A UK eVisa is an online record of your immigration status, accessed through a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. It shows the conditions of your permission and has replaced physical documents — the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), biometric residence card, passport endorsements, and vignette stickers. Most BRPs expired on 31 December 2024, but this did not end your visa — only how you prove it changed. Accessing your eVisa gives digital access to the status you already hold. You prove that status by generating a share code in the View and Prove service. This guide covers creating a UKVI account, share codes, travel, and fixing common problems.
Source: gov.uk eVisa guidance (access and use your online immigration status); UK Visas and Immigration "Create a UKVI account" service; View and Prove service guidance; UK Immigration: ID Check app guidance (verified June 2026)
The UK has moved to a fully digital immigration status system. The eVisa is now the primary way to prove your status, replacing the BRP, biometric residence card, passport endorsements, and vignette stickers. Most BRPs expired on 31 December 2024, though the card's expiry did not end the underlying visa. Creating a UKVI account and accessing your eVisa is free via gov.uk/get-access-evisa, using the UK Immigration: ID Check app to verify identity. An expired BRP can still be used to create an account for up to 24 months after expiry, or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. From 25 February 2026, successful visitor-visa applicants no longer receive a vignette sticker. Share codes generated through View and Prove are valid for 90 days and can be regenerated as often as needed.
- What Is a UK eVisa?
- eVisa vs BRP — What Changed and What Did Not
- How to Create a UKVI Account and Access Your eVisa
- View and Prove — How Share Codes Work
- Share Code Types — Work (W), Rent (R), Status (S)
- Travelling to the UK with an eVisa
- Who Needs to Create a UKVI Account
- Common eVisa Problems and How to Fix Them
- Frequently Asked Questions
UK eVisa 2026 — Your Online Immigration Status, UKVI Account, and Share Codes
An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status, accessed through a UKVI account. It shows your permission to enter or stay and its conditions. The Home Office has replaced physical documents — BRPs, biometric residence cards, passport endorsements, and vignette stickers — with this digital record. The key point: accessing your eVisa does not change your status; it gives digital access to permission you already hold. If your BRP expired on 31 December 2024, your visa did not end then — only how you prove it changed. You now prove your status digitally by generating a share code. The same digital record applies whether you hold a Student visa, a spouse or partner visa, or settlement.
What Is a UK eVisa?
A UK eVisa is an online record of your immigration status, held in a UKVI account. It shows your permission and conditions and has replaced physical documents such as the BRP, biometric residence card, passport endorsements, and vignette stickers. Accessing it does not change your status — it gives digital access to the permission you already hold. You do not carry a physical eVisa; you log in to your UKVI account to view your details and generate a share code to prove your status to employers, landlords, and others.
eVisa vs BRP — What Changed and What Did Not
The BRP was a physical card; the eVisa is a digital record of the same status. Most BRPs expired on 31 December 2024, but this did not end anyone's visa — only the proof method changed. You no longer carry a card or vignette; you access your status online and generate share codes. Your eVisa is linked to your passport, so keep those details updated for travel. An expired BRP can still be used to create an account for up to 24 months after expiry, or until 31 December 2026, whichever is first.
What the eVisa Replaced
- Biometric Residence Permit (BRP): The physical card most visa holders carried; most expired on 31 December 2024, though the underlying visa continued beyond that date
- Biometric residence card (BRC): Held by some family members of EEA nationals — also replaced by the digital record
- Passport endorsements: Wet-ink stamps such as indefinite leave to enter, now reflected in the eVisa
- Vignette stickers: Visa stickers placed in passports; from 25 February 2026, successful Standard Visitor visa applicants no longer receive a vignette (note the UK ETA scheme is separate from an eVisa)
How to Create a UKVI Account and Access Your eVisa
Creating a UKVI account is free, at gov.uk/get-access-evisa. You need an email, a mobile number for security codes, and one identity document: a current passport, a BRP (expired ones accepted during the transition), or your application reference (GWF or UAN). You verify identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app, scanning your passport chip or BRP and taking a selfie. Access can take a couple of days. Using your current passport to set up the account is best, so you only need it at the border.
Steps to Create Your UKVI Account
- Step 1 — Go to the official service: Visit gov.uk/get-access-evisa and select the option to create an account — always check the address ends in gov.uk to avoid scam sites
- Step 2 — Provide contact details: Enter an email address and a mobile phone number, which will be used for two-factor security codes
- Step 3 — Provide an identity document: Use a current passport, a BRP (expired BRPs accepted during the transition), or your application reference number (GWF / UAN)
- Step 4 — Verify with the ID Check app: Download the UK Immigration: ID Check app, scan your passport chip or BRP, and take a selfie for facial verification
- Step 5 — Submit and wait: After submission it can take a couple of days to gain access; you will get an email confirming when your eVisa is ready
- Step 6 — Sign in and check details: Log into your UKVI account, confirm your status and conditions are correct, and link your current passport
View and Prove — How Share Codes Work
You do not show your eVisa directly. You log in, go to View and Prove, select the purpose, and generate a share code — 16 characters, valid 90 days. You give the code with your date of birth to the employer, landlord, or checker, who enters both into the relevant gov.uk service. You can generate as many codes as you need and regenerate anytime — there is no permanent code to remember. The code grants time-limited access to the relevant part of your record, not your whole account.
Share Code Types — Work (W), Rent (R), Status (S)
Share codes are purpose-specific and begin with a letter: W for right to work, R for right to rent (England), and S for proving status for other reasons (study, driving, health services). A code for one purpose will not work for another — a rent (R) code entered into the work service is rejected. When generating a code in View and Prove, select the correct purpose. If a checker says your code does not work, the usual cause is the wrong type, so generate the right one.
The Three Share Code Purposes
| Purpose | Code Prefix | Used By / For |
|---|---|---|
| Prove right to work | W | Employers, via the "check a job applicant's right to work" service |
| Prove right to rent (England) | R | Landlords and letting agents, via the right-to-rent check service |
| Prove your status (other) | S | Universities, the DVLA, the NHS, and other bodies — study, driving, healthcare, and similar |
Travelling to the UK with an eVisa
When you travel to the UK your eVisa is checked digitally, so the passport linked to your account must be the one you travel on. If you renew or replace your passport, update your account before travelling, or automated border or carrier checks may fail and delay boarding. Your airline may also ask for a share code before departure. Setting up the account with your current passport means you only need that passport when entering the UK.
Who Needs to Create a UKVI Account
You should create a UKVI account if you hold UK permission — a work, study, or family visa, settlement (indefinite leave to remain), or status previously on a BRP. Visitors coming for 6 months or less generally do not need one. If you apply for a visa or settlement now, an account is usually created during the application. British and Irish citizens do not need an eVisa. If you left the UK before your visa expired and will not return on it, you do not need to set one up.
Who Should and Should Not Set Up an Account
- Should create an account: Anyone holding UK permission previously shown on a BRP or BRC — work, study, family routes, and settlement holders. Holders of EU Settlement Scheme status also prove their status with share codes
- Created automatically: If you apply for a visa or settlement now, an account is usually generated during the application — you may not receive a physical document
- Generally not needed — short visitors: Those visiting the UK for 6 months or less usually do not need to create an account
- Not needed — British and Irish citizens: Their passport or other documents prove their status; they cannot generate share codes
- Not needed — already departed: If you left the UK in line with or before your visa expiry and will not return on it, no account is required
Common eVisa Problems and How to Fix Them
The most common issues are: incorrect details (report at gov.uk/report-error-evisa or call the UKVI Resolution Centre on 0300 790 6268); being locked out (use account recovery on gov.uk, or UKVI webchat); a passport mismatch at the border (update your current passport before travelling); and a rejected share code (usually the wrong type — generate the correct W, R, or S code). Do not leave access problems unresolved: you may need a share code at short notice for work or housing checks.
Fixing the Most Common eVisa Issues
- Wrong details on your eVisa: Report the error promptly at gov.uk/report-error-evisa, or call the UKVI Resolution Centre on 0300 790 6268 — errors can cause problems with employers, landlords, or at the border
- Locked out of your account: Use the account recovery process on gov.uk if you have lost access to the linked email or phone, or contact UKVI via webchat
- Passport not linked or out of date: Update your current passport in your UKVI account before you travel, so automated border and carrier checks match
- Share code rejected: Confirm you generated the correct type — W for work, R for rent, S for status — and regenerate if needed; codes also expire after 90 days
- No BRP to set up the account: You can use a current passport or your application reference number (GWF / UAN) instead of a BRP card
- Create your free UKVI account at gov.uk/get-access-evisa
- Verify your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app (passport chip or BRP plus a selfie)
- Use your current passport to set up the account where possible
- Sign in and check your status, conditions, and expiry date are correct
- Link and keep your current passport up to date for travel
- Learn how to generate a share code in View and Prove before you need one
- Select the correct code type each time — W for work, R for rent, S for status
- Report any errors promptly and keep your login details secure
- An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status, accessed through a free UKVI account — it does not change your status
- It replaced the BRP, biometric residence card, passport endorsements, and vignette stickers
- Most BRPs expired on 31 December 2024, but this did not end the underlying visa
- Create your account at gov.uk/get-access-evisa using the UK Immigration: ID Check app to verify identity
- An expired BRP can be used to create an account for up to 24 months after expiry, or until 31 December 2026, whichever is first
- Prove your status by generating a share code in View and Prove — 16 characters, valid 90 days, unlimited uses and regenerations
- Share codes are purpose-specific: W for right to work, R for right to rent, S for proving status
- Link your current passport to your account and keep it updated for smooth travel and border checks
- British and Irish citizens do not need an eVisa and cannot generate share codes
- Report errors at gov.uk/report-error-evisa or the UKVI Resolution Centre on 0300 790 6268
A UK eVisa is an online record of your immigration status, held in a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. It shows your permission to enter or stay in the UK and the conditions attached to it, and it has replaced physical documents such as the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), biometric residence card, passport endorsements, and vignette stickers. Accessing your eVisa does not change your status — it only gives you a digital way to view and prove the permission you already hold. You do not carry a physical eVisa; you log into your UKVI account and generate a share code when you need to prove your status to others.
No. Creating a UKVI account and accessing your eVisa is free. You go to gov.uk/get-access-evisa and follow the steps, using your email address, a mobile phone number for security codes, and one identity document — a current passport, a BRP (expired BRPs are accepted during the transition), or your application reference number (GWF or UAN). You verify your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app, which scans your passport chip or BRP and takes a selfie. Be careful to use only the official gov.uk service, as third-party sites may charge for what is a free government process.
No. Most BRPs were set to expire on 31 December 2024, but this did not end your visa or immigration permission. Your permission to be in the UK continued beyond that date — only the way you prove it changed, from a physical card to a digital eVisa. You should keep the expired BRP, as it can be used to create your UKVI account (for up to 24 months after expiry, or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first) and may help with future applications. If you are unsure whether your status is still valid, check your original Home Office decision letter and sign in to View and Prove.
Log into your UKVI account, go to the View and Prove section, select the purpose — right to work, right to rent, or proving your status — and generate the code. The share code is 16 characters long and is valid for 90 days from the date you create it. You can use it as many times as you need within those 90 days, and you can generate as many codes as you like, so there is no single permanent code to remember. Give the code together with your date of birth to the employer, landlord, or other checker, who enters both into the relevant gov.uk online service to view your status.
Share codes are purpose-specific and begin with a letter showing what they are for. A code starting with W is for proving your right to work to an employer; a code starting with R is for proving your right to rent in England to a landlord or letting agent; and a code starting with S is for proving your status for other reasons, such as study, driving, or accessing health services. The codes are not interchangeable — a right-to-rent (R) code entered into the right-to-work service will be rejected. If a checker says your code does not work, the usual cause is the wrong type, so go back to View and Prove and generate the correct one.
A share code is valid for 90 days from the date you generate it. Within those 90 days you can use it as many times as you need. Once it expires, you simply log back into your UKVI account and generate a new one — there is no limit on how many codes you can create, and you do not need to remember a single permanent code. Because employers, landlords, and other checkers may ask for a code at short notice, it is worth making sure you can access your UKVI account and generate a fresh code whenever required.
Yes — make sure the passport linked to your UKVI account is the one you are actually travelling on. Your eVisa is checked digitally at the border, so if your account shows an old or different passport, the automated check may fail and delay boarding or entry. If you have renewed or replaced your passport, update your UKVI account before you travel. Your airline or carrier may also ask for a share code to confirm your status before departure. Setting up your account with your current passport in the first place means you only need to present that passport when you enter the UK.
British and Irish citizens do not need an eVisa, as their own documents prove their status, and they cannot generate share codes. People visiting the UK for 6 months or less generally do not need to create an account. If you left the UK in line with, or before, your visa expiry and do not intend to return on that visa, you do not need to set one up. Almost everyone else holding UK immigration permission — work, study, and family visa holders, and those with settlement — should create a UKVI account to access their eVisa and be able to prove their status.
Report it promptly. Errors in your eVisa record can cause real problems when employers, landlords, or border staff check your status, so do not leave them unresolved. Use the online reporting tool at gov.uk/report-error-evisa, or call the UKVI Resolution Centre on 0300 790 6268. If you have lost access to your account — for example because you no longer have the linked email or phone number — use the account recovery process on gov.uk or contact UKVI through its webchat service. If an error is not corrected promptly, or has already caused you a problem, consider taking specialist immigration advice.
For the official rules, see the gov.uk guidance on how to get access to your eVisa and how to view and prove your immigration status. Employers and landlords can check status through the view a job applicant's right to work service. To report a problem with your record, use the report an error with your eVisa service. Your eVisa also matters for related processes such as supporting documents for UK visa applications, the Home Office fees for ILR, BRP and citizenship, proving status for Standard Visitor visa holders, and meeting the UK visa English language requirements evidence rules.