Replacement of physical immigration documents with eVisas by 31 December 2024

UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) are developing a digital by default immigration system by 2025. This means they are replacing physical documents with an online record of immigration status, known as an eVisa. An eVisa is a secure and convenient way to evidence your immigration status and prove your rights that cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with.

 

Does this affect me?

This will affect you if:

  • you currently use one of the following physical documents to evidence your immigration status and prove your rights:
    • a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
    • a Biometric Residence Card (BRC)
    • an ink stamp or vignette sticker in your passport or another legacy physical immigration document, confirming Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain

and

  • you do not already have a UKVI account and eVisa

 

What action do I need to take?

You will need to visit www.gov.uk/evisa to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa if:

  • you currently use one of the physical immigration documents listed above

and

  • you do not already have a UKVI account and eVisa

 

When do I need to take action?

It is essential that you take action before 31 December 2024.

This will ensure that from 1 January 2025 you can continue to:

  • prove your rights (including your right to work, rent and access to any public services or benefits you are entitled to) without delay or difficulty.
  • evidence your UK immigration status at the UK border.

 

Will this affect my immigration status or right to work in the UK?

Updating your physical immigration document to a digital eVisa will not affect your immigration status or right to work in the UK. Your type of visa/immigration status and current visa expiry date will not change.

If you have already demonstrated your right to work to us, we do not need to check your immigration status again. The only exception to this is where the Staff Compliance team contact you specifically to request that you provide evidence of your continuing right to work due to your visa expiry date.

 

IMPORTANT travel information

If you intend to travel internationally before your physical immigration document expires, please ensure you carry your valid in-date physical immigration document with you even if you have created your UKVI account and accessed your eVisa.

If you intend to travel internationally at the end of December/beginning of January (i.e. over the Christmas Closure period), you must make sure that you have created your UKVI account and accessed your eVisa, and linked any passport on which you intend to travel to your eVisa, to avoid problems at the border on your return to the UK after 1 January 2025.

Although you will not be able to use your expired physical immigration document to travel internationally, we recommend that you take it with you in case you encounter any difficulties during this transition period.

05 December update: It has been confirmed by UK Home Office and UK Borders that they will allow carriers - such as airlines – to initially accept a biometric residence permit (BRP) or EU Settlement Scheme biometric residence card (EUSS BRC) which expires on or after 31 December 2024 as valid evidence of permission to travel. Home Office also intends this arrangement to be in place until 31 March 2025, but this will be kept under review.

 

Passengers whose immigration permission is still valid but whose BRP/EUSS BRC expires on or after 31 December are advised to continue to carry their expired BRP/ EUSS BRC with them when they travel in the early part of 2025. This transitional measure is intended to provide additional reassurance to travellers during the early phase of this transition. Passengers may also wish to create a View and Prove share code in advance of travel, which is valid for 90 days. UK Border Force will continue to check all passengers through existing border processes to ensure they still have valid immigration permission.

How do I create a UKVI account to access my eVisa?

Creating a UKVI account is free, straightforward, and will not usually require you to send any documents to the Home Office.

Information, support and guidance is available at www.gov.uk/evisa. This includes:

Please also read the information below and associated UKVI eVisa Guides which outline what you need to do based on the type of physical immigration document you hold.

Once you have reviewed all the information, support and guidance available, and have attempted to create a UKVI account to access your eVisa, should you experience difficulties please email the Staff Compliance team for assistance (including eVisa support request, your name and CID in the subject line).

 

 

UKVI eVisa Guidance