The short answer
A UK eVisa is the digital record of your visa that has replaced the passport sticker and the BRP card. After approval you create a free UKVI account, confirm your identity with a phone app and link the passport you will travel on. You use the account to view your status and get share codes when someone needs proof.
In Bangla
UK eVisa হলো আপনার ভিসার ডিজিটাল রেকর্ড, যা পাসপোর্টের স্টিকার ও BRP কার্ডের জায়গা নিয়েছে, আর ভিসা পাওয়ার পর বিনা খরচে একটি UKVI অ্যাকাউন্ট খুলে ফোনের অ্যাপে পরিচয় নিশ্চিত করে যে পাসপোর্টে ভ্রমণ করবেন সেটি যুক্ত করতে হয়। এই অ্যাকাউন্ট থেকে নিজের স্ট্যাটাস দেখা যায় এবং কাউকে প্রমাণ দেখাতে হলে শেয়ার কোড নেওয়া যায়।
Key takeaways
- An eVisa is a digital record of who you are, what permission you hold and its conditions.
- GOV.UK says successful Standard Visitor applicants now receive an eVisa rather than a sticker, and existing stickers stay valid until they expire.
- Your UKVI account is free; you need your passport, your GWF number, an email, a phone number and a smartphone to confirm your identity.
- A share code lasts 90 days and lets an employer, landlord or carrier check your status without seeing your account.
- Before every trip, the passport linked to your UKVI account must be the one you travel on.
The UK eVisa is the reason a successful applicant from Bangladesh may now leave VFS with nothing new in their passport. The UK has moved from physical documents, the visa sticker and the biometric residence permit (BRP), to a digital record held by the Home Office. Nothing is lost by this, but there are new steps to take, and travel can go wrong if they are skipped.
This guide explains what an eVisa is, who receives one, how to set up a UKVI account and link your passport, what a share code does, how travel works and what happened to BRPs. It reflects the GOV.UK pages as they read in October 2026.
What is a UK eVisa?
An eVisa is an online record of your identity and your UK immigration status, including the type of permission you hold and its conditions, such as whether you may work or study. GOV.UK describes it on its eVisa page. You do not print it or carry it; you prove it by signing in to your UKVI account or by sharing a code.
The record is tied to your passport. When you travel, airlines and border officers check your status against the passport you present, which is why the passport details in your account must always be current.
Who gets an eVisa when applying from Bangladesh?
Anyone granted permission to come to the UK. GOV.UK's Standard Visitor apply page now says that if you are approved you receive an eVisa, and students and family members applying from Bangladesh receive one too. Visitors also get their passport back on the day of the VFS appointment, because there is no sticker to print into it.
If you already hold a visa sticker (a vignette) from an earlier application, it stays valid until its expiry date. You can still choose to set up an eVisa account for it if GOV.UK offers that for your permission. When your next application is approved, it will be digital.
How do you set up a UKVI account and link your eVisa?
You create the account once your visa is approved, using the GOV.UK get access to your eVisa service. It is free. If you have used a UKVI account before, for example on an earlier application, sign in to that one rather than creating a second.
- 1
Gather what you need
Your valid passport, your application reference (the GWF number from your confirmation email; our UK visa tracking guide shows where to find it), an email address and a phone number you can use each time you sign in.
- 2
Create the account
Follow the link on the GOV.UK page and enter your details. Use contact details you will keep for years, not an agency's.
- 3
Confirm your identity
GOV.UK says you need a smartphone to install an app that confirms your identity. If you cannot use an app or have no valid passport, GOV.UK describes another way.
- 4
Wait for the eVisa to appear
Access is usually immediate once the eVisa is linked, but GOV.UK says it can take up to 24 hours.
- 5
Check every detail
Compare your name, date of birth, nationality, photo, visa type, dates and conditions with your decision. Report any error before you book travel.
What is a share code and when do you need one?
A share code is a one-off code that lets someone check your immigration status without seeing your account. You get it from the view and prove your immigration status service, then give the code and your date of birth to the person checking. GOV.UK says a share code lasts 90 days, and you can use it as many times as you need in that period or get a new one.
Students and spouses use share codes when they start a job, rent a home or register with some services. Visitors usually need one only if an airline or other carrier cannot verify their status automatically. In each case you choose when to create the code, and the service tells you what the person checking will see.
| Situation | Who checks | What you give |
|---|---|---|
| Boarding a flight to the UK | The airline | Usually nothing extra; a share code if they cannot verify automatically |
| Arriving at the UK border | Border Force | The passport linked to your account |
| Starting a job (students and partners) | The employer | A share code and your date of birth |
| Renting a home in England | The landlord or letting agent | A share code and your date of birth |
| Applying to extend or switch | UKVI | Your UKVI account details |
Can a visa agency set up your UKVI account?
It can explain the steps, but the account should be yours: your email, your phone number and your identity check on your own smartphone. An agency's email on your UKVI account means you depend on it every time you need a share code, which is not something any agency should want.
Agencies that use Visolv give their clients a portal under the agency's own brand, where the client follows the appointment and the decision and receives the agency's messages. The UKVI account itself stays with you. For everything that happens before the decision, see our UK visa from Bangladesh guide and our page on UK visa decision times.
How do you travel to the UK with an eVisa?
Travel on the passport linked to your UKVI account. The GOV.UK guide to travelling with an eVisa says carriers can check the status of a passenger whose passport is linked to their account, and may delay or refuse boarding if your details are not correct. Check your account well before the trip.
If you renew your passport after the visa is granted, add the new passport to your UKVI account before you travel. The name on your ticket should match the passport and the eVisa exactly, so a spelling difference between your NID-based name and your passport is worth fixing before booking, not at the airport.
What happened to BRP cards?
They have been replaced. GOV.UK's BRP page says all BRPs have now expired and been replaced by eVisas. An expired BRP may still be used for a few things, 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.
For a family member in the UK who is sponsoring your visit or your spouse visa, this matters: their proof of status is now their eVisa share code page or a British passport, not a BRP. Our list of UK visit visa requirements shows where a host's status goes in your file.
What if the details on your eVisa are wrong?
Report the error through GOV.UK as soon as you notice it, using the reporting link on the eVisa pages, and do not travel until it is fixed if the mistake affects your name, date of birth, nationality, passport or visa dates. Keep the decision email as your record of what was granted while the correction is made.
The UK eVisa removes the sticker but adds a responsibility: an account you set up, keep current and protect. Link the right passport, check the details and keep your login to yourself. If you want help with the application that leads to it, go through a visa agency that uses Visolv.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my UK eVisa after approval from Bangladesh?
Create a free UKVI account through GOV.UK's get access to your eVisa service, using your passport, your GWF application number, an email address and a phone number. Confirm your identity with the app on a smartphone, and your eVisa is linked to the account. Access is usually immediate but can take up to 24 hours. Then check every detail carefully.
Will I get a visa sticker in my passport for a UK visit visa?
GOV.UK's Standard Visitor page now says successful applicants receive an eVisa, a digital record, rather than a sticker. Visitors get their passport back on the day of their appointment. If you already hold a valid visa sticker from an earlier application, it remains valid until its expiry date. Your next approval will be issued as an eVisa.
How long does a UK eVisa share code last?
A share code lasts 90 days, according to GOV.UK's view and prove your immigration status service. You can use the same code as many times as you need during that period or create a new one whenever you want. Give the code together with your date of birth to the employer, landlord or carrier who needs to check your status.
What if I get a new passport after my UK eVisa is issued?
Add the new passport to your UKVI account before you travel. Carriers and border officers check your status against the passport you present, and GOV.UK warns that you may be delayed or refused boarding if your details are not up to date. You make the change in the same UKVI account. Keep the old passport until the new one is linked.
Do I need internet access at the airport to show my UK eVisa?
Usually not. Carriers can check the status of passengers whose passport is linked to a UKVI account. If your carrier cannot verify your status, GOV.UK says you can get a share code using the view and prove service. Generate one before leaving for the airport if you are unsure, since it stays valid for 90 days.
Is a UK eVisa the same as an ETA?
No. An eVisa is the digital record of a visa or other permission granted after an application. An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is a separate permission for nationalities that can visit the UK without a visa. Bangladeshi citizens are not eligible for an ETA and must apply for a visa, which, once granted, is issued as an eVisa.
The Visolv team
Editorial team, Easital Technologies (Dhaka)
Visolv is software for visa agencies, made in Dhaka by Easital Technologies: an AI caseworker that reads and checks every paper in a client's file, writes the drafts and builds the upload pack under the agency's own brand. We write about what we see in real visa files from Bangladesh.
