Online immigration status (eVisa)
Information on eVisas and why you need one.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are developing a digital immigration system. This means we are replacing physical documents with an online record of your immigration status. This is known as an eVisa.
Biometric residence permits (BRPs) have already been replaced by eVisas. Other documents being replaced are:
- biometric residence cards (BRC)
- passport endorsements, such as indefinite leave to enter wet ink stamps
- vignette stickers in passports, such as entry clearance or visa vignettes
Since 2018, millions of people have received an eVisa online, for example through the EU Settlement Scheme.
What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa.
Updating your physical document to an eVisa does not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.
You can use an eVisa to travel to the UK together with your current passport, which must be linked to your UKVI account. You should also get a share code to prove your immigration status before you travel. Your carrier may ask for it. A share code is valid for 90 days.
The benefits of eVisas include:
- they are secure and cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with, unlike a physical document
- you will not need to wait for, or collect, a physical document after your application is decided – you might still need to provide biometric information in person, and we will tell you if you need to do this
- it will be quicker and easier to prove your status at the UK border, and share your status with third parties like employers and landlords
You can watch a video on what an eVisa is.
How do I access my eVisa?
You need to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa and share information about your immigration status and conditions, such as your right to work or rent in the UK, using the view and prove service.
You need to follow these 3 steps to access your eVisa:
- create a UKVI account
- confirm your identity
- link your account to your eVisa
You do not have to pay to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa.
You can watch a video on how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa.
How do I use my UKVI account?
Once you have completed the steps to create your UKVI account and access your eVisa, you will be able to view the details of your immigration status online, for example your type of permission, when it expires and your conditions of stay in the UK.
Check that your details in your UKVI account are accurate and up to date.
You should report an error to UKVI if your details are wrong on your eVisa, for example your name or immigration status.
You can update your personal information in your UKVI account, such as your contact details.
Your eVisa will be linked to your passport in your UKVI account. You must keep your passport or ID card details up to date in your UKVI account and tell us about any changes, so that your immigration status can be easily identified, including at the UK border.
You should make sure your personal details are up to date well in advance before you travel. You may be delayed or denied boarding by carriers if your information is not correct. You’ll still need to carry your current passport with you.
If you’ve told us that you have a new passport and you’re still waiting for confirmation that your UKVI account has been updated, you should also carry your old document with you, if possible, to avoid unnecessary delays at the border.
You can watch a video on how to travel with your eVisa.
You can share your immigration status information with third parties, such as employers or landlords, by generating a share code in the view and prove service, which will give them time-limited access to your immigration status information. You can get a new share code whenever you need one – you do not have to remember a single unique code to be able to prove your status.
You can watch a video on how to prove your immigration status with an eVisa.
We’ll continue to share relevant information about your immigration status automatically with some government departments and other public authorities. This will reduce the need for you to interact with online services when proving your immigration status.
Children
Everyone must have their own UKVI account. Where a child under the age of 18 is unable to create and manage their own account, a parent or guardian should do this for them. You can read more about creating a UKVI account for a child.
Who needs an eVisa?
If you have been granted permission to stay in the UK for more than 6 months, or you have indefinite leave to remain (also known as settlement) you will need an eVisa to prove your identity and status in the UK.
If you have been granted permission to stay in the UK for less than 6 months, you cannot create a UKVI account and access your eVisa yet.
If you have an expired biometric residence permit (BRP), you can use it for up to 18 months after its expiry, to create your UKVI account, access your eVisa and create a share code to prove your identity and status.
You should keep your expired BRP as it may help with future applications to stay in the UK. You may also want it for your personal records. You should continue to carry your BRP with you when you travel to the UK before or on 1 June 2025.
If you don’t have a BRP, you can use your valid identity document, such as your passport, and your visa application reference number to create your account and access your eVisa.
We no longer issue BRP cards. You cannot request a new or replacement BRP card. Find out what to do if yours has been lost, stolen or damaged.
If you were granted permission to stay in the UK after 31 October 2024 but do not have a valid passport, we will create an account for you. You will be notified by email or letter with instructions on how to access it.
If you have another physical document
If you have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain (also known as settlement or settled status) and you currently prove your rights through a different type of physical document, such as a wet-ink stamp in your passport or a vignette sticker, then you should make a free ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application.
Once your NTL application is decided, you will receive an eVisa. You will be told how to access your eVisa in your decision email or letter.
You can continue to prove your rights using your existing physical documents where they are permitted while your NTL application is being considered and after it is decided. This includes for proving your right to work if your document has not expired, right to rent or for travel to the UK.
You may be able to make a late application for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme if you:
- are an EU, other EEA or Swiss citizen or their family member
- have been resident in the UK since before 31 December 2020
- have held indefinite leave to enter or remain under another route since before 31 December 2020
If your application is successful, you will get a UKVI account and access to an eVisa automatically.
If you are settled in the UK and do not have a document to prove your right to stay in the UK
If you or your parent were settled in the UK on 1 January 1973, or you arrived in the UK before the end of 1988, you should check if you are eligible to apply for evidence of your status under the Windrush Scheme.
If you have a biometric residence card
If you have a biometric residence card (BRC) and you have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, then you already have an eVisa and you do not need to take any action to obtain one. You can find details of how to access and use your eVisa (your digital status) in your grant letter or email.
If your BRC issued under the EU Settlement Scheme expired on or after 31 December 2024, and you still have permission to stay in the UK, you should carry it with you when you travel to the UK until 1 June 2025.
If you have a BRC and you have not been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, obtained another form of immigration leave, or become a British citizen, then your BRC is no longer valid, even if it appears to still be in date. This is because the UK has left the EU, and the EU free movement law no longer applies.
To continue living in the UK you should get an immigration status as soon as possible. You may be able to make a late application to the EU Settlement Scheme as a family member of a relevant EU, other EEA or Swiss citizen. Do not travel internationally until you have obtained a proof of your immigration status.
If you are a British or Irish citizen with a passport, or you have the right of abode
If you are a British or Irish citizen, and you hold a British or Irish passport, you do not need an eVisa or a UKVI account and do not need to do anything. You should continue to use your passport to prove your status in the UK.
If you are a British citizen and are also a national of another country (other than Ireland), or you are a Commonwealth citizen with the right of abode in the UK, you do not need an eVisa. You can prove your right to live and work in the UK using a British citizen passport, or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in your foreign passport.
If you have the right of abode in the UK and you still have your BRP, check what you need to do with your BRP after being granted citizenship.
If you need to make a new application
If you need to make a new application for permission to stay in the UK, you should follow the usual application process. There will be information and guidance provided during your application process if you need to create a UKVI account.
If you need help
You can ask for help with creating a UKVI account and getting access to an eVisa.
If you do not have internet access or do not have access to a device like a computer, laptop or smart phone, you can get help filling in your online application.
If you are a vulnerable person, you may be able to get additional help to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa.
We cannot give immigration advice on individual applications when you contact us.
Updates to this page
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Updated to reflect that biometric residence permits have now expired.
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Added information on the 3 steps to creating your eVisa.
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Updated as expired BRPs should be carried when travelling to the UK before or on 1 June 2025.
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Updated guidance to reflect BRPs no longer being issued.
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Updated guidance to say we will stop issuing any new BRP cards from 31 October 2024.
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Added a reference to no longer being able to get a replacement BRP card and added a link to a video on how to prove your immigration status using your eVisa.
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Added section about children needing a UKVI account and a link to the eVisa community support for vulnerable people.
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Updated to let people know to keep their BRP card.
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Updated wording to include details for out of country applicants.
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Added a link to a video on how to create a UKVI account and get access to your eVisa.
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Added a link to the web chat feature for help with creating a UKVI account.
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Added in a link to the eVisa video page.
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Added what to do if you have another physical document or a biometric residence card.
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Updated content to add more information about people with biometric residence permits.
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First published.