It records identity, permission and the conditions attached to that permission.
UK eVisa and digital status
Permission is digital.
Travel still depends on the record working.
An eVisa connects immigration permission, identity, a UKVI account and the document used for travel. The system works only when those records form one accurate chain.
Find the relevant issue ↓
Current position · reviewed 5 August 2026
UKVI stopped issuing visa vignettes to successful new applicants on 1 July 2026. Most successful overseas applicants now receive an eVisa only; a form accompanying an eVisa applies in the limited identity-document circumstances described in official guidance.
The current passport or travel document should appear correctly in the UKVI account.
Passenger information and the document presented should match the live record.
Account details, sign-in access and errors in status are handled through different official processes.
The digital chain
Four records.
One usable status.
Read the status actually granted.
Check the route, expiry date and conditions shown against the decision. An account update cannot change the substance of an immigration grant.
Protect access before it becomes urgent.
Keep sign-in details, email and telephone information current. Account recovery is a different process from correcting the eVisa itself.
Link the passport used for the journey.
A new passport, second nationality or difference in personal details can stop the carrier from matching the traveller to the record.
Prepare live evidence, not assumptions.
Where automatic verification fails, the current UKVI process uses live status evidence and permits the carrier to seek Home Office confirmation.
Before travel
Test the chain while there is time to correct it.
A five-minute pre-travel check is materially different from discovering a record problem at the airport.
- 01Access
Sign in to the UKVI account and view the live eVisa. Do not rely solely on an old screenshot or decision email.
- 02Permission
Confirm the route, expiry date and conditions against the decision record.
- 03Identity
Check that the passport or travel document for the journey is linked and that all passenger details match.
- 04Proof
Know how to obtain a travel share code and retain any still-valid physical immigration document that applies.
- 05Correction
Use the correct update, recovery or error-reporting process before the journey becomes time-critical.
Focused digital status guides
Start with the problem that is actually occurring.
Each guide answers a narrow, high-intent question and links directly to the relevant UKVI process.
01 · Travel document
Update a new passport before travel
Link the document that will be presented to the carrier and check that the identity record matches the booking.
Read the guide ↗02 · Carrier verificationWhen an airline cannot verify an eVisa
Work through document matching, live status, the travel share code and the carrier's route to Home Office confirmation.
Read the guide ↗03 · Document exceptionUnderstand the form accompanying an eVisa
Identify why a FAV has been issued, when it must be collected and how it connects to digital permission.
Read the guide ↗04 · Record correctionChoose the correct route for an eVisa error
Distinguish an outdated account, an incorrect immigration record and a sign-in problem before time is lost.
Read the guide ↗Current analysis
A visa granted without a vignette.
The absence of a passport sticker is now the normal result for most successful applicants. The material question is whether the eVisa, identity document and travel process are ready to work together.
Read the counsel analysis ↗Digital status questions
Direct answers. Different processes.
01Is an eVisa a digital copy of a physical visa?+
An eVisa is the digital record of a person's identity, immigration status and the conditions attached to that status. It is accessed through a UKVI account and used with the relevant identity document.
02What should be checked before travelling with an eVisa?+
The holder should be able to access the eVisa, confirm the permission shown, ensure the passport or travel document used for the journey is linked to the account, and make sure the booking details match that document.
03What if an airline cannot see the eVisa?+
UKVI's carrier guidance says the traveller can provide a share code from the view-and-prove service or a valid physical immigration document where one remains applicable, together with the valid passport. The carrier can contact the Home Office carrier support hub if status remains unconfirmed.
04How are wrong details corrected?+
Changed account or identity details are generally handled through the account-update service. An incorrect immigration record, inability to view the eVisa because of a technical error or inability to generate a share code should be reported through the eVisa error service.
Primary sources
Use the live record and the current guidance.
Reviewed 5 August 2026. Digital-status processes can change operationally; check the current GOV.UK service before relying on a saved instruction.
Digital status briefing
Follow changes to proof, travel and status.
Receive selected UK immigration analysis when an operational or legal change affects what a traveller, family or sponsor should do next.
Set your briefing preferences →Follow changes as they take effect →Digital status review
When the record and the real position do not align.
Quastels can review the immigration decision, the visible eVisa, identity documents and the practical consequence where travel, work or status depends on resolving the discrepancy.
Request an initial assessment ↗