This factsheet was updated 27 February 2025.
Overview
The Home Office is developing a border and immigration system that is more digital and streamlined. eVisas, a digital proof of immigration status, are a key part of this transformation and will enhance visa holder and new applicant’s experience, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.
We have been transitioning from physical immigration documents to eVisas for the past 6 years, and they are tried and tested, with millions of people now successfully using eVisas. Since 31 October 2024, successful visa applicants who would have received a biometric residence permit (BRP) in the past have got an eVisa.
Since eVisa rollout activities began in March 2024, with physical immigration document holders encouraged to access their eVisa, by the end of January 2025 over 4 million people had created an online (UKVI) account to access their eVisa, with the latest statistics published here on GOV.UK on 27 February 2025. Further statistics will be published in due course.
What is an eVisa?
An eVisa is an electronic record of a person’s immigration status. It provides people with the ability to view and prove their immigration status online. eVisas are accessed via a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, which visa holders create as part of the process of transitioning to an eVisa. This can then be used to share information about their immigration status and conditions, such as their right to work or rent in the UK.
What are the benefits of eVisas?
eVisas bring significant benefits and increase the UK immigration system’s security and efficiency.
They also bring significant benefits to people who hold an immigration status in the UK:
- An eVisa cannot be lost, stolen or damaged.
- Visa holders can prove their rights instantly, accurately and securely to anyone who requests it while sharing only necessary information.
- With an eVisa, fewer people will need to leave their passport with the Home Office while awaiting a decision. eVisas also mean that applicants do not need to collect documents like BRPs, or wait for these documents to be sent to them.
- With a UKVI account, visa holders can easily keep the Home Office updated with any changes in their details or documentation. For example, telling us about changes to their name and nationality, travel document (such as passport), email, telephone and postal address contact details.
- People can access many UK government services and benefits without needing to present proof of immigration status. Select government departments and authorities including the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHS in England and Wales, can securely access immigration status information automatically through system-to-system checks.
Who needs to get an eVisa?
Most BRPs and EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) biometric residence cards (BRCs) expired on 31 December 2024, and anyone who uses a BRP is urged to access their eVisa now at www.gov.uk/eVisa, and to help family members and friends to access theirs. An EUSS BRC is a BRC that was issued following a successful application to the EU Settlement Scheme. Anyone granted permission from 1st November 2024 should create an account to access their eVisa, if they don't already have one.
Anyone with indefinite leave to remain (ILR) who uses an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents as they do today, including for travel, but they are still encouraged to make a free No Time Limit (NTL) application to access an eVisa at www.gov.uk/eVisa. They can do this at any time.
Everyone must have their own UKVI account. Where a child under the age of 18 is unable to create and manage their own account, a parent or guardian should do this for them. You can read more about creating a UKVI account for a child here.
What do eVisas mean for international travel?
When travelling, the immigration status for most passengers will be checked digitally – either via automated systems or using the online View and Prove service. If needed, carriers can also call our 24/7 UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub to confirm a passenger’s immigration status.
UKVI account details can be updated easily and quickly if no personal details have changed (i.e. no change in name, nationality, date of birth or sex marker), a new or different passport can be added to a UKVI account quickly and easily, without needing to send in the document and the vast majority of changes are applied immediately.
If a person is at the port, travelling to the UK imminently and they are experiencing issues because the carrier is unable to check their immigration status (including using alternative checks such as view and prove or an expired BRP/EUSS BRC), they should ask the carrier to contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub. If they would like to discuss this with UKVI, a passenger support helpline is now available. A person can call the passenger support helpline on 0800 876 6921 (free of charge) or 0203 337 0927 (may be charged depending on phone provider). UKVI contact centre staff operating this service are not, however, able to contact carriers on behalf of passengers or resolve technical issues.
More information on travelling using an eVisa is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/making-sure-your-evisa-is-correct-before-you-travel.
Will expired BRPs and EUSS BRCs be accepted by airlines and carriers if a passenger doesn’t have an eVisa yet?
While we are confident that our systems and processes will ensure no one is disadvantaged by the move to a digital immigration system, we are conscious that some people remain concerned about the transition, particularly in the context of international travel.
On this basis, the Home Office allows carriers - such as airlines – to initially accept a biometric residence permit (BRP) or EU Settlement Scheme biometric residence card (EUSS BRC) which expired on or after 31 December 2024 as valid evidence of permission to travel.
This arrangement was initially announced in December 2024, and in February 2025 it was extended, until 1 June 2025 inclusive .
Passengers whose immigration permission is still valid but whose BRP/EUSS BRC expired on or after 31 December 2024 are advised to continue to carry their expired BRP/ EUSS BRC with them when they travel.
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.
Border Force will continue to check all passengers through existing border processes to ensure they still have valid immigration permission and this change does not impact on border security.
Why is there variation between the stats you've published now and the December 2024 stats?
The latest statistics are available here on gov.uk.
Since the first eVisa statistics publication in December 2024, we have further analysed the eVisa data to provide additional quality assurance and enhance our understanding of who has not yet acted.
Our analysis has shown that a number of people who opted to create a UKVI account during this period already had one in place as part of their visa application. While this should not usually present any issues for these individuals, it does mean that the published data includes a number of duplicate accounts. If people experience problems, they can contact the Resolution Centre using online webchat or by phone.
We had previously estimated the number of biometric residence permit (BRP) holders who need to create an account to access their eVisa at over 4 million but have always been clear that this number is hard to establish accurately and changes over time, given the daily fluctuations in this data, with people’s leave expiring, people leaving the country before their leave expires or leave being cancelled or curtailed.
Further analysis has shown that the overall number of people with a BRP was in fact lower than we had estimated, because of how duplicate BRP cards were handled in the data. We have also confirmed that some BRP holders who have not yet created a UKVI account had permission which expired during January 2025, and will either have left the UK or will create an account as part of their application for further permission e.g. students making applications for graduate study.
What support is available?
The Home Office’s Resolution Centre provides help and support to anyone seeking to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa and can assist users who are experiencing technical issues with their online immigration status, and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. Details of how to access this can be found here on GOV.UK.
If a person is at the port, travelling to the UK imminently and they are experiencing issues because the carrier is unable to check their immigration status, they should ask the carrier to contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub. If they would like to discuss this with UKVI, a passenger support helpline is now available. A person can call the passenger support helpline on 0800 876 6921 (free of charge) or 0203 337 0927 (may be charged depending on phone provider). UKVI contact centre staff operating this service are not, however, able to contact carriers on behalf of passengers or resolve technical issues.
In September 2024, the Home Office announced up to £4m in new UK-wide grant funding for four national, and dozens of local organisations to support vulnerable people who may need support transitioning to an eVisa. It builds on the huge success of EU Settlement Scheme grant funded network that helped over 500,000 vulnerable people. The organisations funded to provide free support to vulnerable and at-risk people who need help with creating their UKVI account and getting access to their eVisa are listed here on GOV.UK.
The Assisted Digital service is also available to provide individual support by phone and email to people who require assistance with IT-related aspects of creating a UKVI account, for example if they do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device, have internet access or access to a device like a computer, laptop or smart phone. Support is available by text, email or phone, and offers phone support and face to face support where appropriate. More details can be found here on GOV.UK.
Asylum and Refugees
A range of measures and support are in place to ensure that people granted refugee status are able to access their eVisa.
We stopped issuing new biometric residence permits (BRPs) on 31 October 2024. We will create a UKVI account and eVisa for newly recognised refugees without a previous BRP or valid passport within 14 days of a positive decision on their asylum claim being served. This will be explained to them in their decision letter or email.
We will inform the person that their UKVI account has been created and provide the necessary information for them to sign in. This communication will also include details on how to get support for accessing or reporting any issues with their eVisa.
We have implemented a time limited pilot to extend the ‘move on period’ so newly recognised refugees have 56 days to move on from the point they are served their grant of leave, supporting local authorities as we clear the asylum backlog and transition to eVisas.
It is important that newly recognised refugees initiate plans to move on from asylum support as soon as they are served their asylum decision in order to maximise the time they have to make move on arrangements, regardless of when their UKVI account details or discontinuation letter are issued.
What about data security?
Immigration data is held securely, and government will never sell user data. Further information on how the Home Office handles data can be found here on GOV.UK.
How are Home Office informing people about eVisas?
The Home Office continues to deliver an extensive range of communications activity in support of eVisa transition, encouraging impacted physical immigration holders to take action. This has included direct communication, regular updates to gov.uk, and wide-ranging stakeholder engagement.
Our eVisa outreach and engagement has included organisations well-placed to support communities with specific needs to take-action to access their eVisa.
In October, the Home Office launched a targeted advertising and engagement campaign across the UK to raise awareness of the transition to eVisas amongst those affected. The campaign aims to inform as many people as possible about the change and uses a multichannel approach, including out of home advertising, print and social media alongside multicultural engagement activity through community organisations, embassies and stakeholder events.
Can you still use a physical document if it expires, and you don’t get an eVisa?
The expiry of a physical document, for example, a BRP card, does not affect someone’s immigration status if it expires on a later date. Visa holders will be able to create an account quickly and easily, using their expired BRP if needed, at www.gov.uk/eVisa. BRP holders will also still be able to use the online right to work and rent services to prove their rights once their BRP expires – provided they still have valid immigration status – although they are encouraged to register for a UKVI account and to use that to access those services.
Holders of legacy paper documents, including passports containing ink stamps and visa vignette stickers, can continue to use their physical document to prove their immigration status as they do today. However, they are encouraged to take action at www.gov.uk/eVisa in order to make use of the benefits and convenience that a UKVI account offers, and to reduce unnecessary delays when proving their status.
Will eVisas create another Windrush situation?
We are conscious of the lessons learnt from Windrush and are committed to ensuring that all customers, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system. We understand that individuals may have concerns about proving their status in the absence of a physical document.
Many Windrush individuals had an immigration status that was automatically conferred on them by an Act of Parliament, so in some cases they had no physical proof. In contrast, those who receive an eVisa have secure evidence of their status.
Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission, which they can keep for their personal records. While this document cannot be used as evidence of their status these printed documents can be used when interacting with the Home Office should any subsequent issues be encountered with their eVisa We have also put in place a range of support and alternative mechanisms if people struggle to prove their rights using the digital system.
To ensure those with historic and paper-based evidence of their immigration status can take advantage of the benefits eVisas bring, we are continuing further focused communications activity aimed at this group and key stakeholders to get the information that they need in order to create a UKVI account and access their eVisa during 2024 and beyond. We will endeavour to reach vulnerable people who are less digitally confident through collaboration with other Government departments and stakeholders.
Does this impact British citizens?
British passport holders and Irish citizens, including those who previously held an immigration status but have since acquired British citizenship, do not need to do anything. British citizens who do not have a British passport because they are dual nationals (excluding Irish passport holders) may need to take action in future regarding how they prove their right of abode. Updates on this will be provided in due course.