eVisa Guide

Watch this Home Office video: 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 need to create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa. You can start the process here: Get Access To Your eVisa

You can use an eVisa to travel to the UK together with your current passport which must be linked to your UKVI account. See Travel section below for more information.

You must create a UKVI account to access your eVisa and share information about your immigration status and conditions, such as your right to work, using the view and prove service. You do not have to pay to create a UKVI account.

Once you have created your UKVI account you will be able to view the details of your eVisa online, for example your type of immigration permission, when it expires and your conditions of stay in the UK. You will also be able to prove your immigration status. See Proving Your Immigration Status section below.

You should report an error to UKVI if your details are wrong on your eVisa, for example your name or immigration status. See Errors in the eVisa, Share Code issues section below.

You can update your personal information in your UKVI account, such as your contact details.

Everyone who has held a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), including children, needs an eVisa. To create one, follow the steps in this link: https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa

Set up a UKVI Account
Verify your identity using the UK Immigration ID Check app [Android: Download from Google Play Store, iPhone: Download from App Store]. The process should take about 30 minutes

You will need:

Access to a smartphone (with the UK Immigration ID Check app installed)
A mobile phone number
An email address
Your BRP card or passport if you have access to one, or are permitted to use it. Note: You should not use your own national passport if have protection status based on a fear of your own national authorities as this could risk your refugee/protection status. Ukrainian and (BN(O) visa holders may use their national passport if they wish.

Once your eVisa is prepared, you will receive an email notification that allows you to view your status online.

From 1st January 2025, you must use your eVisa to prove your entitlement to services such as social security, housing, healthcare, education and your right to work.

To prove your immigration status, you can access your eVisa using the View and Prove service. Log in with the credentials you used to create your UKVI account and eVisa.

View and prove your immigration status: Get a share code (https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status).

There are three types of Share Code:

To prove your right to work
To prove your right to rent in England (this does not apply in Northern Ireland)
To prove your immigration status for anything else (e.g. to study, access social housing or to get a driving licence).

You should be careful to select the correct type of Share Code, or you may be denied services.

Watch this Home Office video: How to prove your immigration status with an eVisa:

The Home Office stopped producing Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) on 31^st October 2024. This means that if you were granted refugee status, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave to remain from 1st November 2024, you will not receive a Biometric Residence Permit.

Instead, the Home Office will create a UKVI (eVisa) account for you.

Within 14 days, you or your legal representative will receive an email (eVisa Account Creation Notification). This email contains your unique UKVI Customer Number, usually starting with “K” followed by numbers.

If you receive asylum support (accommodation and Aspen payments) your “Asylum Support Discontinuation Letter” will also contain details of your UKVI Customer Number.

Use this link to access your UKVI account as soon as possible: https://www.gov.uk/update-uk-visas-immigration-account-details/update-your-ukvi-account

See “Proving your immigration status” section for details on how to see your eVisa.

How to activate your UKVI Account

Question: What identity document did you use when you created your account?

Answer: select “Passport”

Question: What is your passport number?

Answer: type in your UKVI Customer Number (“K12345678”)

If you have not received your UKVI account details within 14 days contact the eVisa Resolution Centre on 0300 790 6268 or +44 (0)203 875 4669. You can also use the eVisa Webchat service. Please note: Home Office does not provide an interpreting service.

Changes to the asylum “move-on” period

From 9th December 2024, the Home Office have temporarily extended the length of time given to a newly granted refugee or person with humanitarian protection to leave their Mears accommodation. The move-on period is now 56 days (instead of 28) from the date on the Asylum Decision Letter. You should try to access your eVisa before you leave asylum accommodation.

When you receive your Notice To Quit (vacate) your Mears accommodation you should have at least 7 days’ notice as outlined in the Asylum Support Regulations 2000.

If you receive a Notice to Quit but you have not been given your eVisa details, or there are errors in your eVisa you should:

contact the Resolution Centre and/or report the eVisa error (see Errors in the eVisa section)
ask Home Office to reinstate your asylum support until the issue is resolved: reinstatements@homeoffice.gov.uk

How can I apply for Universal Credit if I haven’t received my UKVI (eVisa) login details?

Newly-granted refugees who want to make an application for Social Security (benefits) like Universal Credit should do so as soon as possible. If you have not received your UKVI (eVisa) login details you should provide your Application Registration Card (ARC) and your Home Office asylum decision letter as proof of your identity and your entitlement to claim support. You must provide both of these documents.

You will be asked to provide details of your eVisa when they are available.

Your eVisa, when you receive access to it, will contain details of your National Insurance Number.

International Travel

You should link your passport to your UKVI account before you travel. You must keep your passport or national ID card details up to date in your UKVI account and tell the Home Office about any changes, so that your immigration status can be easily identified at the UK border.

You should make sure your personal details are up to date well in advance before you travel. You may be delayed or denied boarding by airlines if your information is not correct. Airline carriers can access the Home Office digital system and check that you have permission to enter the UK.

From 31 Dec 2024 – 1 June 2025, people were allowed to travel to UK with their expired Biometric Residence Permits. As of 2 June 2025 this is no longer the case – all travellers should ensure they can access their eVisa as proof of their entitlement to travel to the UK or they may be refused boarding.

Currently, it is not possible to link a Refugee Travel Document to an eVisa account. Therefore, if you are a refugee, you should continue to travel using your Travel Document, but make sure to carry your Biometric Residence Permit (even if expired) while traveling. It is advisable to create your eVisa before leaving the UK.

Refugees – do not attempt to use your old national passport at any time. If you do, you risk your refugee status.
Humanitarian Protection holders – you may use your national passport unless it is accepted that you have a fear of your national authorities. Your asylum decision letter will explain this.
Ukraine Scheme visa holders – you may continue to use your national passport.

Watch this Home Office video: How to travel with your eVisa:

Travel inside UK (domestic)

If you have leave to remain (permission to stay) in the UK then you are free to travel to any part of the UK (please note that this does not include the Republic of Ireland).

Most airlines or ferry companies will require that an individual shows photographic ID to travel. Some people may not have access to a physical ID document.

The Home Office state that “The eVisa is an identification document for the purposes of section 7 of the Identity Documents Act 2010.” This means that an eVisa should be accepted as a valid form of ID.

You should be prepared to show your Share Code at the airport for any necessary checks to be completed. You may also wish to print a copy of your eVisa photo page.

You should clarify the ID requirements directly with the airline or ferry company you wish to travel with before departure.

If your eVisa is displaying incorrect information, you should report the error immediately via the link: Report an error with your eVisa – GOV.UK

Use this service to tell UKVI if any of the following details are wrong on your eVisa:

name
date of birth
nationality
immigration status (see also “If you believe your immigration status is wrong” section)
valid from / valid to date
National Insurance Number
what you can and cannot do in the UK
photo (including no photo)
Share Code function not working

You can also use this service if UKVI set up your account for you but used an email address or phone number you’ve never had access to.

You can also contact the eVisa Resolution Centre on 0300 790 6268 or +44 (0)203 875 4669. You can also use the eVisa Webchat service. Please note: Home Office does not provide an interpreting service.

Ask the Home Office to check your immigration status is correct

If you believe the immigration status displayed on your eVisa is wrong, and it has stopped you accessing work, benefits or services, you should report it (see “Errors in the eVisa” section above) and you can also ask the Home Office to check it.

This may affect you if you are awaiting the outcome of an immigration application, e.g. for Indefinite Leave to Remain. People who make a valid application for further permission to stay in the UK before the expiry of their current permission, benefit from a provision called Section 3C Leave. A person with 3C Leave continues to hold the same rights and entitlements as they did before the expiry of their previous leave until a decision on their immigration application is made.

Some people with 3C Leave have struggled to demonstrate their immigration status because their eVisa might say “refugee leave expired”. This can prevent people accessing employment, benefits and housing that they are entitled to.

You can ask the Home Office to check your immigration status by sending them some documentation. The Home Office should respond within 7 days. You can find out more at this link: www.gov.uk/guidance/ask-the-home-office-to-check-your-immigration-status-is-correct

NOTE: If you are having problems accessing social security (benefits), assistance from NI Housing Executive or struggling to prove your right to work, see “What to do if you have been refused services” section below.

If you have never held a BRP, for example, because you were issued Indefinite Leave to Remain before the introduction of BRPs, you may need to make a “No Time Limit” application. This is sometimes referred to as “legacy status” and applies to people who have stickers or stamps in their passports, or paper proof of their status.

Originally, No Time Limit applications were submitted to obtain a BRP for the purposes of proving an individuals’ immigration status. Since 31st October 2024, the Home Office have said they will create eVisas for those with legacy status and they will no longer receive a BRP.

No Time Limit applications are free and do not alter a person’s overall immigration status. However, if you are worried that you may have lost your Indefinite Leave to Remain, for example due to a long-term absence from the UK, you should seek immigration advice.

If you are unsure about the No Time Limit process, you can contact Law Centre’s Immigration Advice line on 028 90 244401.

Read more: Replace a paper immigration document with an eVisa https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/biometric-residence-permit-replacement-service

If you have lost your BRP it is no longer possible to request a replacement as BRP production stopped on 31^st October 2024, however the Home Office still require you to report your lost or stolen BRP using this link: https://www.biometric-residence-permit.service.gov.uk/lost-stolen/where

To access your eVisa you should visit Get access to your eVisa and answer the questions. If you do not have your BRP, your BRP number or a visa or immigration application number you will be directed to Request your reference number or book a video appointment to get access to your eVisa.

You will be asked for some details about yourself and to provide a photo. This is to help Home Office to find your record. You will also need an email address or a UK postal address.

The Home Office will review your request and let you know what you need to do. This can take up to 10 working days.

The Home Office has advised that migrants should keep their expired BRPs as they may be needed for future immigration application.

The Home Office has confirmed that eVisas are official photographic ID covered by the Identity Documents Act 2010, and should be accepted as such by service providers, e.g. Banks.

You should try to create your eVisa as soon as possible to ensure you can continue to access services. There are some situations where people have problems creating an eVisa, or the information on their eVisa is incorrect. This can negatively impact their ability to access services.

Work – Your employer might ask for a Share Code as proof of your right to work in the UK. If your eVisa is showing the wrong status you will not be able to provide a valid Share Code. Employers should use the Employer Checking Service to check your right to work.

More information about employers’ responsibilities is available here: Checking a job applicant’s right to work

If you are still having issues you can phone Law Centre NI for assistance 028 90 24 44 01.

Social Security (benefits) – Your benefits should not stop if your immigration status has not changed, or you are waiting for the outcome of an immigration application (3C Leave). You can visit your local Jobs & Benefits Office and ask them to check your immigration status directly with Home Office. You should tell them that you have made an immigration application and you are waiting for an outcome. They may request a copy of your application. If you are still having issues you can phone Law Centre NI for assistance 028 90 24 44 01.

Housing (Northern Ireland Housing Executive) – Your entitlement to Homeless Assistance or Housing Benefit from NIHE should not stop if your immigration status has not changed, or you are waiting for the outcome of an immigration application (3C Leave). You can ask NIHE to check your immigration status directly with Home Office. You should tell them that you have made an immigration application and you are waiting for an outcome. They may request a copy of your application. If you are still having issues you can phone Housing Rights on 028 90 24 56 40.

Most people should be able to create their eVisa without support. An eVisa is not an immigration application and does not require immigration advice.

We recommend that your create your eVisa as soon as possible.

For people who are unable to create their eVisa, the Home Office has funded to the following organisations to support with eVisas in Northern Ireland: