UK eVisa for Indians 2026: How the Digital Visa Works, Your UKVI Account and Travel Checks

What Is a UK eVisa and What It Is Not (2026 Quick Answer)

A UK eVisa is a digital record of your identity and immigration status, such as the type of visa you hold. According to GOV.UK, you get one when you successfully apply for a visa or other permission to be in the UK.

The key fact for Indian travellers as of September 2026: UKVI stopped issuing visa vignettes (stickers) to successful new applicants on 1 July 2026, so a newly approved UK visa comes as an eVisa.

There is no separate "e-visa" to apply for. Indian nationals apply for a normal UK visa online, give biometrics at a visa application centre (VAC) in India and, if approved, receive an eVisa.

What an eVisa is not

• Not a UK ETA, which is for people who do not need a visa, for trips of up to 6 months. Indian nationals need a visa.
• Not a paid extra: GOV.UK says you do not need to pay to set up a UKVI account or access your eVisa.
• Not the FAV (Form for Accompanying an eVisa), which is valid only for travel to the UK and gives no visa or right to enter without a valid eVisa.
• Not the end of your sticker: a valid vignette remains valid until it expires, and its holder can choose whether to set up eVisa access.

Who Gets an eVisa - Visitors, Students, Workers and Family

According to Indian media reports in February 2026 citing the British Deputy High Commission, most successful Indian applicants, including visitors, began receiving an eVisa instead of a sticker from 25 February 2026. GOV.UK does not name India in that switch.

GOV.UK does confirm that most people who successfully apply for a UK visit visa, or for most other visa types, get an eVisa only (guidance updated 20 May 2026).

Visitors

If the VAC holds your passport after you apply for a visit visa or most other visa types, GOV.UK says it is returned to you while the application is still being processed.

Students and workers

These routes were an early phase of the move: from 15 July 2025, GOV.UK guidance said study or work visa applicants may not get a vignette.

Dependants

A partner or child joining you in the UK as a dependant needs their own UKVI account to access their own eVisa, according to GOV.UK.

The small group that also gets an FAV

Applicants outside the UK who did not apply with an acceptable identity document receive a Form for Accompanying an eVisa (FAV) as well as an eVisa. Home Office guidance for carriers gives the typical case: a passport not recognised by HM Government.

Creating Your UKVI Account and Linking Your Passport

GOV.UK says you cannot access your eVisa until you have linked it to your UKVI account.

What you need

• A phone number and email address you can use each time you sign in.
• A valid passport plus your visa application number: a GWF (global web form) number or UAN (unique application number). GOV.UK lists this as one way to create an account.
• If you held a BRP, an expired card may still help you create an account, within the limits under Recent Changes.

What we recommend checking

• You will keep the same phone number and email while abroad.
• The eVisa is viewable after you sign in.
• The passport in the account is the one you will travel on and matches your flight booking.

Travelling on an eVisa - Airline Checks and Share Codes

With no sticker to inspect, airlines check eVisas electronically. As of September 2026, Home Office guidance for carriers says a "0A - Valid Permission to Travel Found" response, via iAPI messaging, Direct REST or web interfaces, is satisfactory evidence that an eVisa holder has permission to travel to the UK.

The electronic check relies on matching records. GOV.UK says to travel with a valid passport or travel document added to your UKVI account, and airlines cannot verify your status automatically if your details and documents do not match your passenger information.

Share codes

Where a passenger has no valid physical visa, carriers may also accept a "View and Prove" share code, checked with the passenger's date of birth on GOV.UK's "Check someone's immigration status" service. A share code for travel is valid for 90 days and can be used more than once, so we recommend generating one before your trip.

Who decides at check-in

The airline decides whether you board, in line with its own policies, and can contact the carrier support hub if it cannot confirm your status. Since ETA enforcement began on 25 February 2026, airlines prevent passengers without an ETA, eVisa or other valid documentation from boarding.

Under UK legislation, a carrier may also be liable for a GBP 2,000 charge for each passenger arriving without a valid immigration document that satisfactorily establishes identity and nationality.

Pre-flight checklist

• Visa approved: GOV.UK explicitly warns against travelling before approval.
• eVisa linked and visible in your UKVI account.
• The passport in your account matches the one you fly on and your booking.
• A share code for travel within its 90-day validity.
• Your FAV collected from the VAC, if you were issued one.

Renewed Your Passport? Updating Your eVisa Details

GOV.UK's travel guidance refers to the passport added to your UKVI account, so after a renewal we recommend updating the account before flying on the new passport.

• Outside the UK with a biometric passport: you can update the new passport number and expiry date yourself.
• Outside the UK without a biometric passport: you can update the passport number and expiry date only. UKVI changes other personal details on request, and you may need to give fingerprints and a photo at a VAC.
• Waiting for a visa decision: you cannot change your name or passport in the account.

This reflects GOV.UK guidance for people outside the UK as of September 2026. If you are in the UK, we recommend checking GOV.UK's "update your UKVI account" guidance.

Common eVisa Problems and How to Fix Them

Approved, but the eVisa does not show

According to applicant reports on Reddit in September 2026, an Indian business visitor approved on 2 September linked the visa to a VFS-created UKVI account on 4 September and still saw "Submitted on 4 September 2026" over 72 hours later. UKVI staff reportedly estimated around 24 hours, which is not a GOV.UK service standard.

The official fix is to report an error with your eVisa if you cannot view it when you sign in. As of September 2026, UKVI aims to fix most issues within 5 working days. We recommend waiting until the eVisa is viewable before flying, rather than relying on an approval email.

Sign-in fails or security codes do not arrive

The UKVI account uses the phone number and email you registered at every sign-in. If you lose access to that phone or change your email, GOV.UK offers account recovery.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in September 2026, a US applicant with a UK spouse visa saw "details don't match" at sign-in and got no recovery texts on a US phone. That is a single, non-Indian report, not a confirmed UKVI fault.

We found no UKVI guidance on security codes for non-UK numbers, so official recovery is the place to start. GOV.UK One Login is a separate sign-in system whose code rules do not describe UKVI accounts.

Told to wait for an FAV

According to applicant reports on Reddit in September 2026, a Jordanian applicant in Dubai was told to wait for an FAV after a Standard Visitor approval, while a Jordanian friend applying from Dubai got none. The post gives no reason.

Officially, an FAV goes to applicants who did not apply with an acceptable identity document. Linked to your eVisa, it allows travel to the UK, and you will usually need to collect it from the VAC first. If your case is unclear, we recommend contacting UKVI.

Saudi or UAE forms ask for a UK visa number

According to applicant reports on Reddit in September 2026, an Indian passport holder with a UK Skilled Worker eVisa said Emirates and GDRFA pre-approved UAE visa forms ask for a visa number, and that the UK eVisa has no specific visa number. With no official UAE or Emirates guidance found, we recommend checking with the airline or GDRFA before travel.

According to another applicant report on Reddit in September 2026, a UK Skilled Worker visa holder got a Saudi tourist eVisa by uploading an eVisa screenshot and entering the share code as the visa number, after the Saudi portal, not UKVI, failed to send a code to a UK number. This is one applicant's workaround, not an instruction.

UK ETA vs eVisa - Which One Applies to Indians

Indian nationals are not eligible for a UK ETA and need a visa, now issued as an eVisa.

Under the Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor: Visa National List (updated 3 August 2026), Indian nationals need entry clearance, meaning a visa, before travelling to the UK for any purpose, unless a listed exception applies. Only nationals on the Appendix ETA National List can apply for an ETA, and India is not on it (also updated 3 August 2026).

• eVisa: a digital record of immigration status after a successful visa application. This is what Indian nationals receive.
• ETA: for people who do not need a visa, for UK trips of up to 6 months. Not available to Indian nationals.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 15 July 2025: GOV.UK guidance said study and work visa applicants may not get a vignette.
• 25 February 2026: ETA enforcement began, and airlines prevent boarding without an ETA, eVisa or other valid documentation.
• 25 February 2026, reported only: according to Indian media reports in February 2026 citing the British Deputy High Commission, most successful Indian applicants started receiving eVisas instead of stickers.
• 20 May 2026: GOV.UK said most people who successfully apply for a visit visa, or for most other visa types, get an eVisa only.
• 1 July 2026: UKVI stopped issuing vignettes to successful new applicants.
• 9 September 2026: GOV.UK added an explicit warning not to travel to the UK before approval.

All biometric residence permits have now expired and been replaced by eVisas. As of September 2026, GOV.UK says an expired BRP might still work for limited purposes, such as signing in to view your eVisa or creating a UKVI account, for 24 months after its printed expiry date or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.

Because GOV.UK updated this guidance several times in 2026, we recommend checking the current pages before you apply or travel.

FAQ

Do Indians apply for a UK eVisa separately?

No. Indian nationals apply for a normal UK visa and, if approved, receive it as an eVisa.

Will a new UK visa be a sticker in my passport?

No. UKVI stopped issuing vignettes to successful new applicants on 1 July 2026. A valid sticker you already hold remains valid until it expires.

Is it free to set up a UKVI account and access my eVisa?

Yes. GOV.UK says you do not need to pay to set up a UKVI account or access your eVisa.

Can I use a UK ETA with an Indian passport?

No. India is not on the ETA National List, and Indian nationals need a visa before travelling to the UK unless a listed exception applies.

How long is a share code for travel valid?

For 90 days. It can be used more than once, so you can generate it before your trip.

Does every applicant get an FAV?

No. An FAV is issued, as well as an eVisa, to applicants outside the UK who did not apply with an acceptable identity document. It is not a visa on its own.

What do I update after renewing my passport?

The new passport number and expiry date in your UKVI account, which you can update yourself from outside the UK.

What if my eVisa does not appear in my UKVI account?

You can report an error with your eVisa through GOV.UK. As of September 2026, UKVI aims to fix most issues within 5 working days.

Can Visarun issue my eVisa or fix my UKVI account?

No. UKVI handles eVisas and UKVI account records. Visarun helps Indian applicants prepare and submit UK visa applications, and the decision rests with UKVI.