UK eVisa and Share Code Guide: View, Prove and Check Your Status

An eVisa is a digital record of your identity, UK immigration status and the conditions attached to that status. A share code lets an employer, landlord, public body or carrier run the relevant online check. The right steps depend on what you need to prove: an employer check, a right-to-rent check in England, a general immigration-status check and a travel check are not interchangeable.

If your Ukraine Scheme permission is approaching expiry, UPE applicants should also check that their UKVI account and identity document are ready before applying. The Ukraine Permission Extension application guide covers the 90-day application window, eligibility and what to do while a decision is pending; this page explains how to access and prove the resulting digital status.

Set up and check your eVisa

You need a UKVI account to access an eVisa. The official service covers people with a UK visa or settlement, including some people who previously relied on a physical immigration document. Account setup and access are free. You must complete the identity and account-linking steps before the eVisa appears; GOV.UK says access is usually immediate after linking but may take up to 24 hours.

Each dependant needs their own UKVI account to access their eVisa. A parent, carer or authorised person may manage an account for someone else where the official service allows it. Keep the account's contact details current so the account holder can receive sign-in codes and UKVI can reach them.

After signing in, check the name, date of birth, nationality, immigration status, conditions and expiry information against your decision and supporting documents. If the status or identity shown is wrong, use the eVisa error-reporting service. Do not assume that a successful sign-in means the status data is correct.

Generate the right share code

Use the GOV.UK view and prove service and select the reason that matches the check. For example, use the right-to-work option for an employer, the right-to-rent option for a landlord check in England, and the appropriate general immigration-status option for another organisation. Some checks use a separate employer or landlord service; the recipient should follow the official checker for that purpose. For the landlord's full check, follow-up and fair-treatment duties, see the UK Right to Rent guide.

Before creating a code, review the service's preview so you know which details the recipient will see. You will usually need to give the recipient both the code and your date of birth. A share code normally lasts 90 days and may be used multiple times for its intended purpose during that period. Generate a new code for a different purpose or when the old code expires. Do not send your UKVI password or sign-in verification code to an employer, landlord or other checker.

The recipient enters the code and date of birth in the corresponding GOV.UK checking service. The result shows the information relevant to that check, such as whether a person can work or rent and any conditions that apply. The recipient should not ask you to share account credentials or an unrelated code.

Update details, correct an error or recover access

Use update your UKVI account details when your passport or travel document, name, nationality, phone number, email address, home address or photo changes, as allowed by the live service. This updates account details; it does not change the immigration permission itself. If an identity detail on the eVisa is wrong, use the eVisa error-reporting route instead. GOV.UK says you should report an error if you can view the eVisa but cannot get a share code, if the status or identity is incorrect, or if an account set up by the Home Office has never allowed you to sign in.

If you cannot sign in because you changed your email or lost access to your phone, use the separate UKVI account recovery service. If the account is linked but the eVisa still cannot be viewed, first confirm account setup is complete; allow up to 24 hours after linking, then report a persistent technical issue through the official error service. Do not create duplicate accounts unless the current GOV.UK service directs you to do so.

If the Home Office has the wrong status on record and that has stopped access to work, benefits or services, there is a separate ask the Home Office to check your immigration status process. That is different from reporting a display or account error. Keep the relevant decision and any notice from the organisation that could not verify your status.

Check your eVisa before travelling

Before travel, check your eVisa and UKVI account details, and add the valid passport or travel document you will use. Your account details should match the passenger information given to the airline or other carrier. A mismatch or missing travel document may delay boarding or return to the UK. A share code for travel may be created in advance and normally lasts 90 days; check the current GOV.UK travel guidance for your situation.

An eVisa is not an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The eVisa records permission already held; an ETA is a travel authorisation for certain people who do not need a visa. British and Irish citizens generally do not need an eVisa and should travel using the relevant British or Irish passport or other accepted proof. If you have more than one nationality, add the passport you intend to use.

If your passport changes while you are outside the UK, the available update route depends on your document and circumstances. Check the official travel page before departure, and ask UKVI for help if you cannot update your account. A share code is evidence for a check; it is not a visa, does not create permission and does not guarantee carrier acceptance or entry.

If you previously held ILR or EUSS settled status and have been abroad long enough that the settlement may have lapsed, digital status proof alone does not restore it. Read our UK Returning Resident visa guide for the absence periods and overseas application route.

If you have legacy physical proof of ILE or ILR, a lost or expired passport endorsement, or believe you have settlement but no document, read our UK No Time Limit (NTL) application guide. NTL is the route for converting qualifying legacy settlement proof into an eVisa; it is separate from setting up access to an eVisa that already exists.

Related immigration steps

If you hold pre-settled status and are unsure whether you need a late EUSS application, an extension or a settled-status application, read our late EUSS application and status guide. That guide now links here for UKVI account access, correcting eVisa information and sharing status. It does not replace the Home Office eVisa or travel services.

Frequently asked questions

Use GOV.UK eVisa, account-recovery, status-check and travel services for your specific task. Services and document rules can change. This guide is general information and does not confirm immigration status or a right to work, rent or travel.