see for free online. Useful if you will not be checking a website; not worth agonising over.
Courier return delivers the passport to an address instead of you collecting it. It is genuinely convenient, and it carries one real risk: a passport in transit is a passport you cannot check at a counter. If you take it, open the envelope the moment it arrives and run the checks below immediately, because an error is far easier to raise on the same day.
Collecting in person
Bring the original submission receipt and photo identification. That is normally all.
If someone else collects for you — which centres generally allow — they will need:
- Your signed authorisation letter, naming them and their ID number
- The original receipt
- A copy of your ID, and their own original ID
Rules differ slightly between centres, so check the specific page before sending anyone. Do not send a stranger, and do not hand the receipt to an agent who offers to collect as a service.
The five checks to make before you leave the counter
This is the most useful two minutes in the whole process, and almost nobody does it.
- 1Your name, spelled exactly as in the passport. A transliteration difference is a real problem at a border.
- 2The passport number on the sticker matches the passport it is in.
- 3The validity dates — from and until. Check the start date especially: a visa that begins after your enrolment date is a problem you want to raise now.
- 4Number of entries. Single or multiple, and whether that matches what you applied for and what your plans need. See single entry versus multiple entry student visas.
- 5Duration of stay and the visa type letter. A type C sticker where you applied for type D is a serious error, not a detail.
An error spotted at the counter is a correction. The same error spotted at Dhaka airport is a cancelled flight.
If it is a refusal
The envelope will contain a refusal letter stating a ground. Do not act on the first reading, and do not immediately rebook an appointment. Read how to read a visa refusal letter, then decide between the two routes using reapplying versus appealing a refusal.
Keep the letter. You will need it for the honest declaration on any future application, and concealing a refusal is far more damaging than the refusal itself.
What to do next
- 1Save the reference number in two places today.
- 2Decide now whether you are collecting in person or by courier, and if you may be away, prepare the authorisation letter in advance.
- 3Do not book a flight until the passport is in your hand and the five checks are done.
Official sources — check for yourself
- VFS Global — Italy visa application centre, Bangladesh
- VFS Global — Malta visa application centre, Bangladesh
- Embassy of Italy, Dhaka
- Flying out of Dhaka: airport and transit guide
Rules and figures change. We review these articles periodically and show the date above, but always confirm the current requirement with the official source before you act on it.
Common questions
Does ready for collection mean my visa was approved?+
No. It means the passport has physically returned to the visa centre. A refusal is returned through exactly the same channel with the same status wording, so the only way to know the outcome is to open the envelope.
Can someone else collect my passport?+
Usually yes. They normally need your signed authorisation letter naming them, the original submission receipt, a copy of your identification and their own original ID. Check the specific centre's page first, and never hand the receipt to someone offering collection as a paid service.
What should I check on the visa sticker before leaving?+
Five things: your name spelled as in the passport, the passport number, the validity dates including the start date, the number of entries, and the duration of stay with the visa type letter. An error found at the counter is a correction; the same error found at the airport is a missed flight.
My tracking status has not changed in three weeks. Should I worry?+
Under process at the mission is the normal and by far the longest state, and it commonly sits unchanged for weeks. Chase only when you pass the authority's published maximum or your enrolment deadline, and even then the first move is to write to the university about deferral.
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