What Is the DS-160 Confirmation Page?

The DS-160 confirmation page is the page produced after you submit your online U.S. visa application. It shows your DS-160 application ID and a barcode that helps identify and retrieve the application.

You need this page for your visa process. Applicants are required to bring it, along with the application ID number, to the visa interview. The page is not the full DS-160 form. It is a submission record with the details needed to connect your application to your appointment and interview.

The DS-160 is used for temporary U.S. visas and K fiancé(e) visas. Completing the form takes about 90 minutes, so save the confirmation page carefully once you finish.

What information appears on the confirmation page

The confirmation page usually gives you the key details needed after submission:

• Your DS-160 application ID
• A barcode
• The submitted application’s identifying information
• Instructions or options for printing or sending the confirmation

The barcode is especially important. It is the code used to identify your DS-160 in the visa process. The relevant barcode number starts with AA.

Keep in mind that the confirmation page is different from the application itself. The full DS-160 contains the answers and personal information you entered. The confirmation page does not serve as a complete copy of those answers.

Before you leave the submission screen, check that your name and other visible details look correct. If something seems wrong, save the page first. You may need it when asking about any correction or next step.

How to get the confirmation page after submitting the DS-160

You get the page at the end of the DS-160 submission process. After you finish answering the questions and submit the form online, the system provides the confirmation page.

A practical sequence looks like this:

1. Complete the DS-160 online.
2. Submit the application.
3. Wait for the confirmation page to appear.
4. Print the page or save a copy in a safe place.
5. Use the page when completing or reviewing your visa appointment steps.

The available guidance also says that applicants may be able to choose “Email Confirmation” and send the page to themselves. If that option appears, use an email address you can access later. Still, don’t rely on email alone. Print the page or keep another readable copy.

You may see references to CEAC DS-160, which means the online application system used for the form. Searching for a “DS-160 login” can also lead to general sign-in or application-retrieval instructions. Follow the prompts shown by the current official system rather than assuming that every applicant sees the same screen.

If you close the page without saving it, don’t immediately start a new DS-160. First check whether the system lets you retrieve the submitted application or confirmation through the details connected to your application.

How the application ID, confirmation number, and barcode relate

These terms can be confusing because different instructions may use them in slightly different ways.

The application ID is shown on the DS-160 confirmation page. The page also contains a barcode. That barcode number starts with AA and is used to identify the application.

People also commonly use the phrase DS-160 confirmation number. However, the available guidance does not clearly establish whether “confirmation number” and “application ID” always mean the exact same identifier.

So don’t guess based on the label alone. If an appointment website asks for a particular number, enter the number that matches the wording and format requested there. If the instruction is unclear, check the current instructions for the embassy, consulate, or appointment service handling your case.

A useful way to keep the records straight is:

• DS-160 application ID: The identifying number shown on the confirmation page.
• Barcode: The scannable code and its number, beginning with AA.
• Confirmation number: A term that may be used in appointment or visa instructions, but is not clearly defined by the available guidance as identical to the application ID.

The barcode is the detail you should pay closest attention to when linking the DS-160 to your visa appointment.

What to do with the page before your visa appointment

Your first job is simple: keep the page available and readable. You must bring it to the visa interview, along with the application ID number.

Before the interview, review the page and your appointment profile. Check that:

• The barcode can be read clearly
• The AA barcode number is complete
• The name and other identifying details are consistent
• The DS-160 connected to your appointment is the one you intend to use
• You have a printed copy if the instructions tell you to bring one

Do this before the appointment day, not while you are standing outside the visa section. A mismatch may create a delay or require you to follow extra instructions.

The confirmation page is also useful if you need to retrieve or identify the application later. Store the printed copy with your other visa papers. Keep any emailed or saved copy somewhere you can open without relying on a single device.

How to check that the DS-160 barcode matches your appointment profile

The barcode on your confirmation page must match the barcode in your appointment profile. The relevant code starts with AA.

To check it, compare the two records character by character:

1. Open the DS-160 confirmation page.
2. Locate the barcode and the number printed with it.
3. Open the profile used for your DS-160 appointment.
4. Find the DS-160 barcode or application field.
5. Compare the AA number in both places.

Look carefully for missing letters, extra numbers, or a character entered incorrectly. Don’t compare only the applicant’s name. Two records can show the same name while pointing to different DS-160 applications.

If the numbers do not match, use the correction or update instructions provided by the appointment service or the relevant consular office. Avoid creating another application just because you notice a mismatch unless the official instructions tell you to do that. A new form creates a new application record, so it may make the appointment details harder to track.

Can you retrieve, email, or print the page again?

The available guidance confirms that you can print the confirmation page. It also says that, in some instructions, you can select “Email Confirmation” to send the page to yourself.

The barcode can be used to help retrieve the DS-160. If you need to return to the application system, use the current CEAC DS-160 retrieval instructions and the information the system requests. The exact screens and steps may depend on the current system instructions.

If you already emailed the page, search your inbox for the confirmation message. Check your spam or junk folder too. If you printed the page, make sure the barcode is sharp enough to read.

The supplied guidance does not clearly explain every method for recovering a lost page. It also does not confirm that the full submitted DS-160 can be downloaded after submission. That distinction matters:

• Confirmation page: The page with your application ID and barcode.
• Full submitted DS-160: The complete form containing all your answers.

Being able to print or email the confirmation page does not prove that you can download the entire submitted application.

What the available guidance does and does not confirm about expiration and downloads

Two questions come up often: Does the DS-160 confirmation page expire? And Can I download my submitted DS-160?

The available guidance does not state whether the confirmation page has an expiration date. It does confirm that you must bring the page, application ID, and barcode to the visa interview. If your appointment is far in the future, or if you changed or started a new DS-160, check the current instructions for the embassy, consulate, or appointment service handling your case.

Do not assume that the page expires. Also, don’t assume that it remains acceptable in every situation without checking. The answer may depend on the instructions connected to your appointment.

The guidance also confirms that you can print the confirmation page and, where offered, email it to yourself. It does not confirm that you can download a complete copy of the submitted DS-160. Treat the confirmation page as proof of submission and an identification record, not as a copy of the full form.

Before the interview, compare the AA barcode on your confirmation page with the barcode in your appointment profile. Then review the relevant official consular and appointment instructions for any current rules about retrieving the page, correcting a mismatch, expiration, or keeping copies.