If you hold, or once held, a UK visa, the single biggest practical change of the past few years is that your immigration status now lives online, not on a card or sticker. GOV.UK states plainly that “eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents.” For many people this is smoother than the old system. For others, particularly people with an expiring BRP, a new passport, or a name mismatch with their airline booking, it creates new ways to get stuck.
This guide explains what an eVisa is, how to get into yours, how share codes work, and what to check before you travel. VisaMet is not a law firm and this is preparation guidance, not legal advice; always confirm against GOV.UK and the current rules for your own status.
What an eVisa actually is
GOV.UK describes an eVisa as a digital record of your identity and immigration status, and of the conditions attached to it, such as whether you can work or study. You reach it through a UKVI account, and the same account lets you:
- view your eVisa and generate share codes
- add or update passport or travel document details
- report errors in your record
Two legacy documents are handled differently. A visa vignette (the sticker in your passport) remains valid until it expires. A biometric residence card may still be usable in some situations, but you should not plan around it. For background on the old card, see our BRP glossary entry.
Step 1: get into your UKVI account
Who can have an eVisa: GOV.UK lists anyone with a UK visa, indefinite leave to remain, a digital record of exemption or a certificate of entitlement, or a valid vignette in their passport.
To create an account you need one of the following:
- a valid passport plus the number from your visa application (a GWF or UAN reference)
- a valid passport plus your BRP number
- an expired BRP (GOV.UK currently allows this for 24 months after it expires or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first)
You also need a phone number and email address. The process is: create the account, use a smartphone app to confirm your identity, then link the account to your eVisa. Alternatives exist if you lack a valid passport, an expired BRP or a smartphone.
You may already have an account if you used the UK Immigration ID Check app, created one while applying for a visa, replaced a physical document with an eVisa, or applied to the EU Settlement Scheme. Try signing in before creating a duplicate.
Step 2: share codes for employers, landlords and travel
Instead of showing a card, you prove your status by giving someone a share code.
- Validity: GOV.UK says a share code lasts 90 days and can be reused until it expires.
- What the checker needs: the code and your date of birth. They see some of your details, and the service tells you exactly what before you share it.
- Right to work: an employer sees the types of job you may do and how long you can work in the UK. The right-to-work service asks for your BRP number or passport or national ID card. If you have no BRP or UKVI account, or only a vignette sticker as a certificate of entitlement, GOV.UK says you must prove your right to work with your original documents instead.
- Right to rent: the same idea for landlords, who can check whether you may rent and for how long. GOV.UK notes your landlord cannot reject you for offering an eligible immigration document instead of a share code.
Setting up a UKVI account and viewing your eVisa are free of charge on GOV.UK.
Practical tip: generate a fresh code for each purpose rather than reusing an old one, and check the “what they will see” screen. Note that the right-to-rent page still mentions an 18-month BRP window, which differs from the figure on the account-creation page; the two do not match, so do not rely on an expired BRP for work or rental checks: use a share code from your UKVI account instead.
If you are moving between visa categories, your eVisa updates when the Home Office decides your application. See, for example, our Skilled Worker visa guide or ILR guide for what changes at each stage.
Step 3: if your BRP has expired or you lost your card
Do not wait until it stops working. The sequence that GOV.UK supports is:
- Use the expired BRP number (or a valid passport with a visa reference) to create or recover your UKVI account within the window above.
- Confirm your eVisa displays correctly.
- Add your current passport.
- From then on, use share codes for employers and landlords.
If you have never accessed your account and the deadline is close, act now rather than assuming the rules will be extended. Whether that window changes is unverified beyond what GOV.UK currently states.
Step 4: fixing wrong details
There are two different routes, and choosing the right one saves time.
Details you can change yourself. In your UKVI account GOV.UK lets you update passport or travel document, name, mobile number, email, addresses, date of birth, nationality and photo. One important restriction: you cannot change your name or passport if you are waiting for a visa application decision. If you cannot supply identity documents for a change of name, date of birth or nationality, an alternative service exists.
Errors in the eVisa record itself. Use GOV.UK’s “report an error” service for wrong details or status, being unable to generate a share code even though you can view your eVisa, technical faults, or never having been able to sign in to an account the Home Office created. You need contact details, your name, date of birth and nationality, and one identifier (passport number, expired BRP number, GWF or UAN, or UKVI customer number). UKVI aims to fix most issues within 5 working days, and complex ones can take up to 15 working days; you will be emailed if it will take longer.
Step 5: travelling with an eVisa
This is where mistakes cost the most, because the first person to check is your airline, not a border officer.
- Add the passport you will travel on to your UKVI account. Dual nationals should add the one they will actually use. You may add more than one.
- Make your booking match your account. GOV.UK says your details must exactly match the passenger information you give the carrier. Your carrier may not let you travel if they do not, and you may be delayed at the border.
- Renewed your passport while abroad? With a biometric passport you can self-update passport number, expiry date, name or nationality; without one you can only update number and expiry, and other changes need UKVI, possibly with biometrics at a visa application centre.
- Have a fallback. If the carrier’s automated check fails, GOV.UK says you can show a share code (valid 90 days) or physical documents such as an ILR stamp or sticker in an old passport, together with your valid passport.
- eGates check your eVisa when you enter or leave the UK.
An eVisa is not an ETA. The ETA is for visa-exempt visitors staying up to six months; if that is you, see our UK ETA guide.
A pre-flight checklist
- Sign in to “view and prove” and confirm your status and conditions display correctly.
- Confirm your current passport is linked.
- Compare your name and passport number to your airline booking.
- Generate a share code and screenshot it as a backup (valid 90 days).
- Leave time for a fix: even the fast route is around 5 working days.
Where VisaMet fits
Errors like these often trace back to a mismatch between the application and later records, the same kind of issue behind many refusals; see our refusal reasons guide. VisaMet is an AI visa application assistant in pre-launch; join the waitlist to get help preparing consistent, well-documented applications when it opens. For work-route context, see our UK work visa guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a UK eVisa share code last?
GOV.UK says a share code lasts for 90 days and can be used as many times as you need before it expires. You can generate a new one whenever you need it. The person checking it also needs your date of birth.
My BRP has expired. Can I still set up a UKVI account?
Yes, in many cases. GOV.UK currently lists an expired BRP as one of the documents you can use to create a UKVI account, for 24 months after its expiry date or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. If you also have a valid passport, you can use that instead. Check the current GOV.UK page, because these windows are time-limited.
Do I need to pay to get an eVisa or a UKVI account?
No. GOV.UK states that you do not need to pay to set up a UKVI account or to access your eVisa.
What happens if my eVisa shows the wrong details when I travel?
GOV.UK warns that your carrier may refuse to let you travel if your details are wrong, and you may be delayed at the UK border. Report the error to UKVI before travelling. UKVI aims to fix most issues within 5 working days, and complex ones can take up to 15 working days.
Do I need to add my passport to my UKVI account before flying to the UK?
Yes. GOV.UK says you must travel with a valid passport or travel document that you have added to your UKVI account, and your details must exactly match the passenger information you give your airline. You can add more than one passport, so add the one you will actually use.
Sources
- Online immigration status (eVisa), GOV.UK
- Create a UKVI account to get access to your eVisa, GOV.UK
- View your eVisa and get a share code, GOV.UK
- Travel with your eVisa, GOV.UK
- Report an error with your eVisa, GOV.UK
- Check your eVisa is correct before you travel, GOV.UK
- Confirm your immigration status to your carrier, GOV.UK