eVisa is an online record of someone’s immigration status. In the UK, millions of visa holders have updated and received eVisas, which have been replacing their physical documents since 2018.
Continuing this process of completely replacing the physical documents, the UK’s government started rolling out eVisas in March 2024. This also means soon no physical documents will be accepted to prove your immigration status in the UK. In this blog, we will talk about eVisa in details and also traveling overseas with eVisa.
eVisa is a digital or online record of someone’s immigration status and the conditions associated with it. In other words, eVisa is a replacement for physical documents. With an eVisa, you can prove your immigration status online instead of showing physical documents.
In the UK, eVisa is replacing the following physical documents:
Since 31 October 2024, successful visa applicants who previously would have received a biometric residence permit (BRP) have received an eVisa now.
In the UK, anyone wanting to access their eVisa needs to first create their UKVI account. With a UKVI account, you not only can access your eVisa but also share information about your immigration status and conditions associated with it, such as your right to travel to the UK, work in the UK, rent a house in the UK, etc.
If you have indefinite leave to remain status, you can apply for a No Time Limit (NTL) application for free and after that, you should be able to access your eVisa at any time.
No, eVisa does not change your immigration status or the conditions of leave to enter or remain in the UK. It is a process of updating your physical documents to the digital records.
If you are traveling overseas and you have permission to travel to the UK, you should first check if all the information is correct on your eVisa. If the information on your eVisa is incorrect or it is not displaying, you may have to face delays, or you may even be denied boarding the flight by the airline carriers.
You must obtain an eVisa and link your current passport to your UKVI account in order to travel overseas from 1 January 2025.
For this, you need to get a share code from your UKVI account. This share code, along with your passport or travel document, will allow you to prove to the UK border authorities and international air, sea, and rail carriers that you have permission to travel to the UK.
You can check if the immigration information is correct in your UKVI account by using View and Prove your Immigration Status service. If there is incorrect information or it is not displaying the information you can report an error with your eVisa.
To check if your current passport is linked to your UKVI account and your personal details are correct, you can use the ‘update your UKVI account details’ service. For this, you must first log in to your UKVI account and then you can update your UKVI account details. You can update your personal details, such as mobile phone number, email address, name, and identity document, such as your passport or national identity card, home address, and postal address, etc., through your UKVI account as well.
However, you cannot change your identity document or name if the decision on the visa application is yet to come. If you don’t have a UKVI account, you can update your details in different ways.
The Home Office suggests that if you have the physical documents of your immigration status, you should carry them with you while traveling. If your BRP expired on 31 December 2024 but you still have valid leave to remain in the UK, you can use your expired BRP as proof of your permission to travel until 1 June 2025. It’s recommended to carry your expired BRP with you when traveling until this date.
You cannot currently link HOTD to your UKVI account, and hence you must carry the physical HOTD with you while traveling.
If you have dual citizenship, you may have passports from both countries. If neither of the 2 countries you are a citizen of is the UK or Ireland and you have only one passport, you need to add this passport you would use to travel to the UKVI account.
You can add both passports if you have passports from each country you are a citizen of. As a dual citizen of the two countries, you may be a citizen of either Britain or Ireland, or you may have the right of abode here. In such a scenario when traveling, you need to show your airline, rail company, or other transport provider your British or Irish passport or the passport of another country containing a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.
When you are traveling to, from, or through another country, you need to prove your UK immigration status to authorities there. It’s your responsibility to know which documents and evidence they accept. However, you should be prepared with the following evidence:
A share code - You can generate a share code from your UKVI account. The shared code proves your immigration status. The shared code is valid for 90 days from the day you get it. You can get a new share code whenever you want and/or need it.
Screenshot from your UKVI account - You can also show a screenshot from your UKVI account where your personal details, such as your name, visa type, and validity period of the visa, are. You should ensure that the screenshot clearly shows the relevant information to avoid any complications.
Carry a physical document - You can carry a physical document such as a BRP to confirm your immigration status and permission. If it is possible, you should print a copy of your share code or other evidence before you travel.
eVisa is replacing physical documents. Soon, all immigrants in the UK will be required to have eVisas instead of physical documents. You can use eVisa to travel to and from the UK. We can assist you in using eVisa for traveling overseas in the following ways:
We can help you.
