eVisas

The way you apply for a visa to come to or stay in the UK remains the same but whether you will be issued with a physical document (entry clearance visa) to enter the UK for an application made outside of the UK.

You may still be issued with a physical document as well as an eVisa. This depends on whether you apply for your student visa in the UK or outside the UK.

If you apply for your student visa outside the UK, you will still be granted an initial visa vignette in your passport (entry clearance). This entry clearance should be valid for 90 days and allows you to enter the UK within that period. UKVI plan to phase out entry clearance visas and replace them with digital immigration status for student visas in July 2025 and by the end of 2025 for most other visas.

You should then create a UKVI account to be able to access your eVisa, which will show your full immigration permission and conditions in a digital format. If you have already created a UKVI account, you may be able to directly access your eVisa without any further steps.

Note: If you are a citizen of a European Union or European Economic Area member state, or a Swiss national, you may be able to apply for your student visa outside the UK using the UK Immigration ID check app (instead of attending a UK Visa Application Centre), and you should only be issued with an eVisa and no physical visa will be issued.

If you apply for your student visa in the UK, your visa will only be issued in a digital format (eVisa) and you will not be issued a physical visa document.

If you apply for a Visitor Visa (of 6 months or less) or if you come to the UK as a Visitor without a visa but with a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation (for Non-Visa Nationals coming to the UK as visitors for less than 6 months), you will not be issued with an eVisa.

See our Student visa pages for more information on applying for a Student Visa.

See our Standard Visitor Visa pages for more information on coming to the UK as a Standard Visitor.

You can find information on how to create your UKVI account on the Gov.uk website. You will create your account by clicking on the green ‘start now’ button. Registering for an e-visa is free. 

To create an account, you will need the following:

• Access to a smartphone (check your smartphone is compatible with the UKVI ID check app)
• A mobile phone number
• An email address 
• A valid passport – Or your BRP card (if you were issued with one and if it expired less than 18 months ago), your Visa application number (your visa application number may start with (GWF) or (UAN) and can be found in any communication you received about your Student visa application.

If you create a UKVI account with your BRP card or visa application number, you will need to later update your UKVI account and add your passport.

Please note you must ensure that the phone number and email address you provide in the application are ones that you can always access, as you will need them each time you access your eVisa to prove your immigration status.

When creating your account, you will be asked to download the Immigration ID check APP; please see information on how to use this app on the Using the UK immigration: ID check app webpage. 

There are three steps to follow to complete your e-visa registration:

1. Register for your eVisa online

• You first create a UKVI account
• You will need to provide the details of your passport or BRP (if you have one) or passport and visa application reference number
• Confirm your personal details and provide a contact email and mobile phone number

2. Prove your identity using the UKVI ID check app

• Download the app
• Scan the QR code on the UKVI account created (or request a connection code)
• Enter your details
• Scan the chip and take a photo of your passport (or BRP if you have one)
• Take a selfie and facial scan

Note: The UKVI ID check app is only used to prove your identity to UKVI. The app does not store your details and is not later used to view and prove your immigration status. See our section below on how to view and prove your immigration status.

3. Return to your UKVI account to complete the linking your e-visa to your UKVI account

• Confirm identity document details
• Confirm all other details and sections
• Choose a security question
• Complete and submit

If you have problems creating your account, you can ask Student Advice for help or contact UK visas and immigration.

If your eVisa details are not visible immediately after creating your UKVI account, there’s no need to worry. It may take a few working days.

UKVI will email you directly once your eVisa is ready to view (check junk/ spam mail folders). If you require a share code, you can still obtain one; please see information on share codes below.After completing your eVisa registration, if more than 5 working days have passed and you haven’t received an email confirming your eVisa is ready to view, you should check that you have completed each stage of the registration process by logging into the UKVI account you have created.

If it appears that you have completed all stages of the registration process, but you are still not able to view your eVisa, you can report this to UK Visas and Immigration via the online eVisas error reporting tool.

• Click start now button
• Confirm if you are currently in the UK or outside
• In the question; “Are you having problems viewing your eVisa?” choose the option “Yes, I cannot see my eVisa when I sign in to my UKVI account”
• Provide your personal details and a reference number (eg: BRP, UAN or passport)
• Complete the form and submit

Once you submit the report, you should receive an automated email confirming submission and informing you that you should receive a response within 10 working days. 

If you continue to have difficulties receiving your eVisa please get in touch with Student Advice or contact the UKVI help centre directly. 

Once you create your UKVI account, please check that your details are correct and that your eVisa has the correct visa expiry date.

Most student visas will include some extra time after the end of the course, sometimes called the ‘wrap-up period’.  Please see below how much extra time you should receive according to what you are studying.

Degree courses (Course duration: More than 12 months)

• Most undergraduate and Postgraduate student visas should expire 4 months after the end date of your course, as confirmed in your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)
• If you have applied for a new student visa outside the UK, or to extend your student visa in the UK, your course length is calculated from the original course start date to the new end date of your course. This means you are still considered to have studied for longer than twelve months

Examples

• If your course end date in your CAS is September 2024, your eVisa should be valid until January 2025
• If your course end date is July 2025, your eVisa should be valid until November 2025

Study abroad (Course duration less than 6 months)

• Your student visa should expire seven days after the end date of your course, as confirmed in your CAS

Degree courses (Duration 6 to 12 months)

• You should receive an additional two months after the end date of your course, as confirmed in your CAS

Pre-sessional courses (Standalone)

• You should receive an additional month after the end date of your course, as confirmed in your CAS

If you believe there is an error on your e-visa that you have not been able to correct yourself, please see the information below for further help.

Once you have created your UKVI account, your eVisa can be viewed by logging into the View and prove service on the Gov.uk website.

The UKVI app is not used to view and prove your immigration status and is only used to prove your identity as part of your visa application or when creating your UKVI account.

When you have logged into the View and prove service, you can

• View your eVisa, including the start and end dates of your visa
• View any conditions attached to your UK visa
• Share your eVisa with others by generating a share code that provides time-limited access to the relevant data

To obtain a share code, you will access a different link, depending on who you need to prove your status to:

• To prove your right to work to an employer
• To prove your right to rent to a landlord
• If you are providing a share code for any other reason, for example proving your status to the University

If you need to prove your immigration status to the University, employer, landlord or any third party that may ask you for confirmation of your UK immigration status, you can access your eVisa using the View and prove service and then generate a share code.

Once you have your share code, you can then send this code to any third party to whom you may need to prove your status. Anyone who will be checking your status, e.g., your employer or landlord, can then use an online checking service to confirm your immigration status by entering your date of birth and sharing the code that you have provided to them.

You should update your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account if any of your personal details change or if you get a new or additional passport.

To update your personal details on your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, follow these three steps:

1. Sign into your UKVI account, you will need to use the identity document and contact details you gave when you applied for the account
2. Navigate to the 'personal details' section
3. Save the changes and ensure you receive a confirmation message

Important: You must ensure that your current, valid passport(s) is updated and linked to your eVisa UKVI account. This is essential for travel as carriers and UK Border Force are able to check your e-visa through your passport details

• Once signed into your UKVI account, you will be able to see any identity documents that are linked to your account
• If your current, valid passport details are not visible, you will need to click on “add a new identity document”, choose passport and follow all the instructions (including uploading an image of the biographical photo page of your passport)

You should update your UKVI account if you’ve changed your:

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

You can also:

• Correct your date of birth
• Add an extra nationality if you have dual nationality
• Add an extra identity document
• Change your photo, for example, if your appearance has changed and you can no longer be recognised from your photo

If you’re updating your name, date of birth or nationality, you’ll also need an identity document that proves the change is needed.

It’s crucial that you keep your personal details up to date to avoid any issues when travelling to the UK. Inaccurate or outdated information can lead to delays or complications at the airport/border control.

Please note that any updates you make may not be reflected on your account immediately. It might take some time for some changes to be processed and confirmed.

You should check your e-visa to ensure that all the information is correct, including your personal details and the conditions attached to your eVisa, such as the  start or end date of your visa, your work conditions or an incorrect sponsor licence number.

If you think that there is an error on your evisa (for example with the expiry date), contact the Student Advice Team for advice.

There is a simple online e-visa error reporting tool which you use to report any errors on your eVisa, including:

• Personal details: Name, date of birth, nationality
• Sponsor reference
• Photo
• National Insurance number
• Visa conditions – including work restrictions
• Immigration status: Old, incorrect or unable to view
• Valid until date (visa expiry)
• Share Code problems

If you notice an error, use the online eVisa error reporting tool to report the error. You can also use the error reporting tool if you are having problems viewing your eVisa:

• Click start now button
• Confirm if you are currently in the UK or outside
• In the question; “Are you having problems viewing your eVisa?” choose the option “No, the problem is something else”
• In the question: “What is the problem with your eVisa?” select the error type(s) and provide the requested details
• Provide your personal details and a reference number (eg: BRP, UAN or passport)
• Complete the form and submit

Once you submit the report, you should receive an automated email confirming submission and informing you that you should receive a response within 10 working days.

If you are unsure if there is an error on your eVisa, if you unsure whether or how to report an error, or if you have reported an error but you have not had a response or a resolution, please get in touch with Student Advice or contact the UKVI help centre directly.

You must always check your eVisa information using the View and prove service as explained above to check that your personal details, passport information are correct before travelling.

Give yourself plenty of time to check these details before travelling in case you need to change anything as it may take some time to update your details.

Your eVisa must be linked to the current passport that you will travel with, and if you have a BRP card, you must travel with this until it expires, even if you already have an eVisa.

If you need to update your passport details, do so before travelling otherwise you may not be allowed to travel to the UK.

See the Gov.uk webpages entitled Check your eVisa is correct before your travel.

See our Travelling webpages for more advice on travelling with a Student visa.

Please watch useful information on travelling to the UK with your eVisa.

You may be a student who does not hold a student visa but has another UK visa. As with student visas, if you have permission in the UK in most other immigration categories (eg, Work visas, dependent visas), you should also be issued with an eVisa or need to register for an eVisa. Please see advice at the Gov.uk website.