eVisa rollout: What you need to know before 31 December 2024

Since 31 October 2024, the Home Office has stopped issuing Biometrics Residence Permits for Workers and Temporary Workers in the UK. This means that all migrants, applying from overseas and in-country, with visas granted from this date, will receive an eVisa. Individuals already in the UK with visas are now required to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

This means that all migrants, applying from overseas and in-country, with visas granted from this date will now receive an eVisa. Individuals already in the UK with visas will be invited to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

What do I need to do?

If you are currently in the UK with a visa and you have not yet been contacted by the Home Office to create a UKVI account, you should now do so as soon as possible prior to 31 December 2024.

Please see the 'Get access to your eVisa page' to create your UKVI account. If you require assistance with this, the Home Office have also issued a helpful  video providing guidance on how to create your UKVI account and then access your eVisa.

It is worth noting that this does not apply to those who already have an eVisa and these individuals are not required to do anything as a result. However, it is important that individuals continue to keep their UKVI account up to date with any changes to their personal information, such as a new passport or contact details. This information can be updated here.

What happens if I don't access my eVisa before 31 December 2024?

While obtaining an eVisa is not compulsory, failure to do so prior to 31 December 2024 carries major risks, especially for international travel.

It is worth noting that although the majority of BRPs now expire on 31 December 2024 this does not affect someone's underlying immigration status.

However, where an individual's permit expires on 31 December 2024, they should make every attempt to obtain their eVisa status prior to travel to prevent any issues on re-entry to the UK. The Home Office has confirmed that carriers, such as airlines, will initially accept a BRP or EU Settlement Scheme biometric residence card (EUSS BRC) as evidence of permission to travel until 31 March 2025. This transitional measure is intended to provide reassurance to travellers during the early phase of the transition but the advice is that all attempts should still be made to update an individual's status.

Passengers may also wish to create a View and Prove share code, in advance of travel, which is valid for 90 days.

What should I do if I plan to travel over the festive period?

As we approach the festive season, many people will be making plans to travel outside of the UK for a holiday or to visit friends and family.

However, if you are planning to travel over the festive period, we have the following tips to ensure smooth travel back to the UK in the New Year:

• Ensure your immigration status is displaying correctly by using the view and prove your immigration service
• Ensure the passport you intend to travel with is linked to your UKVI account
• Ensure your personal details on your UKVI account are correct and match your travel document
• Where applicable, ensure you carry your current BRP, passport and eVisa when travelling outside of the UK and Common Travel Area
• If you have updated your passport on your UKVI account, we would recommend travelling with both your old and new passport in case of any delays with the electronic system updating.

If any details require to be updated, ensure this is done as far in advance of travel as possible to avoid any travel disruption. This can be done using the update your UKVI account details service.

If you are experiencing any issues with creating your UKVI account or accessing your eVisa, the Home Office have now set up a reporting system to assist with this. We would however highlight that the Home Office indicate it can take up to 10 days to respond so it is important to check your status well in advance of any travel!

If you have any questions following this update, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.