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Applying for and accessing an eVisa online

An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status that is accessible via a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. This online record allows you to apply for, manage and receive your visa entirely online, aiming to simplify travel and migration to the UK by reducing unnecessary delays and limiting the need for in-person appointments and physical documents.

If you currently use physical immigration documents to prove your immigration status, you must make the change to an online eVisa before the expiry date of 31st December 2024.

What is an eVisa?

An eVisa is a digital status of your immigration status that replaces any physical immigration document, including the following categories:

Biometric residence permits (BRP).
Biometric residence cards (BRC).
Passport endorsements, including the indefinite leave to enter wet ink stamp.
Vignette stickers in passports, including entry clearance or a visa vignette sticker.

Updating your physical document to an eVisa will not affect your immigration status, or the relevant information surrounding your permissions to enter or stay in the UK.

Get access to an eVisa

Who needs an eVisa?

You can access your UKVI account and eVisa now if you have permission to stay in the UK for longer than six months which was granted in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland – note that the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are currently exempt from this list.
Specific immigration documentation will also be required when processing your eVisa application on your computer or mobile device.

Who doesn’t need an eVisa

You will not need to get access to an eVisa if you:

Plan to stay in the UK for less than six months, including for work purposes, or
Were granted immigration status from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or
Are exempt from immigration control, including those who are diplomats or have ‘right of abode’.

See below for a list of immigration status information and current access levels to an application:

Physical document	eVisa access
Biometric residence card (BRC), under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) or an EUSS decision letter:	You should already have a UKVI account and access to your eVisa.
Biometric residence permit (BRP)	You can create a UKVI account and apply for an eVisa.
Frontier Worker permit	You can create a UKVI account and apply for an eVisa.
A vignette sticker in your passport confirming your indefinite right to remain in the UK	No access to the eVisa yet. You must apply for a BRP before you can create a UKVI account and apply for an eVisa.
A wet ink stamp in your non-UK passport confirming your indefinite right to remain in the UK	No access to the eVisa yet. You must apply for a BRP before you can create a UKVI account and apply for an eVisa.
A form for affixing a visa (FAV) document attached to your passport confirming your indefinite right to remain in the UK	No access to the eVisa yet. You must apply for a BRP before you can create a UKVI account and apply for an eVisa.
No physical document	No access to the eVisa yet.

(Information correct as of 02.10.24)

If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain, you must apply for a biometric residence permit to prove your rights before you can create a UKVI account to access your eVisa and consolidate your online immigration status.

Your UKVI account

You will already have a UKVI account if you:

Applied to the EU Settlement Scheme,
Applied for a visa and used the UK Immigration: ID Check app,
Created one to obtain an eVisa,
Created one when applying for a visa – if this is the case, you’ll have received a UKVI account confirmation email.

If you don’t already have a UKVI account, you will first be asked to create an account and confirm your identity using the ‘UK Immigration ID Check’ app before applying for an eVisa. Creating a UKVI account is free and won’t affect your immigration status.

Visit the gov.uk website and click Start now to begin the process of creating a UKVI account. You’ll need the following information on hand to proceed:

Internet access.
Access to a smart phone.
Your contact details, including a mobile phone number and email address.
Your BRP card or a valid passport with your BRP number or visa application number.
- Your visa application number is the global web form (GWF) or unique application number (UAN) from your visa application.

After you’ve followed these steps, you’ll be prompted to download the “UK Immigration: ID check‘. You’ll then use this app to scan your BRP and confirm your identity before continuing to create a UKVI account.

When you’ve scanned your BRP, you’ll then be redirected to the online form to finish creating a UKVI account and finalise your eVisa application:

Confirmation of your BRP or application number.
Your location.
Contact details and preferences.
Account security questions.

When these details are complete, the form can be submitted and you should be able to access your eVisa within a few days.

Keeping your eVisa details up to date

It’s important to keep your personal details and contact information up to date in your own account to ensure your eVisa remains a valid representation of your immigration status. If you have incorrect documentation within your UKVI account, you may be delayed at the border when entering the UK.

If any of the below details change, you must update your UKVI account immediately:

Mobile phone number.
Email address.
Name.
Identity documents, such as your national identity card or a new passport.
Home address.
Postal address.

five-star-international-electronic-visa-brp-deadline

After you create a UKVI account, you can also:

Add an extra identity document.
Add an extra nationality, e.g. if you have dual nationality.
Correct your date of birth.
Give someone else access to your visa application process.
Give someone else access to your UKVI account.
Change your photo, e.g. if your appearance has significantly changed and you can no longer be recognised from your initially provided photo.

Your eVisa questions, answered

If you have a biometric residence permit with an expiry date of 31st December 2024, you should now be able to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa. You should do this prior to the expiry date of your BRP, but continue to carry this with you until the expiry date passes.

If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain, also known as settlement or settled status, and you currently prove your immigration status information with a physical document such as a wet-ink stamp in your current passport or a vignette sticker, you should now make a ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application to replace this old document with a BRP. When you have your BRP, you can then create a UKVI account to access your eVisa and manage your online immigration status.

Making the switch to an eVisa brings with it many benefits, including:

A reduced need for physical immigration documents, including biometric residence permits a biometric residence card or other physical documents.
A speedier process to prove your immigration status at the UK border, as well as when sharing with employers or landlords, thus reducing unnecessary delays.
A secure online account that means necessary documents can’t be stolen or lost.

If you have pre-settled or settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme, you should already have a UKVI account and access to your eVisa.

If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain, you will need to apply for a biometric residence permit (BRP) before you can create a UKVI account to access your eVisa and consolidate your online immigration status.

Your eVisa will be linked to your UKVI account.

You will still be required to keep certain personal details with your own account up to date, including your current passport. You will still be required to carry your passport with you when you travel, be it internationally or domestically within the UK.

Getting started with an eVisa

If you’re looking for assistance and guidance with managing your eVisa online, we can provide further information.

Five Star International’s team of immigration specialists is equipped with the industry knowledge and experience to support you with your online application.