Your UK immigration status is now an eVisa: a digital record you see in a free UKVI account, not a card or a sticker. You use it to create share codes (valid 90 days) for employers and landlords, and you must keep your current passport linked to it before you travel.
An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status held by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). It has replaced the biometric residence permit (BRP) and, for most routes, the passport vignette sticker. If you hold a Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Student, Graduate, family, India Young Professionals Scheme visa or indefinite leave to remain (ILR), your status is digital.
You see it through the View and prove your immigration status service on GOV.UK, which you sign into with your UKVI account. The account is free. You never pay a third party to create it.
The eVisa shows your visa type, conditions (for example, your work limits), and the date it ends. It also shows whether you can rent in England, work, or use the NHS. You do not show the eVisa itself to anyone. Instead, you give them a share code.
If you applied using the UK Immigration: ID Check app, your account is usually set up as part of the application. If you applied at a VFS Global centre in India, your decision email tells you how to create the account. You need:
Once created, it can take up to 24 hours for the account to link to your eVisa. Check that your name, date of birth, photo, visa type and end date are correct.
Passport details matter. Airlines and Border Force find your status through your passport. When you renew your Indian passport (in the UK this is done through VFS Global for the High Commission of India), sign in and use Update your details to add the new passport before you travel. Otherwise the airline may not see your permission and could refuse boarding.
Children and partners each need their own account. A parent or another adult can help create and manage a child's account, but the account belongs to the child's own record.
A share code is a nine-character code you create in your account. You choose the reason first, because each reason shows the checker different information:
| Reason | Who uses it | What they need from you |
|---|---|---|
| Prove your right to work | Employers, recruitment agencies, and since 1 Oct 2026 also firms using workers, sub-contractors and online matching platforms | Share code and date of birth |
| Prove your right to rent | Landlords and letting agents in England | Share code and date of birth |
| Prove your status for another purpose | Banks, universities, councils, others | Share code and date of birth |
Each code is valid for 90 days. You can reuse it within that time or create new codes as often as you like. The checker enters the code on their own GOV.UK service and sees your photo and permissions. They must keep a record of the check.
Right to work: your employer must check before your first day and again before your current permission ends if it is time-limited. Under the illegal-working code of practice from 1 Oct 2026, an employer can be fined up to ยฃ45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach. That is why HR teams insist on a valid code.
Right to rent: this applies in England only. Landlords must check every adult aged 18 or over before the tenancy starts; for time-limited permission the check must be within 28 days before the start. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have no right-to-rent scheme, but landlords there may still ask for ID. See the UK renting guide.
You do not need to carry a share code to fly to the UK if your eVisa is linked to the passport you travel on. Airlines check status electronically. Still, before every trip:
If you are travelling while an extension or switch is pending, your old permission continues under section 3C only while you stay in the UK. Leaving usually means the pending application is treated as withdrawn. Get advice before you book.
Almost all BRPs expired on 31 December 2024, even where the visa itself ran longer. The expiry date on the card does not change your visa. Employers can no longer accept a BRP or biometric residence card as proof of right to work; they will ask for a share code. If your National Insurance number was printed on your BRP, it is also visible in your UKVI account. If it was not, apply separately (see getting an NI number).
You can usually still use an expired BRP number to sign in to your UKVI account if that is the document you registered with. You do not need to post the old card back unless asked; keep it safe or destroy it securely.
A share code is valid for 90 days. You can reuse it during that time or generate a new one whenever you need it.
Usually not. Airlines check your eVisa through the passport linked to your UKVI account, so make sure the linked passport is the one you are travelling on.
No. The BRP expiry did not shorten your permission. Your status is in your eVisa, which shows the real end date.
Sign in to your UKVI account and add the new passport under Update your details before you travel. Keep the old passport until the change shows.
No. Employers can no longer accept BRPs or biometric residence cards. Give them a right-to-work share code and your date of birth.
Yes. Every person, including children, has their own eVisa and needs their own account, which a parent can help manage.
Checked against these sources on 14 October 2026. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority before you apply.
