UK eVisa: How to Create Your UKVI Account and Obtain Your eVisa?

This article has been reviewed by Wego‘s editorial team to ensure that the content is up to date & accurate.

Updated September 2024

Key takeaways 

• A UK eVisa is a digital immigration document replacing physical visas.

• UK residents with biometric residence permits and cards must switch to eVisas by 31 December 2024.

• Applicants must create a UKVI account to access, update, and share their eVisa details

What is a UK eVisa?

A UK eVisa is a digital immigration document that replaces traditional physical documents like passports and visas. It streamlines the entry and exit process into the UK, enhancing security and efficiency.

It is important to note that the eVisa system only digitizes existing documents and does not change the process for applying to enter or stay in the UK.

 

While the eVisa system doesn’t change the overall application process, it simplifies the verification of immigration status at the border.

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What is a UKVI account?

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) is the government authority responsible for determining who can enter and remain in the UK, as well as managing eVisas. By setting up your UKVI account, you can perform the following actions:

• View your eVisa details online, along with any personal information associated with it, such as your contact information and passport details.
• Update your personal information at any time, ensuring your eVisa details are always accurate and up-to-date.
• Share your immigration status with third parties, such as employers, educational institutions or landlords, by generating a share code through the ‘View and Prove’ service. This code allows them time-limited access to your immigration status information.

Setting up an account is mandatory for everyone eligible for an eVisa, including children. If children are unable to manage their accounts, parents or guardians can do so on their behalf. However, each individual must have their own separate account.

Which documents are being replaced with a UK eVisa?

Currently, the documents mentioned in the three sections below are being replaced by a UK eVisa. The conversion will not affect the immigration status or permission to stay; it simply makes access to the immigration documents easier and eliminates the need for physical copies:

Please note that all UK residents holding any of these documents must obtain an eVisa by 31 December 2024. 

Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

If your BRP expires at the end of this year, you can create a UKVI account to access your eVisa. Be sure to create the account before your BRP expires. Until its expiry, continue carrying your BRP for international travel, and keep it safe afterward, as it may be useful for future applications.

Please wait for an email notification confirming your eVisa access after creating your account. In the meantime, you can use your BRP to prove your immigration status.

If your BRP is lost or stolen and you don’t have other documents to create your UKVI account, you can request a BRP replacement. However, a passport, visa, or application reference number is enough to open your UKVI account and access your eVisa.

Indefinite leave to enter or remain

If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain (also called settled status) and use a physical document, like a wet-ink stamp or a vignette sticker on your passport, you should apply for a free ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application to get a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).

Once you have a BRP, you can create a UKVI account to access your eVisa.

You may also 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.

Biometric Residence Card (BRC) 

If you hold a Biometric Residence Card, you already have an e-visa under the EU Settlement Scheme. You can find instructions on how to view and access it in your grant letter or email. However, it’s still important to carry your BRC during international travel.

If your BRC has not been granted settled status, the card is no longer valid. In this case, you can submit a late application to the EU Settlement Scheme under the following conditions:

• You are an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, or a family member of one
• You have been living in the UK since before 31 December 2020
• You held indefinite leave to enter or remain through another route before 31 December 2020

Once your application is approved, a UKVI account will be automatically created for you, where you can access and share your eVisa.

Please note that if you do not have a BRC and have not been granted settled status, you may also want to check your eligibility for the Windrush Scheme. You might qualify if:

• You arrived in the UK before 1973 from a Commonwealth country
• You are the child of a Commonwealth citizen who arrived before 1973
• You arrived in the UK before 1989

For more information, please refer to the GOV.UK website.

How to apply for a UK eVisa?

To obtain your eVisa, you’ll need to create a UKVI account through the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website. The process is simple, but before you proceed, check if you already have an account.

You already have an account and don’t need to create a new one if you:

• Applied to the EU Settlement Scheme 
• Applied for a visa using the UK Immigration: ID Check app
• Created an account when applying for a visa (you would have received a UKVI account confirmation email)
• Created an account to access an eVisa (an online record of your immigration status)

If you visited a Visa Application Centre (VAC) or Service Support Centre (SSC) to verify your identity when applying for a visa, you do not have a UKVI account and will need to create one.

If you don’t already have a UKVI account, first check which document you need, as mentioned in the previous section. Once that’s ready, you’re set to create your UKVI account. Follow the three steps below to obtain your eVisa:

Step 1: Creating a UKVI account

• Visit the GOV.UK page to access all the instructions required to create your account. Please read everything carefully before selecting “Start Now.”
• Fill in the required details and click “Create Account.”
• You will receive an email confirmation that your UKVI account has been created.
• This email will include a link to sign in, along with a list of tasks you need to complete to view your eVisa.

Step 2: Confirming your identity

• In the confirmation email, you’ll be asked to download the UK Immigration: ID Check app from the App store or Google play store.
• After downloading the app, you’ll be prompted to take a picture of your BRP or passport.
• Review all the information on your documents, then take a passport-style photo of yourself.

Step 3: Linking your account to your eVisa

• Once you’ve completed the tasks listed in the email, click “Confirm and Submit.”
• You’ll receive another email within a few days notifying you that your eVisa is ready for viewing.

Please note that to obtain your eVisa, you simply need to create a UKVI account, which is free of charge.