If you live in the UK on a visa — or if you hold Indefinite Leave to Remain, EU Settled Status, or any other form of immigration permission — the way you prove your status has fundamentally changed. Physical Biometric Residence Permit cards have been replaced by a digital record called an eVisa. This guide explains what an eVisa is, how to access yours, how to prove your status to employers, landlords, and airlines, and what to do if you are having problems.
What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is an electronic record of your UK immigration status held securely in the Home Office system. It shows your identity, the type of permission you hold, what you are allowed to do in the UK — such as work, study, or claim benefits — and when your permission expires. It replaces physical immigration documents including Biometric Residence Permit cards, vignette stickers in your passport, and in most cases old ink stamps.
An eVisa is not a physical document. You cannot print it out or carry it in your wallet. Instead, you access it digitally through a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account that you create on gov.uk, and you prove your status to others using a share code that you generate through that account.
What happened to BRP cards?
Biometric Residence Permit cards were introduced in 2008 as the standard physical proof of immigration status for non-British nationals living in the UK. They expired on 31 December 2024 — regardless of the expiry date printed on the card itself and regardless of whether the holder’s underlying visa or leave to remain was still valid.
The expiry of your BRP card did not end your visa or immigration permission. Your permission to be in the UK continued. What changed is how you prove it. From 2025 onwards, the eVisa is the primary way to demonstrate your immigration status.
As of April 2025, an estimated 300,000 UK residents had not yet set up their UKVI account and eVisa. If you have not done this and you hold a visa, leave to remain, or any other form of immigration permission, you need to act now. Without access to your eVisa you may be unable to prove your right to work, unable to rent, or refused boarding on a flight back to the UK.
Who needs to set up a UKVI account and access their eVisa?
You need a UKVI account and eVisa if you are a non-British, non-Irish national living in the UK with any of the following:
- A current visa — including a Spouse Visa, Skilled Worker Visa, Student Visa, or any other leave to remain
- Indefinite Leave to Remain granted on a BRP card
- EU Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status under the EUSS — though most EUSS holders already have a UKVI account from the application process
- A BRP card that has expired but whose underlying visa remains valid
What about old passport stamps showing ILR?
Some long-standing UK residents — particularly those who were granted Indefinite Leave to Remain many years ago — have proof of their status as a stamp or endorsement in an old passport rather than on a BRP. These legacy paper documents can still be used in most situations for now, but the Home Office is strongly encouraging all holders to apply for an eVisa to replace them. There is no immediate deadline forcing this, but relying on a stamp in an old passport that may be worn, damaged, or simply old is increasingly impractical as the system moves to digital verification.
How to set up your UKVI account and access your eVisa
The process is straightforward and free. You do not pay anything to set up a UKVI account or access your eVisa.
Go to gov.uk/get-access-evisa and follow the steps to create your account. You will need your email address, a mobile phone number for two-factor authentication, and one of the following to verify your identity: your passport, your BRP card number, or your application reference number (also called a GWF or UAN number). You will also need to use the UK Immigration: ID Check app on your smartphone to complete identity verification — this involves scanning your passport chip and taking a selfie for facial recognition matching.
Once your account is set up, log in and check that all your details are correct — your name, date of birth, nationality, visa type, conditions, and expiry date. If anything is wrong, report it to the Home Office resolution centre immediately rather than waiting. Errors in your eVisa record can cause serious problems when you try to prove your status.
How to prove your immigration status using a share code
When an employer, landlord, airline, or any other organisation needs to verify your immigration status, you do not show them your eVisa directly. Instead, you generate a share code through your UKVI account and give it to them along with your date of birth. They enter the share code and your date of birth into the Home Office online checking service and can see the details of your status.
To generate a share code, log in to your UKVI account, go to the View and Prove section, select the purpose — right to work, right to rent, or immigration status — and generate your code. The share code is 16 characters long and is valid for 90 days from the date you generate it. You can use it as many times as you need within those 90 days. Once it expires, generate a new one.
A separate share code is needed for each different purpose — for example, the code you give your employer for a right to work check is different from the one you give your landlord for a right to rent check.
Proving your status when travelling
When you travel back to the UK, airlines and border staff check your immigration status digitally. Your status is linked electronically to the specific passport you used in your application — so when you present your passport at check-in and at the UK border, your status can be verified without any additional document.
Before travelling, always generate a fresh share code and print it or save it on your phone as a backup. Airport Wi-Fi can be unreliable — do not rely solely on accessing your UKVI account on the day of travel. If you have changed your passport since your visa was granted, you must update your passport details in your UKVI account before you travel, otherwise your status may not be found when your new passport is scanned.
What if you have had a new passport since your visa was granted?
This is one of the most common causes of eVisa access problems. Your eVisa is linked to the passport you used when you applied for your visa. If you have since renewed or replaced that passport, you need to log in to your UKVI account and update your travel document details to link your eVisa to your new passport. Without doing this, you may be refused boarding or face delays at the UK border because your new passport does not match the document linked to your immigration record.
What if your eVisa shows incorrect information?
If your eVisa contains errors — wrong name spelling, incorrect date of birth, wrong visa type, or missing conditions — do not ignore it. Report the error to the Home Office resolution centre as soon as possible using the online reporting tool on gov.uk. Errors in your eVisa record can cause significant problems when employers, landlords, or border staff check your status. Take specialist legal advice if the error is not corrected promptly or if it has already caused you a problem.
What if you cannot access your UKVI account?
If you have forgotten your login details, lost access to the email address or phone number linked to your account, or are otherwise locked out, use the account recovery process on gov.uk. You can also contact UKVI through the webchat service on gov.uk. Do not leave account access problems unresolved — you need to be able to generate a share code at short notice for employment and housing checks.
Visitor visas — no more vignette stickers
From 25 February 2026, successful visitor visa applicants no longer receive a vignette sticker in their passport. Instead, they receive an eVisa linked to their UKVI account. If you have a family member or friend coming to the UK on a visitor visa in 2026, they will need to set up a UKVI account and access their eVisa before they travel. The share code or their eVisa status will be the primary way to confirm their permission to travel.
Frequently asked questions
My BRP expired on 31 December 2024. Does that mean my visa has ended?
No. The expiry of your BRP card did not end your underlying visa or leave to remain. Your immigration permission continues until its own expiry date. However, you can no longer use your BRP card to prove your status. You need to set up a UKVI account and access your eVisa immediately. If your visa itself is also due to expire, you will need to apply for an extension — see our guides on the relevant visa route for your circumstances.
How do I prove my right to work to a new employer?
Log in to your UKVI account, go to View and Prove, select right to work, and generate a share code. Give the share code and your date of birth to your employer. They enter these into the Home Office online checking service to verify your status. The share code is valid for 90 days. Generate a new one if it expires.
I have changed my passport. Do I need to update my eVisa?
Yes — urgently. Your eVisa is linked to the passport you used when you applied. If you travel to the UK on a new passport without updating your UKVI account, your status may not be found when your passport is scanned and you risk being refused boarding or entry. Log in to your UKVI account and update your travel document details as soon as possible after getting a new passport.
Can I still use an old passport stamp as proof of ILR?
In most cases, yes — for now. Legacy paper documents such as ink stamps showing Indefinite Leave to Remain in old passports are still accepted in many situations. However, the Home Office strongly encourages all holders of paper documents to apply for an eVisa to replace them. As the system becomes fully digital, relying on an old passport stamp will become increasingly impractical. Applying for an eVisa to replace a paper document is free and straightforward.
What if there is an error in my eVisa?
Report it immediately to the Home Office resolution centre using the online reporting tool on gov.uk. If the error is causing you immediate problems — for example preventing you from proving your right to work or to travel — take specialist legal advice without delay. Do not use a share code that shows incorrect information as this could create complications.
JPS Immigration advises on eVisa access problems, status errors, and all aspects of proving immigration status in the UK. If you are having difficulties with your UKVI account or your eVisa record, call +44 (0) 333 577 0034 or visit jpsimmigration.com/assessment for a free initial assessment.
