UK eVisa guide: how to create a UKVI account, prove your status and travel

The short answer

The UK has replaced most physical immigration documents with eVisas, a digital record of your status that you access through a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. You create the account with your passport and a visa application number or BRP, confirm your identity and link the eVisa, then generate share codes to prove your rights to employers, landlords and others. An expired BRP can be used to create an account for 24 months after its expiry date or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.

If you live in the UK on a visa, or have settlement, your proof of status is now almost certainly digital. The Home Office has moved from biometric residence permits (BRPs), passport stickers and old stamps to the eVisa, an online record of your immigration status. You reach it through a UKVI account.

Getting this right matters. Employers, landlords, banks, universities, airlines and Border Force all rely on your eVisa. A small mistake, such as an old passport still linked to your account or a lost phone number, can delay a job start, a tenancy or a flight home. This guide explains who needs an eVisa, how to set it up step by step, how to share it safely with share codes, how to travel with it, and how to avoid and fix the problems people most often run into.

What an eVisa is

An eVisa is a digital record of:

• who you are, linked to your identity document;
• your immigration status and its conditions, such as permission to work or study;
• how long your permission lasts.

There is nothing to carry. Instead, you sign in to your UKVI account to view your status, and you generate share codes when someone needs to check it.

Who needs a UKVI account

According to GOV.UK, you need a UKVI account to access your eVisa if you have:

• a UK visa, such as a Skilled Worker, Student, Family or Graduate visa;
• settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain;
• a digital record of exemption or a digital certificate of entitlement for the right of abode.

Family members need their own accounts. Partners and children joining you each have their own eVisa and need their own UKVI account.

When an eVisa is optional

You can choose whether to get an eVisa if you have:

• a physical settlement document with no expiry date, such as an indefinite leave stamp in an old passport, which requires a "no time limit" application; or
• a valid visa sticker (vignette) in your passport.

Choosing to get one can still save time, because many organizations now expect a share code.

When you do not need one

You do not need an eVisa if you are visiting with an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), or if you have permission to stay only in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar.

Check you do not already have an account

Do not create a second account. You may already have one if you have:

• used the UK Immigration: ID Check app;
• applied for a visa online in recent years;
• replaced a BRP or BRC with an eVisa;
• applied to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Duplicate accounts cause delays in linking your status.

What you need before you start

If you do not have a valid passport or an expired BRP, or cannot use a smartphone, GOV.UK provides another way to confirm your identity.

The expired BRP deadline

You can use an expired BRP to create your UKVI account for 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card, or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. If you are relying on an expired BRP, do this now.

How to create your UKVI account and link your eVisa

Step 1: Gather your details

Have your phone, email, passport and either your application number, BRP number or expired BRP ready.

Step 2: Start on GOV.UK

Go to the GOV.UK page "Get access to your eVisa" and follow the link to create a UKVI account. Use only GOV.UK links; avoid paid "helper" sites.

Step 3: Confirm your identity

Use the identity app on a smartphone to scan your document and your face, or use the alternative route GOV.UK offers if you cannot.

Step 4: Link the account to your eVisa

You cannot see your eVisa until your identity is confirmed and the account is linked. You can also link later from the UKVI account dashboard. Access usually works straight away, but GOV.UK says it can take up to 24 hours.

Step 5: Check every detail

Sign in and check your name, date of birth, nationality, photo, status type, conditions and expiry date. Report any error immediately.

Step 6: Add your current passport

Make sure the passport you will travel with is linked to your account. Add new passports as soon as you receive them.

How to prove your status with a share code

Most checks use the GOV.UK View and prove your immigration status service.

1. Sign in to the service.
2. Choose why you need to prove your status, for example to prove your right to work or your right to rent.
3. Generate a share code.
4. Give the share code and your date of birth to the person checking.
5. They enter it on their own GOV.UK checking service.

Which share code to use

Share codes are time limited. If one expires before it is used, generate a new one.

Travelling with an eVisa

When you travel, airlines and border staff check your status digitally against your passport. To avoid problems:

• travel on the passport linked to your UKVI account;
• update your account before travel if you have a new passport;
• carry your share code or keep access to your account on your phone in case you are asked;
• allow extra time if you hold dual nationality and are travelling on a different passport than the one linked.

Keeping your account up to date

Use the "Update your UKVI account details" service to change:

• your phone number or email address;
• your passport or identity document;
• who manages the account, for example when a child turns 18 and should manage their own account with their own phone number and email.

Keeping these details current protects your access. Losing access to the phone or email on the account is one of the most common problems people face.

Common problems and how to fix them

For questions, GOV.UK provides a UKVI webchat and eVisa support videos.

Protecting yourself from scams

• Creating a UKVI account and accessing your eVisa through GOV.UK is free.
• The Home Office will not ask you to pay to "activate" an eVisa by phone or email.
• Never share your account sign-in details. Share codes are designed so you never need to.

Why this matters

Clear, accessible proof of status protects your job, your home and your ability to travel. Past failures to document lawful residents, such as the Windrush scandal, show why every resident should hold and understand their own proof of status. Read our case study on the Windrush scandal for the wider lessons.

Right to work checks: what employers will ask

Employers in the UK must check that every worker has the right to work before employment starts, and keep a record. With an eVisa, the check is done online:

1. You generate a right to work share code.
2. You give the employer the code and your date of birth.
3. The employer enters them on the GOV.UK employer checking service and sees your photo, status and any work restrictions.
4. The employer checks the photo matches you and keeps a copy of the result.

If your permission is time limited, the employer must repeat the check before it expires. If you have applied to extend in time and are waiting for a decision, your employer can ask the Home Office Employer Checking Service to confirm your right to continue working.

Tip: check the conditions on your eVisa before accepting a job. A Student visa, for example, usually limits working hours during term time, and a Skilled Worker eVisa ties you to your sponsoring employer and role.

Right to rent checks in England

Landlords and letting agents in England must check that adult occupiers have the right to rent. With an eVisa you generate a right to rent share code and give it with your date of birth. If your permission is time limited, the landlord will check again before it ends. Right to rent checks apply in England only; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules.

EU Settlement Scheme holders

If you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, your status was always digital. You already have a UKVI account, and you prove your status in the same way, with a share code. Keep your passport or identity card details up to date in your account, especially if you travel on a new document.

If you cannot use digital services

GOV.UK provides alternatives for people who cannot use a smartphone or who need help:

• an alternative identity route where you cannot use the identity app;
• assisted digital support for people who need help using online services;
• the option for someone you trust to help you, without you giving them your sign-in details permanently.

Ask for help early rather than leaving it until a job offer, tenancy or trip depends on it.

A checklist before big life events

Records worth keeping even with an eVisa

An eVisa replaces physical cards, but some paperwork is still worth keeping safely, digitally and on paper:

• Decision letters and emails from UKVI granting each period of permission.
• Old passports, including those with stamps showing entry dates and earlier visas.
• Expired BRPs, which can help you create an account before the deadline and show your history.
• Application references (GWF or UAN numbers) for each application you made.
• Evidence of continuous residence, such as tenancy agreements, payslips and tax records, which matter when you apply for settlement or citizenship.

These records help you resolve errors quickly and build a complete history when you apply for indefinite leave to remain or British citizenship.

UK eVisa at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an eVisa if I have indefinite leave to remain in an old passport stamp?

You can choose to get one. If you hold a physical settlement document with no expiry date, GOV.UK says you can apply for an eVisa through a no time limit application. Doing so makes it easier to prove your status to employers, landlords and airlines.

My BRP has expired. Can I still use it?

For one purpose: you can use an expired BRP to create your UKVI account for 24 months after the expiry date printed on the card, or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. It does not prove your status by itself.

How do I prove my right to work with an eVisa?

Use the GOV.UK View and prove your immigration status service to generate a share code for proving your right to work. Give the code and your date of birth to the employer, who checks it online.

Do my children need their own UKVI account?

Yes. GOV.UK says dependants, including partners and children, need their own accounts to access their eVisas. A parent can manage a child's account, and the child should take over with their own email and phone number when they can manage it.

What happens if I get a new passport?

Update your passport details in your UKVI account. Airlines and border checks link your eVisa to the passport you travel with, so an out of date passport record can cause problems when you travel.

Sources

1. GOV.UK: Get access to your eVisa (checked November 6, 2026)
2. GOV.UK: View and prove your immigration status (get a share code) (checked November 6, 2026)
3. GOV.UK: Online immigration status (eVisa) (checked November 6, 2026)
4. GOV.UK: Update your UKVI account details (checked November 6, 2026)
5. GOV.UK: Prove your right to work to an employer (checked November 6, 2026)
6. GOV.UK: Prove your right to rent in England (checked November 6, 2026)

Cite this page: Nika Kapanadze and Henrik Larsen, "UK eVisa guide: how to create a UKVI account, prove your status and travel", Immigrantset, last checked November 6, 2026, https://immigrantset.com/settling-in/uk-evisa-ukvi-account-guide/