Overview
eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which will be ‘digital by default’ by 2025. This process is already underway, and millions of people in the UK who applied for their visa through the EU Settlement Scheme or used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app already have an eVisa (digital proof of their immigration status). These changes bring significant benefits to customers, deliver excellent value, and increase the UK immigration system’s security and efficiency.
An eVisa is an online record of a customer’s immigration permission in the UK, and any conditions which apply. It can be viewed by logging into the online ‘View and prove your immigration status’ service using their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. It is usually linked to a customer’s passport to facilitate straightforward international travel.
Using a phased approach to implementing digital services, the intention is that by 2025 most customers will have a secure and seamless digital journey when they interact with the UK’s immigration system.
Over time this will see physical and paper-based products and services replaced with accessible, straightforward online and digital services (such as the ‘view and prove’ service) and products such as the eVisa.
The Home Office has launched a phased rollout of eVisas to biometric residence permit (BRP). Initially this is to BRP holders by email invitation only, being sent in phases. The service will open to all BRP holders from summer 2024. Customers with BRPs do not need to do anything unless they receive an email, and don’t need to contact the Home Office if they do not receive an email immediately because the service will open to all in the summer.
The latest information on eVisas is available at www.gov.uk/evisa. Holders of other physical immigration documents, including (for those who hold indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain) passports containing vignette visa stickers or ink stamps, and biometric residence cards (BRCs), can also find information there on how to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa. It is free, and straightforward for customers who hold physical and paper documents to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa. Creating a UKVI account will not change, impact or remove customers’ current immigration status or their rights in the UK.
Customers who already have an eVisa, including anyone granted status through the EU Settlement Scheme, do not need to do anything. This is also the case if a customer holds both a physical document, such as a BRP, and an eVisa. Customers who are not sure if they already have a UKVI account and eVisa can either check here on GOV.UK or refer to their original grant email or letter.
Further information and future updates, including details of the support available, is available at www.gov.uk/evisa. This will be updated throughout 2024.
An eVisa partner pack comprising further information and factsheets for stakeholders is also available here to download.
What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is an electronic record of a person’s immigration status.
It removes the need for physical documents such as the biometric residence permit (BRP), ink stamps or vignette visa stickers in passports, or the biometric residence card (BRC).
It explains the immigration status of the holder, including the conditions of the immigration permission such as any limitations on their right to work.
Customers can view their eVisa by logging into the view and prove service using their UKVI account and share relevant information about their status securely with third parties, such as employers or private service providers such as letting agencies.
What are the benefits of eVisas?
eVisas bring significant benefits, deliver excellent value and increase the UK immigration system’s security and efficiency.
They will also bring significant benefits to customers who hold an immigration status in the UK:
- An eVisa cannot be lost, stolen or damaged.
- Customers can prove their rights instantly, accurately and securely to anyone who requests it while sharing only necessary information.
- With an eVisa, fewer customers will need to leave their passport with the Home Office while awaiting a decision. eVisas also mean that customers do not need to collect documents like BRPs or wait for these documents to be sent to them.
- With a UKVI account, customers can easily keep the Home Office updated with any changes in their details or documentation. For example, customers can tell us about changes to their name and nationality, travel document (such as passport), email, telephone and postal address contact details.
- Customers can access many UK government services and benefits without needing to present proof of immigration status. This is because selected government departments and authorities including the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Health Service in England and Wales, can securely access immigration status information automatically through system to system checks. Immigration data is held securely, and government will never sell customer data. Further information on how the Home Office handles customer data can be found here on GOV.UK.
It is also simpler for those who need to check someone’s UK immigration status (such as employers and landlords), to use online services, rather than having to maintain awareness of, and look through, different types of physical immigration documents, some of which may be in bad condition, or even fraudulent. As more and more customers create UKVI accounts, checkers can increasingly conduct one quick and simple check using a secure online service on GOV.UK
When are eVisas launching?
Although millions of customers already have and use eVisas, including everyone granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, throughout 2024 customers who currently use physical immigration documents to prove their status and rights in the UK, will be asked to take action to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.
This process launched in April 2024, with BRP holders emailed directly with instructions on how to create UKVI account to access their eVisa. These email invitations are being sent in phases, before the service is made available to all BRP holders in the summer. BRP holders who have not yet received an email should not worry as the process will soon be opened to all without an invitation, and there is no need to contact the Home Office in the meantime.
As we rollout the online process for BRP holders to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa we will send emails to BRP holders when they are able to take action. BRP holders who have not yet received email instructions but have been made aware of the process by friends, family or online forums may find the process does not yet work for them. There is no need to contact the Home Office in this case as the online process will be open for all BRP holders in summer 2024 at www.gov.uk/evisa.
Holders of other physical immigration documents, such as a passport containing ink stamps or vignette visa stickers, or BRCs can take steps to acquire an eVisa now, and further instructions are available at www.gov.uk/evisa.
Will this impact British citizens?
British passport holders and Irish citizens, including those who previously held an immigration status but have since acquired British citizenship, do not need to do anything. British citizens who do not have a British passport because they are dual nationals (excluding Irish passport holders) may need to take action in future regarding how they prove their right of abode. Updates on this will be provided in due course.
Will the Home Office be communicating about eVisas?
A comprehensive range of communications activity on the implementation of eVisas is underway and will be delivered throughout 2024.
This includes a range of direct emails which will be sent, in phases, to BRP holders with instructions on how to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa. We are also proactively engaging with a wide range of targeted stakeholders to engage those impacted by the move to eVisas, and have developed a range of partner pack content (see above) to equip them to communicate widely about eVisa changes.
We will also be using official communication channels, including videos and regularly updated content on gov.uk to communicate these changes.
What is a UKVI account? How is it different to an eVisa?
A UKVI account is a secure way for customers to log into online services such as view and prove, whereas an eVisa is an electronic record of a person’s immigration status.
Using their UKVI account, customers can view their eVisa and share the relevant information via the online view and prove service, by generating a share code, which provides time-limited access to the relevant data. A person can have a UKVI account but no eVisa, for example, where the application for permission to stay in the UK was refused or expired.
A customer can also update personal details such as address and contact details in their UKVI account. This service is free, unlike updating physical immigration documents for which customers may be charged. This service is available at: www.update-your-UK-Visas-and-immigration-account-details.
The UKVI account is currently created automatically for everyone who uses the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check mobile App’ to make an immigration application.
Customers who already hold a physical document will need to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa and to be able to use the full range of online services.
As physical documents that evidence immigration status expire, the view and prove service, accessed via the UKVI account, will be the way people can view and prove their immigration status and associated rights in the UK.
Can you still use a physical document if it expires, and you don’t get an eVisa?
The expiry of a physical document, for example, a BRP card, does not affect a customer’s immigration status. However, how they prove their status will change from 2025. Customers will have to use our online services to prove their rights in the UK and to do so they will need to create a UKVI account.
What do customers need to do if they hold a BRP that expires at the end of 2024?
Customers who have a BRP and are living in the UK will need to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa unless their immigration leave expires before 31 December 2024. From April 2024, BRP holders are being emailed directly with instructions on how to do this. These email invitations are being sent in phases, before the service is made available to all BRP holders in the summer. BRP holders who have not yet received an email should not worry as the process will soon be opened to all without an invitation, and there is no need to contact the Home Office in the meantime. BRP holders should visit www.gov.uk/evisa for the latest information.
For now, customers should continue to use their BRP as they have previously and visit www.gov.uk/evisa for updates. This includes taking their BRP with them when they travel internationally.
The expiry of their BRP card does not affect their immigration status. However, how they prove their status will change from 2025.
Customers who already have an eVisa (a digital immigration status) as well as a BRP, will not need to create a UKVI account, as they already have one. Customers can find out if they already have a UKVI account by checking the email or letter that they were given when they were granted immigration status in the UK or go to www.gov.uk/evisa for further information.
Should customers whose BRP expires on 31 Dec 2024 before their immigration leave is due to expire, apply now to renew their BRP?
No, customers should not apply to renew their BRP, as all BRPs issued to customers who hold immigration leave beyond 2024, including renewals, are due to expire on 31 Dec 2024 and will be replaced by the eVisa.
What should customers do if they’ve lost their BRP?
If a customer has lost their valid BRP then they should apply for a replacement in the usual way. As with all BRPs, if their leave extends beyond the end of 2024, their replacement BRP will expire on 31 December 2024, and they will need to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa to prove their rights.
Once you have received your replacement then you should visit www.gov.uk/evisa for details of how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa.
If a customer has a BRP but it expires before the end of 2024 what do, they need to do?
If a customer’s BRP expires before 31 Dec 2024 then their immigration leave may also expire at that point. If it does, and if they plan to remain in the UK then they should make a visa renewal application in the usual way.
Will a BRP holder be able to use an expired BRP to generate a share code after it has expired but while they still have immigration leave?
How a customer proves their status will change from 2025 and they should take action to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa before their BRP expires.
Information on what steps a BRP holder will need to take to create a UKVI account and access their eVisa is available at www.gov.uk/evisa.
We would encourage all BRP holders to create an account and access their eVisa as soon as it is possible for them to do so. Where individuals have not created an account before their BRP expires at the end of 2024, we will put in place mechanisms to ensure they are still able to prove their rights while they create an account. Holders of expired BRPs will still be able to use these to create an account.
BRP holders should take steps to create a UKVI account and access their eVisa before it expires to prevent any unnecessary delays in proving their rights.
What do legacy paper document holders need to do to evidence their rights in the UK – and what do they need to do to get an eVisa?
Customers who have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain and prove their rights using a passport containing an ink stamp or vignette visa sticker or use another type of legacy paper document should make a ‘No Time Limit’ application.
As part of the application process customers may need to travel to a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services Centre (known as a UKVCAS) to provide a photograph, and in some cases provide fingerprints.
Once an application has been processed successful No Time Limit applicants will be issued with a biometric residence permit (BRP), which can then be used to prove the customer's rights and to create a UKVI account.
By the end of 2024 No Time Limit applicants will receive an eVisa, rather than a BRP. Further updates on this change will be available in due course.
It is free to make a No Time Limit application, and information on how to do so is available at http://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/replace-visa-brp
Why do holders of legacy documents such as passports containing ink stamps or vignette visa stickers need to get an eVisa?
The border and immigration system is becoming ‘digital by default’, a change that will enhance the customer experience, deliver excellent value, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency. This move also reflects a broader societal move towards a digital approach.
The phasing out of legacy documents, such as passports containing ink stamps or a vignette visa sticker, is a key part of this process, but will bring a range of benefits to customers. This includes the fact that an eVisa cannot be lost or damaged, like a vignette, and there is no need for a potentially costly replacement.
Customers who replace their legacy document with an eVisa will benefit from the automated access that public bodies, including the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Health Service in England and Wales will securely have to their immigration status, which will streamline access to key services.
Creating a UKVI account to access an eVisa will also help to prevent unnecessary delays when travelling internationally (if travelling on the document linked to the UKVI account).
If legacy document holders do not acquire an eVisa by 2025, then they may experience challenges and delays in proving their rights and when travelling internationally.
What do eVisas mean for international travel?
Customers should continue to carry their in-date physical immigration documents with them when they travel internationally. Customers who already have an eVisa should tell the Home Office about any travel document on which they intend to travel using the Update your UK Visas and Immigration account details’ service at www.gov.uk/update-uk-visas-immigration-account-details.‘ if this is not already linked to their account.
During 2024, the Home Office is taking steps to allow carriers, including transport operators such as airlines, ferry, and international train operators, to securely and automatically access the immigration status of passengers travelling on their services when they present their travel document which is linked to their UKVI account.
This will automate the existing routine checks completed whenever a passenger presents their travel document when travelling internationally. This will provide a more convenient customer journey, and enhanced border security.
While the UK government is delivering a digital border and immigration system including plans to trial contactless entry using facial recognition only, there are no current plans to replace physical passports with digital equivalents.
Will all international carriers have automatic access to immigration details? Or will it just be airlines?
From later this year, carriers operating across air, rail & sea will be able to securely access passenger immigration information. Further updates will be provided in due course.
Is there help and support for vulnerable groups?
We are developing our digital products and services for use by all, including vulnerable users.
Customers can contact the UK Visas and Immigration Contact Centre, which provides telephone and email support to those using the online immigration status services.
This includes supporting users through the online journey by:
- helping them to access or recover their account.
- helping them to update their personal details.
- sharing status on behalf of individuals if they are unable to do so themselves.
The UK Visas and Immigration Contact Centre will also be able to assist users who are experiencing technical issues with their online immigration status, and where necessary, enable individuals’ status to be verified through alternative means.
Individuals can nominate a ‘helper’ and give them limited access to their account, so that they can assist with creating a UKVI account, completing details to access an eVisa, and with any immigration application. Where a person is unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, age or disability, a ‘proxy’, who is authorised, can create and manage the account on behalf of the person.
Our Assisted Digital service is also available to provide individual support by phone and email to individuals who require assistance with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account.
Additionally, we work collaboratively with a range of third-party stakeholders on the move to eVisas. Many of these organisations offer support to individuals requiring assistance in creating a UKVI account and accessing their eVisa.
We are exploring options to provide additional eVisa support and will provide further updates in due course.
What support is there for those who are digitally excluded?
Assisted Digital is a free service provided by UKVI to support customers in the UK who are digitally excluded to create a UKVI account and access their eVisa. Customers are classified as being digitally excluded if they have access needs or if they have low or no digital skills.
Access needs can include any disability that requires support to use online services, a lack of device or a lack of internet access.
Will children be impacted by the move to eVisas?
In the case of children, the expectation is that their parent or guardian will have access to their UKVI account and use the online services on their behalf, as they would have looked after and used a BRP/C on the child’s behalf. They can subsequently transfer ownership of the account and access to the online services when the child reaches majority.
Parents and guardians can create a UKVI account for their children at the same time they create an account for themselves.
