eVisa UK: Everything You Need to Know

What Is a UK eVisa?

GOV.UK describes an eVisa as “a digital record of: your identity and immigration status — for example the type of visa you have or if you have indefinite leave to remain (settlement) in the UK”. eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents. Instead of carrying a card, you sign in to an account and either look at your status or generate a code that lets someone else see the parts of it they need.

The move to eVisas is part of the UK's transition to a fully digital border and immigration system. The government has been working towards this since the introduction of the EU Settlement Scheme in 2019, which was one of the first routes to issue purely digital status.

You can view your eVisa, check the conditions of your stay, and generate share codes to prove your status through the GOV.UK online service.

Who Has an eVisa?

If you hold any form of UK immigration permission, you should now have an eVisa. This includes:

• Skilled Worker visa holders
• Spouse visa holders
• Student visa holders
• Graduate route visa holders
• EU Settlement Scheme status holders (settled and pre-settled status)
• Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) holders
• Anyone who previously held a biometric residence permit

If you applied for your visa after the eVisa system launched, your status was issued digitally from the start. If you had an older physical document, your status moved to the digital system.

The End of Biometric Residence Permits

Biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024, and eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents.

Your underlying permission to stay has not changed. If your visa runs to 2027, it still runs to 2027. What changed is how you prove it: instead of showing a card, you use the online service.

Two documents are not simply void, and it is worth being precise:

• Biometric residence card: GOV.UK says that if you have one, “you may still be able to use it in some situations”.
• Visa vignette — the sticker in a passport: GOV.UK says it “will remain valid until it expires”.

Keep the old documents. GOV.UK suggests carrying a physical document that proves valid status as additional proof when you travel, giving old passports with a settlement stamp, certificates of entitlement, and Home Office travel documents as examples.

How to Access Your eVisa

To view your eVisa, follow these steps:

1. Go to the View and prove your immigration status page on GOV.UK.
2. Sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration account. If you do not have one, you create it and link it to your immigration record.
3. To sign in you use your passport, national identity card or biometric residence card, and you need access to the mobile phone number or email address the account uses.
4. Once in, you can see your immigration status, the conditions attached to it, and when your permission runs out.

GOV.UK is clear that none of this costs anything: “You do not need to pay to set up a UKVI account or access your eVisa.” Any site charging for it is not the official service. If you have never created the account, start well before you need to prove your status to an employer or landlord.

Proving Your Status with Share Codes

When you need to prove your immigration status to a third party, such as an employer checking your right to work or a landlord checking your right to rent, you generate a share code.

1. Log in to the online service.
2. Select what you want to prove (right to work or right to rent).
3. The service generates a share code.
4. Give the share code and your date of birth to the person checking your status.
5. They enter the code on the employer and landlord checking service on GOV.UK.

GOV.UK says: “A share code lasts for 90 days. You can use the share code as many times as you need before it expires.” You can generate a new one whenever you need to. The person checking sees only limited personal details, not your whole record.

Linking Your Passport to Your eVisa

Your eVisa is linked to your passport number. This is how border officers and the online system verify your identity. If you get a new passport, you must update the link.

To update your passport details:

1. Go to the Update your UKVI account details service on GOV.UK.
2. Sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration account.
3. Follow the instructions to add your new passport details.

Do this before you travel. GOV.UK puts it as a requirement, not a suggestion: “You must travel with a valid passport or travel document that you’ve added to your UKVI account.”

If your passport changes while you are outside the UK, GOV.UK says you can update the details online yourself if the new passport is biometric. If it is not, you have to contact UK Visas and Immigration.

Travelling with an eVisa

GOV.UK says: “You must check that your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and eVisa details are correct before you travel to or from the UK.” It lists three things to check:

• your account has your correct personal details and your current passport or travel document
• your eVisa is correct — for example, that it shows the right immigration status
• your details exactly match the passenger information you give to the airline, ferry or train operator

That last one is the quiet trap: a name entered slightly differently on a booking is a mismatch even when everything in the account is right.

GOV.UK adds: “If you have a physical document which proves your valid immigration status, you may want to carry it with you as additional proof.” It gives old passports containing a settlement stamp, certificates of entitlement, and Home Office travel documents as examples.

Common Problems and Solutions

I cannot access my UKVI account

If you cannot log in, try resetting your password. If that does not work, call the UKVI contact centre. They can help you regain access to your account. See our guide to contacting the Home Office for the correct phone numbers and email addresses.

My eVisa shows the wrong information

If your eVisa displays incorrect details (wrong name, wrong visa type, wrong expiry date), contact UKVI immediately. Do not ignore errors. Incorrect information can cause problems with employers, landlords, and at the border.

My employer does not accept share codes

Employers are legally required to use the online checking service for people with eVisas. They cannot insist on seeing a physical document. If your employer refuses to accept your share code, direct them to the GOV.UK employer guidance.

I got a new passport but have not updated my eVisa

Update it as soon as possible using the online service. If you need to travel urgently, carry both your old and new passports. The border officer may be able to match your record manually, but this is not guaranteed and can cause delays.

eVisas and the Right to Work

Employers in the UK are legally required to check that every employee has the right to work before employing them. For eVisa holders, this check is done online using share codes. The process is:

1. You generate a right-to-work share code from your UKVI account.
2. You give the code and your date of birth to your employer.
3. Your employer enters the details on the GOV.UK checking service.
4. The system confirms your right to work and displays any restrictions (such as maximum hours for students).

GOV.UK tells employers to check “before you employ them”, and to check again when time-limited permission is due to expire. The Home Office code of practice sets the civil penalty for employing someone without the right to work at up to £45,000 per worker for a first breach and up to £60,000 for a repeat breach within 3 years. An employer who did the check correctly does not pay it, which is why employers ask for the code.

eVisas and the Right to Rent

Landlords in England are also required to check your immigration status before renting to you. The process is similar to the right-to-work check: you generate a right-to-rent share code and give it to your landlord.

Right-to-rent checks apply in England only. They do not currently apply in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, though the law may change.

Next Steps

If you have not already, set up your UKVI account and check that your eVisa is accurate. Update your passport link if you have a new passport. Familiarise yourself with the share code process so you are ready when an employer or landlord asks.

For official guidance, visit the GOV.UK eVisa page.

Related guides:

• How to Contact the Home Office
• Biometrics: Complete Guide
• Opening a Bank Account on a UK Visa
• Skilled Worker Visa Guide
• Indefinite Leave to Remain Guide

Questions and answers