Embassy payment confirmation prints without tracking code — get the code to appear

Joe B.

Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers

Specialities: Windows 11/10, Printers, Networking, Group Policy, Print Servers

Visa fee receipt shows no barcode/QR — MRV, GWF, UID, VFS tracking number missing on print/PDF

Technician

Hi! We’ll get your embassy/consulate payment confirmation to print with the missing tracking code (MRV/GWF/VFS Reference/UID) and barcode/QR visible.
A few checks to target the fix: Which portal is this (e.g., VFS Global, US visa MRV, UKVI, Schengen BLS, USCIS)? Are you using Print or Download receipt? And which browser/OS (Chrome/Edge/Firefox/Safari on Windows/macOS)? Many “no code” prints are caused by background graphics disabled, content blockers, or pop-up/PDF viewers.

Customer

It’s VFS. The payment receipt opens in a pop-up and when I print it, the tracking ID and QR code area is blank. I need the code to track my application and book an appointment.

Technician

Understood. On many embassy/visa portals, the tracking number and barcode/QR are drawn as background images or web fonts inside a pop-up or iframe. If the browser has “Background graphics” disabled, a content blocker is active, or the embedded PDF viewer is mis-rendering, the code area prints blank. Caching can also show a “preview” version without the live reference number.
Plan: 1) Re-render the receipt with background graphics enabled and proper scale 100%. 2) Use the portal’s Download/Print official receipt option. 3) Disable blockers and allow the pop-up. 4) If needed, pull the code from the dashboard/email/SMS and add it as text before printing.

Customer

Where do I enable background graphics and pop-ups? I’m on Windows 11 with Chrome.

Technician

Step 1 — Chrome print settings for embassy receipts
1) Open the receipt → press Ctrl+P.
2) Set Destination to Save as PDF (first), then to your printer — this confirms the code renders.
3) Expand More settings → enable Background graphics and set Scale 100%.
4) Paper size A4, Margins: Default, Headers & footers: Off (some codes overlap margins).
5) If it’s a pop-up window, click the 🔒 icon in the address bar → allow Pop-ups and redirects for the portal.
6) Temporarily disable AdBlock/uBlock/Privacy extensions; refresh the page with Ctrl+F5 and try again.

Customer

The PDF still doesn’t show the code. The portal has both Print and Download receipt.

Technician

Step 2 — Generate the official receipt with code
• Sign out of the portal → re-login in Incognito (Ctrl+Shift+N) to avoid cached HTML.
• In your dashboard, go to Payments / Transactions → choose Download receipt (not the browser’s Print of the web page).
• If offered, pick “Receipt with barcode/QR” or “Receipt with tracking number”.
• For VFS/UKVI/US MRV portals, the tracking number appears as VFS Reference/GWF/MRV/UID. Confirm it’s visible in the downloaded PDF, then print with Background graphics still enabled.

Customer

What if the portal shows the number on screen, but the barcode is still missing when printing?

Technician

Step 3 — Make barcodes/QR render
• Some portals draw the barcode/QR using a web font or a canvas image. Disable “Lite mode” extensions and any tracking protection that blocks fonts/images.
• In Chrome → Settings → Privacy & security → Site settings, allow Images and JavaScript for the portal; turn off “Use secure DNS” only if your network blocks it.
• Try Edge or Firefox: some embedded viewers handle PDF barcodes more reliably. Ensure Print backgrounds is enabled in each browser.
• As a fallback, include the tracking code (MRV/GWF/GVF/UID) as visible text on the page before printing (most consular centers accept either barcode or the numeric reference).

Customer

I don’t see the number anywhere now. How can I retrieve the tracking code again?

Technician

Step 4 — Retrieve your tracking/reference number
• Check the portal’s Dashboard → Applications/Payments for Reference/Tracking ID (labels vary: GWF, MRV, VFS Tracking ID, CGI Reference, UID).
• Search your email/SMS for the receipt — many send the tracking code in the subject/body. Keywords: “receipt”, “payment confirmation”, “reference number”.
• If the portal has Resend receipt or Reprint confirmation, use that (often generates a fresh PDF with barcode/QR).
• Still missing? Support centers (VFS/USCIS/UKVI) can regenerate the payment confirmation if you provide the payment date, last 4 digits of card, and passport number.

Customer

Any printer or layout settings I should lock so the code doesn’t get cut off or scaled away?

Technician

Yes — for reliable embassy receipts:
• Set A4, Portrait, Scale 100%. Turn off Fit to page and Headers/Footers (codes near edges can be clipped).
• Ensure the printer uses the correct paper size and tray; disable any borderless or shrink to fit options that alter scaling.
• Prefer monochrome (barcodes scan best) and 600 dpi or higher.
• If printing from macOS, in the system dialog enable Print backgrounds (Safari/Firefox) and export to PDF first when possible.

Customer

I also tried Edge on Windows and Safari on my Mac. Anything special for those browsers?

Technician

For Microsoft Edge: enable More settings → Background graphics, set Scale 100%, and allow Pop-ups for the site. Turn off Enhanced security for this site if fonts/images are blocked.
For Safari (macOS): in the print dialog, check Print backgrounds (or export to PDF first). If the receipt opens as a web page, use File → Export as PDF instead of Reader view (Reader can hide codes). If the portal uses VFS or UKVI, prefer Download receipt links over printing the HTML page.

Customer

Okay — re-downloaded the PDF in Incognito, enabled Backgrounds, and the VFS Tracking ID + QR now appear. Thanks!

Technician

Summary: When an embassy payment confirmation prints without a tracking code or barcode/QR, enable Background graphics, use the portal’s Download/Official receipt, allow pop-ups, disable blockers, and re-render the PDF in Incognito. Retrieve the MRV/GWF/VFS/UID from your dashboard/email if needed. Want hands-on help right now? Open the chat.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix when an embassy/visa payment receipt prints without a tracking code or barcode/QR: re-download the official receipt PDF from the portal (Payments/Transactions), print with Background graphics enabled at Scale 100%, allow pop-ups, and disable ad/tracking blockers. If the code still doesn’t render, switch browser (Edge/Firefox/Safari), or pull the MRV/GWF/VFS/UID from your account/email and include it as text before printing.

FAQ

Step-by-step (Windows 11)

1. Open receipt → press Ctrl+P → enable Background graphics, set A4, Scale 100%, and turn Headers/Footers off.
2. Prefer Download receipt from the portal’s Payments/Transactions over printing the HTML page.
3. Allow Pop-ups and temporarily disable ad/tracking blockers; refresh with Ctrl+F5.
4. If missing still, switch to Edge or Firefox and re-download the PDF in Incognito.

Note for macOS/Safari

1. Export the receipt as PDF (File → Export as PDF) or use the portal’s Download receipt link.
2. In the print dialog, enable Print backgrounds, set A4, 100% scale, and disable headers/footers.

Sources

• Google Chrome — Print settings & backgrounds
• Microsoft Edge — Printing webpages and PDFs
• Apple Safari — Print or create a PDF

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