The UK Home Office is in the process of replacing physical immigration documents with a digital proof of immigration status, called an e-Visa. The move to an e-Visa is free, and does not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.
If you are a holder of pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you do not need to take any action as you already have an e-Visa. You will however need to keep your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account up to date with your latest passport/ID card details, and current contact information. If you are a Cypriot citizen who has acquired British or Irish citizenship, you do not need to do anything.
If you have any of the below, please go to www.gov.uk/evisa for information on what action you need to take to create an UKVI account and obtain an e-Visa:
- Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
- Biometric Residence Card (BRC)
- passport endorsements, such as indefinite leave to enter wet ink stamps
- vignette stickers in passports, such as entry clearance or visa vignettes
What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK. You will need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa.
Updating your physical document to an eVisa does not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.
In the future you’ll be able to use an eVisa to travel to the UK – you will not need to carry a physical document, except for your current passport, which must be registered to your UKVI account. Until the end of 2024 you will need to continue to carry your physical document when you travel, if you have one.
The benefits of eVisas include:
- they are secure and cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with, unlike a physical document
- you will not need to wait for, or collect, a physical document after your application is decided – you might still need to provide biometric information in person, and we will tell you if you need to do this
- it will be quicker and easier to prove your status at the UK border, and share your status with third parties like employers and landlords
You can watch a video on what an eVisa is.
If you have a biometric residence permit
If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP) that expires on 31 December 2024, you can now create a UKVI account and access your eVisa. You should do this before the expiry date of your BRP. You should continue to carry your BRP with you when you travel internationally until it expires.
Keep your expired BRP card as it may help with future applications to stay in the UK. You may also want it for your personal records.
You can use your travel document, such as a passport, and your visa application reference number to create your UKVI account if your BRP card has been lost or stolen.
You should only request a replacement BRP if it has been lost or stolen and you have no other form of identity document to create a UKVI account.
If you have permission to stay in the UK, once you’ve created your UKVI account you will be able to sign in to the view and prove service to access your eVisa.
If you have another physical document
If you have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain (also known as settlement or settled status) and you currently prove your rights through a different type of physical document, such as a wet-ink stamp in your passport or a vignette sticker, then you should make a free ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application to replace your document with a BRP. Once you have a BRP, you’ll be able to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa.
You may be able to make a late application for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme if you:
- are an EU, other EEA or Swiss citizen or their family member
- have been resident in the UK since before 31 December 2020
- have held indefinite leave to enter or remain under another route since before 31 December 2020
If your application is successful, you will get a UKVI account and access to an eVisa automatically.
If you require further assistance, you may access the following eVISA webchat provided by the UK Visas & Migration department.
Disclaimer: The above information is for general purpose only and is not intended to replace official guidance by the British Authorities. For further information please carefully read the Home Office website.