If your UK visa is approved from Pakistan today, nothing is stuck in your passport. UKVI stopped issuing visa vignettes (stickers) to successful new applicants on 1 July 2026, so your permission now exists only as an eVisa: a digital record of your identity, immigration status and conditions, which you see through a free UKVI account. Here is how to set it up, travel with it and get help when it goes wrong.
What changed, and what stays the same
GOV.UK’s updates on the move to eVisas confirm the date: from 1 July 2026, new successful applicants get an eVisa instead of a sticker, whatever the visa type. Visitors, students, spouses and workers applying from Pakistan are all in the same system now.
For Pakistani visitors the change started earlier. In February 2026 the British High Commission announced that visitors could use eVisas and would keep their passports after the biometrics appointment, instead of going back to the visa application centre to collect them.
Some things have not changed:
- You still apply online on GOV.UK and attend a visa application centre once for your fingerprints and photo.
- If you already hold a valid vignette, it stays valid until it expires.
- There is no charge for the UKVI account or for accessing your eVisa. Anyone asking for an “eVisa activation fee” is not UKVI.
The eVisa does not change the rules or the processing time; see our guide to UK visa processing times and what happens after biometrics.
Step 1: create your UKVI account
You cannot see your eVisa until it is linked to a UKVI account. According to GOV.UK’s set-up guidance, you need:
- a mobile number and email address you can use every time you sign in;
- a valid passport and your visa application number (the GWF reference);
- a smartphone for the UK Immigration: ID Check app, which confirms your identity (there is another route if you cannot use the app or do not have a valid passport).
Every person needs their own account, including your spouse and each child. You can help a family member set up theirs, but it must be in their name and linked to their passport.
Step 2: check your eVisa before you book flights
Sign in and check every detail: your name exactly as in your passport, date of birth, nationality, photo, visa type, start and end dates, conditions, and the passport number linked to the account. A spelling difference that seems small in Urdu-to-English transliteration (Muhammad or Mohammad, for example) can stop an airline matching you to your status. If anything is wrong, contact UKVI before you travel (details below).
Share codes: proving your status
A share code is how you prove your status to someone else. You get it from the view and prove service. GOV.UK says a share code lasts 90 days and can be used as many times as you need before it expires, and you can get a new one at any time. The person who checks it sees some of your personal details.
| Situation | What you use |
|---|---|
| Checking in for a flight to the UK | The airline tries to check your status automatically; carry a share code for travel as a back-up |
| Arriving at the UK border | A border officer (or an eGate, where you can use one) checks your eVisa against your passport |
| Starting a job in the UK | A right to work share code for your employer |
| Renting a home in England | A right to rent share code for your landlord or agent |
What airlines check
GOV.UK’s carrier guidance (updated July 2026) says your airline will try to verify your status automatically from the passenger details you give them. It will not work if your details and documents do not match. If the automatic check fails, you must show a share code for travel, or a valid physical immigration document, together with your valid passport. The airline can also contact the UK Border Force carrier support hub for help.
In practice, for a flight from Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi:
- Book the ticket in your name exactly as it appears in your passport.
- Travel on the passport that is linked to your UKVI account.
- Get a share code for travel a few days before you fly and keep it on your phone and on paper.
- Sign in the week before travel to confirm the eVisa shows the right dates.
When you renew your Pakistani passport
Your eVisa is tied to your passport details, so a new passport means an update. GOV.UK says you must travel with a valid passport that you have added to your UKVI account, and you can add more than one.
- If your new passport is biometric (it has a chip), you can update your passport number and expiry date yourself, and also your name or nationality if they have changed.
- If it is not biometric, you can update the passport number and expiry date only. Other changes need UKVI to do it, and you may be asked to give your fingerprints and photo again at a visa application centre.
One timing trap: GOV.UK says you cannot change your passport details while you are waiting for a decision on a visa application. If your passport is close to expiry, renew it before you apply, not during the wait. Updates are made through the update your details service.
Problems, and who to contact
- Cannot sign in, or lost access to the phone or email on the account: use the account recovery option on the GOV.UK eVisa pages.
- Wrong details on your eVisa, eVisa not showing, or cannot link your passport: contact UKVI’s eVisa helpline, usually called the UKVI Resolution Centre.
GOV.UK’s contact page for UKVI account problems lists:
- phone: +44 (0)300 790 6268, then option 3;
- if you cannot dial 0300 numbers: +44 (0)203 875 4669;
- Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:30am to 4:30pm (UK time), closed on UK bank holidays;
- webchat, linked from the same page.
Pakistan is 4 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 5 hours ahead in winter, so the lines are open until around midnight or 1am in Pakistan on weekdays. Call charges apply from Pakistan.
Common mistakes we see from Pakistan applications
- Setting up the UKVI account with an agent’s email or phone number, then being locked out when the agent stops answering.
- Treating the decision email as the visa. The eVisa is the record in your UKVI account, not the email.
- Leaving account creation until the night before the flight.
- Flying on a renewed passport that has not been added to the account.
- Paying someone for “eVisa registration”. It is free; see our warning on visa scams in Pakistan.
If your application is still being prepared, our step-by-step application guide and ukvisa.blog’s supporting documents guide cover the earlier stages.
FAQ
Can I ask for a visa sticker instead of an eVisa?
No. Since 1 July 2026 UKVI has not issued vignettes to successful new applicants; you will get an eVisa.
My visit visa sticker from last year is still valid. Do I need an eVisa?
Not for that visa. GOV.UK says an existing vignette remains valid until it expires. Your next successful application will give you an eVisa.
Does my child need their own UKVI account?
Yes. Each family member, including children, needs their own account. A parent can help set it up.
How long does a share code last?
90 days. You can use it more than once in that time and get a new one whenever you need it.
Applying from Pakistan? Send us a few lines about your case and we will tell you which route fits and what to prepare.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Rules and fees change; check GOV.UK before you apply.