UK eVisa for Students: How to Set Up Your UKVI Account Before You Travel

TL;DR: A UK eVisa is your online proof of immigration status. Most students no longer receive a biometric residence permit card. If your Student visa is for more than six months, you create a UKVI account, link it to your eVisa with your passport and visa application number, and check that your passport details match before you travel. The UK eVisa for students is what you use at the border and to prove your right to study, rent and work.

Your Student visa is approved. Before you book a flight, there is one more step to finish: setting up your UK eVisa. It is quick when you have the right details ready, and it avoids problems at the airport and in your first week on campus.

This guide covers what an eVisa is, how to set it up, and what to check before you fly.

Waiting on a CAS or a visa decision for the January intake and want a check on your timeline? Check your eligibility with Prosper.

What a UK eVisa is

An eVisa is a digital record of your immigration status, held by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). There is no card to collect. Universities say that from the end of December 2024 the online status replaced physical evidence such as the biometric residence permit (BRP) card or a passport stamp for most students.

You can get an eVisa if your permission to stay in the UK is longer than six months. GOV.UK says you cannot get an eVisa with a visa of six months or less. Students on short courses may receive a vignette, a sticker in the passport, instead. Your UKVI decision email tells you which applies to you.

What you need before you start

GOV.UK lists what you need to create a UKVI account:

• A phone number and email address you can keep using. You will use them every time you prove your status.
• A valid passport and your visa application number, known as the GWF or UAN number.
• A smartphone, so you can install the app that confirms your identity.

If you already have a UKVI account, do not create another one. Partners and children who come with you need their own accounts.

Not sure whether your documents and dates line up for a January start?

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How to set up your eVisa, step by step

The official route has four steps. Start it on the eVisa guidance on GOV.UK.

1. Create a UKVI account. Use the email and phone number you will keep.
2. Get access to your eVisa. Confirm your identity, usually with the smartphone app, and link the account to your eVisa.
3. Sign in and view your status. Check your name, date of birth, nationality and the dates on your permission.
4. Update your passport details if needed. If you did not use your passport to get access, add your passport details before you use the eVisa to travel.

Universities advise doing all of this before you travel. If you receive a new passport after you applied, add the new passport number to your UKVI account first.

Before you fly: a five-point check

Using your eVisa after you arrive

Once you are in the UK, you prove your status by sharing it rather than showing a card. In the View and Prove service, you generate a share code and choose a reason, such as work, rent or anything else. Universities that check your right to study usually ask you to choose "anything else".

Your landlord may ask for a share code for a right to rent check. An employer will ask for one before you start a part-time job. Our guide to UK student visa work hours explains what you can and cannot do once you start work.

Keep your account details up to date. If you change your passport, phone number or email, update your UKVI account, then tell your university separately.

Applying from Sri Lanka

• Students who gave biometrics at the UK visa application centre in Colombo still set up the eVisa online. Nothing is collected in Sri Lanka or in the UK.
• If you will change your mobile number after you move, add an email you will keep and update your phone number in your UKVI account once you have a UK number.
• Families often help with the visa application. The UKVI account belongs to the student, so the student should create and control it.

FAQ

Do I still get a BRP card as a student?

Most students do not. Universities say the online status has replaced the BRP card for most students since the end of December 2024.

When should I create my UKVI account?

As soon as you receive your visa decision, and before you travel. Universities advise students to create it before travelling.

What if my passport changes after my visa is approved?

Add the new passport number to your UKVI account before you travel. The border check uses your passport to find your status.

Can I travel if my eVisa is not set up?

Do not rely on it. The official guidance says to update your passport details before you use your eVisa to travel. Set it up first.

Does my partner or child need a separate account?

Yes. GOV.UK says partners and children who come with you need their own UKVI accounts.

PS: An eVisa is the last step in a long process, and the earlier steps decide whether you reach it on time. Check your eligibility with Prosper if you want your offer, CAS and visa timeline checked against your intake.

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